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The NocturnistsAuthor: The Nocturnists
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors and art-makers, and special podcast documentary series such as Post-Roe America, Shame in Medicine, Black Voices in Healthcare, and Stories from a Pandemic. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike. **Anthem Award winner, two-time Webby Award nominee, and Ambie Award finalist for Best Indie Podcast in 2023.** Learn more at thenocturnists.org. Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine, Personal Journals, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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11 - Uncertainty in Medicine: How We Die
Thursday, 12 June, 2025
Today, we explore the paradox of mortality: something both certain and utterly unknowable. Through a haunting parable from Ursula K. Le Guin and stories from doctors and loved ones, we hear what happens when people try to plan for death—or avoid it. A daughter processes her mother’s calm decision to pursue assisted dying. A physician grapples with an ambiguous advance directive. A neurointensivist weighs the line between hope and false hope. What do we do when clear answers are impossible? And what happens when our attempts to control death only bring more suffering? And in the midst of all this uncertainty, how do we find peace? Find show notes, transcripts, and more at thenocturnists.org, and subscribe to our substack. The "Uncertainty in Medicine" series is generously funded by the ABIM Foundation, by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation. The Nocturnists is supported by The California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you. Host: Emily Silverman, MD Series Illustrations by Eleni Debo
