The Scientific Method

PNWU second-year medical student Naman Jain joins us to discuss his journey to medical school, his commitment to caring for others, and the value of creativity.

Paige Ely, PNWU Student Doctor of the Year, and honorable mention for National Student Doctor of the Year, joins us to discuss osteopathy, effective altruism, caring for underserved communities and more.

Opioid overdoses claim the lives of approximately 130 people in the United States each day. Sadly, many of the substance abuse disorders that lead to these devastating losses begin with the stroke of a doctors pen.  In anticipation of PNWU's upcoming regional summit on opioid use disorder and trauma-informed care, “Trauma and the Opioid Crisis: Coming Together to Advance Prevention, Care, and Recovery,” we sat down with two medical students whose lives have been dramatically altered — in very different ways — by prescription medications. 

Physicians commit suicide at a higher rate than any other profession. In fact, throughout the course of a single year, the medical field can expect to lose more doctors than the collected total of all medical students here on our campus to suicide. Dr. Linda Seaman and Angie Maxson, PNWU OMS I, join us for an emotional conversation on physician burnout.

The Fascial Distortion Model: Physicians can learn it over the course of a weekend and put it into practice immediately. It's inexpensive, fast and virtually risk-free. Dr. Todd Capistrant, PNWU's Regional Assistant Dean of Fairbanks, calls it the most powerful thing he's ever seen in medicine, and after using the model to radically improve the lives of countless patients throughout the years, he has plenty of evidence to support that claim. So why isn't FDM mainstream? Dr. Capistrant and fourth-year PNWU osteopathic medical student Thomas Pentzer join us for an illuminating conversation on FDM.

What does it mean to you or your loved ones to be “alive?" If you had a say in how you wanted to leave this world, what would your preferences be? We will all leave this world someday; the difference is how we leave it. Katie Buckman is a second-year osteopathic medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, and one of the founders of “What Matters in the End Week,” which aims to educate the community on the importance of end-of-life planning. Laurie Jackson is the Senior Director of Compass Care, Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital's end-of-life line of services, and brings over 20 years of experience in end-of-life care to our conversation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. These conditions are known as social determinants of health. To discuss these conditions, and the massive impact they have on society, we sat down with Mike Johnson and Dr. Michael Lawler. Mike Johnson is the Executive Director of Yakima's Union Gospel Mission, which aims to help people move from homelessness to wholeness. He has dedicated much of his life to working with underserved populations, gaining deep insight into the challenges facing theses communities firsthand. Dr. Michael Lawler is the President of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, and brings over 35 years of experience in health and human services, much of which focuses on improving the health of some of our most vulnerable populations.

According to data published recently by the US Centers for Disease, overall life expectancy in America fell fractionally in 2017, from 78.7 to 78.6 years, marking the first time in half a century that there have been two consecutive years of declining life expectancy. Underlying the drop was a bad year for influenza and a slight increase in the toll of Alzheimer's disease. But more significant was an increase in what some are referring to as “deaths of despair”: Suicides and drug overdoses. To better understand the problem, we sat down with an expert on opioid pharmacology, pain and addiction, the Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Pacific Northwest University, Dr. Edward Bilsky.

Dr. Anita Showalter, PNWU Associate Dean for Clinical Education, joins us for a conversation on the heavily-contested topic of physician assisted death. 

PNWU osteopathic medical students Darrel Phong, Christi Blanton, and Megan Bedard join us to discuss their recent 16-day medical mission trip Bundibugyo, Uganda, a small town near the Democratic Republic of Congo border in Africa. Part of a team of eight second-year students, Darrel, Christi, and Megan had the opportunity to serve on a triage team that went into three small remote villages where most of the people have no income, no clean water and no medical care. 

Logan Noone, PNWU OMS II, never expected to celebrate his college graduation in a psych ward, sleeping on a bed complete with wrist and ankle restraints. From an outside perspective, he was living the dream. He had plenty of friends, a picture-perfect family, achieved academic success and was even studying abroad in Scotland. At night, however, he couldn't sleep. He worried that his girlfriend no longer loved him; that his friends thought he was a loser; that not even his own family liked him. Ultimately, after his family guided him toward treatment, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Despite his doctor's advice to keep his diagnosis a secret — they warned him that he'd be ostracized if people knew about his disorder— Noone decided to pursue a career in medicine, determined to improve the system that helped save his life and show others that they are not alone.

PNWU students join us to discuss the ins and outs of being a healthy, happy, successful and motivated medical student. From deciding to pursue medicine to succeeding in that pursuit; from starting the application process to surviving interview day; from orientation to graduation… tune in and step into the scrubs of a modern-day medical student. “People are always going to need physicians who understand the human persona. Being able to check your ego at the door and be open minded to the fact that you might not be the number one person in your class — that's okay! Whether you're number 1 or number 142, at the end of the day, once you graduate, you're going to be a doctor.”

PNWU Veterans Club President Lucas Myers, who served for 8-years as a Pararescuemen in the United States Air Force, and Dr. Robert Sorrells, PNWU's Associate Dean of Clinical Education, join us to discuss PTSD, the challenges facing those returning from service, and the stigma that makes treatment even more challenging.

