Beyond the Pearls: Cases for Med School, Residency and Beyond

Based on Elsevier's Morning Report book series, Beyond the Pearls takes clinical case presentations and turns them into engaging audio episodes. Dr. Raj Dasgupta, the series editor and a quadruple board-certified physician at USC, leads the discussions through 224 episodes that cover an impressive range of medical specialties from psychiatry and pulmonology to internal medicine and emergency cases. The format mimics a hospital morning report or grand rounds session. Each episode presents a clinical scenario, works through the differential diagnosis, highlights must-know pearls, and wraps up with assessment questions. Episodes typically run 18 to 25 minutes for standard cases, though some comprehensive lectures stretch past an hour. The case-based approach is particularly effective for Step 1 students who want to see how basic science concepts actually apply to clinical scenarios, which is increasingly how the exam tests material anyway. With 224 episodes and a 4.1 rating from 14 reviewers, the show has built a substantial library. Some listeners have noted occasional tangents, but the core clinical content is solid and well-organized. Dr. Dasgupta brings genuine enthusiasm and a knack for making complex cases feel approachable. If you are the kind of learner who remembers information better when it is attached to a patient story rather than an isolated fact, this podcast matches that learning style well. The connection to published Elsevier textbooks also means the content has been through formal editorial review.