Available until February 1, 2026

Nearly 1 million individuals in the U.S. have multiple sclerosis. Most acquire the disease between the ages of 20 and 50. It’s often difficult to establish a diagnosis as the symptoms can be vague and often vary significantly from one individual to another. The disease can be very frightening, often debilitating, and progressive; up until recently, we’ve had very little to offer patients in the way of treatment. However, in the past few years there have been numerous advances in treatment options which have given hope to the many patients with MS. We’ll be discussing multiple sclerosis in this podcast. Our guest is Eoin Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch., a neurologist from the Department of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic.

Available until February 1, 2026

The practice of medicine is often stressful and at times, even frustrating. Sometimes the stress and frustration can get out of hand and lead us to feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. This has been described as burnout. There’s good evidence to suggest that well over half of all physicians practicing in the U.S. have exhibited some symptoms of burnout at some time during their career. Healthcare professional burnout not only has negative consequences for the clinician, but also for patients, as patient care can often suffer. What are the symptoms of burnout, can we prevent them and how can we manage those who are experiencing professional burnout? We’ll discuss these questions and more with Colin P. West, M.D., Ph.D., an internist in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

Available until February 1, 2026

The liver is the second most commonly transplanted organ; nearly 10,000 patients received a liver transplant in 2021. The major factor, which has limited the transplants performed, has been the availability of the donated organs and some patients have waited several years before an acceptable organ becomes available. Transplants can be performed for a variety of end-stage liver diseases, usually giving patients years of additional life. Who’s a candidate for a liver transplant and what criteria for selection are required? Our topic for this podcast is “Liver Transplant Selection Criteria” and we’ll discuss this topic with our guest, Michael D. Leise, M.D., from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic.

Available until February 1, 2026

Lyme disease is quite common with more than 400,000 new cases per year in the United States alone. It’s associated with a constellation of typical symptoms, but it can also produce symptoms which are very unusual and vague. As a result, it can mimic a variety of other diseases. An accurate diagnosis of Lyme disease can be challenging, often resulting in a delay or even lack of treatment. In this podcast, we’ll discuss the typical presentation of Lyme disease as well as some of its more unusual presenting symptoms. We’ll also cover how to establish a diagnosis and its current treatment recommendations. Our guest is Elitza S. Theel, Ph.D., a clinical microbiologist from the Mayo Clinic.

Available until February 1, 2026

It’s estimated that less than 1/3 of individuals with celiac disease have been properly diagnosed. When those with celiac disease ingest gluten, an immune response develops which attacks the small intestine leading to inadequate absorption of nutrients. If left untreated, celiac disease can lead to a variety of nutritional deficiencies as well as other serious consequences. Those with celiac disease are also at increased risk for coronary disease and small bowel cancers. In this podcast we’ll review celiac disease and gluten sensitivity with our guest, Amy S. Oxentenko, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. We’ll discuss the symptoms of celiac disease, how to diagnose the condition and how patients with celiac disease should be managed.

Available until February 1, 2026

Testosterone has a variety of health benefits. It helps maintain bone density, muscle mass, red blood cell production and sexual function. Testosterone levels in men tend to peak between age 30 to 40 then gradually decline and it’s not unusual to find low testosterone levels in men over the age of 50. It’s also known that in men with hypogonadism, testosterone supplementation can improve libido, bone density and muscle mass. Should we be checking testosterone levels in our middle-age male patients? How do we determine who should receive testosterone supplementation and finally what are the risks of supplementation? In this podcast, these are all questions I’ll be asking our guest, Dr. Nahid Punjani, a urologist at the Mayo Clinic as we discuss “Testosterone Supplementation in Men”.

Available until February 1, 2026

Hearing loss is a commonly seen symptom in a primary care office practice, as is tinnitus and vertigo. Fortunately, they’re almost always due to a benign cause. However, these symptoms may represent something more ominous, an acoustic neuroma, also known as a vestibular schwannoma. It’s important to consider this diagnosis when we see them in our patients, as there is the potential for serious consequences to develop if this remains untreated. What type of hearing loss is associated with a vestibular schwannoma? What are the other associated symptoms? How do we go about evaluating these patients and how are they best treated? I’ll be asking these questions of our guests Michael J. Link, M.D., a neurosurgeon from the Department of Neurologic Surgery and Mathew L. Carlson, M.D., a head and neck surgeon from the Department of Otolaryngology, both at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Our topic for this podcast is vestibular schwannomas.