On Becoming a Healer

Saul Weiner from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Stefan Kertesz from the University of Alabama at Birmingham co-host a podcast that interrogates the culture of medical training and practice with unusual depth. The show grew out of Weiner's 2020 book of the same name, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, and it carries that same scholarly but accessible tone into its audio format. With about 67 episodes released on a bimonthly schedule, this is not a high-frequency show. But each episode earns its runtime. Weiner and Kertesz bring on thoughtful guests to explore topics that most medical podcasts avoid or only touch on briefly: the ethics of labeling addiction as disease, what it means to contextualize patient care, how learning disabilities intersect with medical education, and the systemic forces that shape clinician well-being. These are not conversations that wrap up with five neat takeaways. They sit with complexity and resist easy answers. The hosting dynamic is one of the show's strengths. Both Weiner and Kertesz are experienced clinicians and academics, and they push their guests with genuine intellectual curiosity rather than softball questions. You can hear them thinking in real time, which makes the conversations feel alive rather than rehearsed. If you are a medical student, resident, or attending who wants to think more carefully about the culture you are practicing in and how it shapes patient care, On Becoming a Healer is a podcast that will challenge you in the best way.