Fourth-year medical student and anesthesiology residency applicant Avery Wooten joins Dr. Michael Jerkins for a candid conversation about navigating medical school on the road to the Match. Avery reflects on her path from UNC Chapel Hill to UCSF, the mentorship that helped shape her journey, and how social media became an unexpected tool for transparency and guidance.

She shares how she balances clinical rotations, content creation, and interview prep, while offering insight into the modern residency application process from virtual interviews to the power of personal storytelling. The discussion also explores the financial pressures facing today’s medical students, shifting priorities around work-life balance, and why authenticity matters more than ever in the Match.

What does it really take to stand out as a residency applicant today? And how can mentorship—both online and offline—help demystify the process for the next generation?

Avery closes with reflections on burnout, humor, and staying human while navigating one of the most demanding seasons of medical training.

Board-certified orthopedic surgeon, social media personality, and former professional violinist Dr. Will Kang joins Dr. Michael Jerkins for an engaging conversation on unconventional career paths, surgical culture, and building a life in medicine that extends beyond the operating room. Dr. Kang reflects on his early years as a classically trained musician, the role of parental influence in high-level performance, and how a career-altering shoulder injury ultimately redirected him from the concert stage to medicine.

He shares how the COVID-19 pandemic reignited a long-standing interest in media, leading him to create educational and humorous content on social media. The discussion weaves through the realities of surgical training, the stereotypes surrounding different specialties, and why surgeons often develop thick skin, big egos, and an efficiency-first communication style just to survive the field.

Dr. Kang also offers a candid look at balancing a demanding surgical career with family life, emphasizing why he’s chosen to prioritize being present at home, even when it comes at a professional cost. Looking ahead, he weighs in on the future of orthopedic surgery, including the growing role of robotics, AI, and real-time imaging.

What does it take to pivot when your original dream no longer fits? And how can surgeons build resilience, maintain perspective, and define success on their own terms?

Dr. Kang closes with advice for aspiring surgeons, reflections on criticism and self-healing, and why—despite the challenges—he still believes medicine is a career worth choosing.

Quadruple board-certified physician Dr. Gerald Cox joins Dr. Ned Palmer for a thoughtful conversation on personalized medicine, obesity care, and the future of longevity. Dr. Cox reflects on his own childhood struggle with obesity and how it shaped his path from personal trainer to physician, ultimately leading him into concierge medicine where deeper relationships and individualized care take center stage.

Together, they explore how AI is reshaping clinical practice, why prevention will define the next era of healthcare, and what we can learn from the world’s Blue Zones about living longer, healthier lives. Dr. Cox explains his approach to personalized health plans, the power of motivational interviewing, and the role of precision genomics in cardiometabolic and longevity medicine.

What does truly personalized care look like in a system built for volume? And how can technology, motivation, and lifestyle-based medicine converge to meaningfully improve long-term health outcomes?

Dr. Cox closes the episode with reflections on passion, purpose, and his mission to combat medical misinformation through digital education, reminding us why the future of medicine depends on both innovation and empathy.