We're well into the new year, which once served as a clean slate for so many. But what happened to all of the resolutions that once dominated our eyes and ears? What ever became of our aspirations? Sadly, in all likelihood, they're gone and long forgotten.  So many of us are aware of the changes that we can make to enhance our lives, but so few of us seem to make those obvious changes. To find out why, we sat down with Dr. Kathaleen Briggs Early, PNWU's Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Nutrition, to discuss the challenges associated with achieving long-term goals, the truth behind so many of the changes we hear about and, most importantly, how we can resolve to achieve our resolutions. 

At the time of this writing, there have been 378 mass shootings in America this year alone. By the time this podcast is published, that number is likely to have increased. There have been 555 in the last 514 days, and three of the ten deadliest mass shootings in American history have occurred in the past 18 months.  At press conferences scheduled in the wake of so many of these events, with a nation seeking answers, the one answer that often surfaces is clear and unwavering: this is a mental health issue at the highest level, and to stop these shootings, something must be done to address mental illness in America. When the lights fade away, however, and the speakers step off of the stage, it seems that the national conversation ends. Until the next tragedy. On this episode of The Scientific Method, we are joined by PNWU Executive Director of Medical Simulation, Lisa Munoz. On October 1, 2017, Lisa saw those statistics come to life as she stood in a crowd of over 20,000 concert-goers when shots rang out over Las Vegas.  What is the current state of mental health in America? Is mental illness truly to blame for these all-too-common tragedies? And, if these tragedies are viewed as society's open-door to discussing mental illness, how does that influence the estimated 44 million Americans who will suffer from some form of mental illness each year?

The sport of professional football is a spectacular spectacle. Every Sunday throughout football season, 53 highly-conditioned athletes take the field, battling against an opposing 53-man machine for the right to be crowned victorious. These players have honed their skills over decades of practice and intense training, meeting head-to-head – often literally – to assert their dominance in every aspect of competition. It is truly America's game, but what is the cost of such a sensational show? Recently, a neuropathologist examined the brains of 111 former NFL players. Of those 111 specimens, 110 were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E. Despite this incriminating evidence, however, the NFL has never been more popular or financially successful. Even the leagues commissioner has downplayed the study, stating that “the average NFL player lives five years longer than you, so their lifespan is actually longer and healthier. And I think because of all the advancements -- including the medical care -- that number is going to even increase for them.” Is the NFL attempting to mask a dark reality facing the athletes we adore? What is the reality facing the players so many people cheer on every week? Can anything be done to prevent further damage to those players? Should we allow our own children to play the violent game that's offered by so many programs throughout adolescence? What are the risks associated with playing football? And, as players continue to grow larger, faster and more powerful, what does the future of football look like? As the NFL season gets into full swing, we sat down with the Dean of PNWU's College of Osteopathic Medicine Dr. Thomas Scandalis, our Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Education Dr. Robert Sorrells and former NFL tight end, Super Bowl champion and author of “Counting the Days While My Mind Slips Away,” Ben Utecht, to discuss C.T.E., the sport of football and the reality behind what is occurring below the helmets we dedicate our Sunday's to.

Drug overdoses now kill more people than gun homicides and car crashes combined. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 142 Americans die every day from a drug overdose. Opioids are a prime contributor to this crisis, which has been declared a National Emergency. But how have these professionally prescribed medications had such a catastrophic effect on our country, and what can be done to end this devastating epidemic? For this week's episode of The Scientific Method we were joined by PNWU Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Albert Brady and PNWU Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Edward Bilsky to discuss opioids in America. "We've introduced another subset of the population to drugs that were perceived to be relatively safe. When we confront a really big problem like this in society we can become overwhelmed by it. It freezes us into inaction. But if we can turn the corner and begin making people aware of the resources that exist, we can begin chipping away at the fundamental reasons why they take these opioids. For those who are at rock bottom: we can still help you. There is hope."

“Now instead of an iPhone you'll have a chip in your ear. Instead of a credit card you'll have a chip in your finger. And to us that might seem odd, but those technologies exist right now, and to future generations those are going to be much easier to accept.” On this week's episode of The Scientific Method we sit down with Dr. Robert Sorrells, PNWU's Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Education, to discuss all artificial intelligence and the future of healthcare. Are we revolutionizing the industry for the better, paving the way for a future of health and prosperity, or are we inadvertently turning ourselves into outmatched and obsolete "house cats" in the face of far-superior artificial beings?

“99% of the time children should get their vaccines, and there's very few contrary indications against that. I advocate for children and I advocate for parents making the right decisions, and providing accurate information is very important. Your child is the most important thing in your life; that's why I do my job.” On this week's episode Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences Chief and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Melissa Lemp discusses the anti-vaccine movement and works to clear the smokescreen on vaccines in America.

“Mother Nature is prejudiced. Humans should not be.” On the heels of John McEnroe's claim that female tennis superstar Serena Williams would be “ranked 700” if she played against men, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Education, Idaho Air National Guard Colonel and former Unites States Air Force Freestyle Greco-Roman wrestling team physician Dr. Brandon Isaacs discusses the role that gender plays in athletics and the physiology of men versus women.