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PODCAST

The Present Illness

Alyssa Burgart & Arghavan Salles

Society’s running a fever, and two sharp-witted physicians are on the case. Surgeon-scientist Arghavan Salles dives into social media’s wildest trends, while anesthesiologist-bioethicist Alyssa Burgart follows news and legal cases for their ethical twists. Together, they examine the cultural, political, and public health symptoms of our time with scalpel-sharp analysis, unflinching questions, and enough humor to keep us all going.

health & fitness medicine

All Episodes

58:54

White House's Fever Dream Photoshoot

The Present Illness ·

2025/12/19

Send us a text In their final episode of 2025, Drs. Salles & Burgart perform a brief examination of the Vanity Fair exclusive featuring Trump's new White House staff. Our physician hosts dissect the viral photoshoot that's causing more raised eyebrows than a Botox convention, with special attention to the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding Susie Wiles and her supporting cast of characters. The physicians perform a thorough examination of HHS cutting AAP funding while also funding an e...

en-us

56:14

Worried about the widening gender divide? Blame Nick...

The Present Illness ·

2025/12/13

Send us a text In this episode, the doctors perform a clinical examination of the pathological messaging aimed at young men by right-wing influencers like Nick Fuentes. They dissect the misogyny spreading through social media platforms, with particular attention to the inflammatory rhetoric that leads to dangerous attitudes toward women. The prognosis? With a strong dose of media & gender literacy, recovery is possible. Touré’s fact checks on the Diddy doc (this & this); Jeff Pearlman...

en-us

55:08

The Professor Will See You Now (If They Still Have a...

The Present Illness ·

2025/12/05

Send us a text In this week's episode, Drs. Salles and Burgart perform a critical examination of academic freedom under attack, focusing on the viral case of an Oklahoma pre-med student who's created a fever pitch of controversy by turning in shoddy work and targeting her transgender professor. The doctors dissect how right-wing influencers are turning classroom disagreements into national culture war symptoms, with concerning implications for academia's immune system. Our hosts investigate t...

en-us

60:36

The Atlantic Lost Its Fact Checkers

The Present Illness ·

2025/11/29

Send us a text The doctors perform an emergency triage on the state of public health leadership this week, starting with a scathing dissection of The Atlantic's profile of RFK Jr. that seemingly skipped the fact-checking department. Drs. Salles and Burgart administer a strong dose of reality as they examine how mainstream media continues to platform dangerous health misinformation with fewer guardrails than a pediatric rollercoaster. Their differential diagnosis extends to the newest clown to...

en-us

58:46

Labor & Dismissal

The Present Illness ·

2025/11/22

Send us a text Activation Awareness: This episode discusses serious pregnancy complications and the dismissal of women's health concerns. In this week's episode of The Present Illness, Drs. Arghavan and Alyssa deliver a stat consultation on two viral stories about Black women receiving substandard obstetric care. With surgical precision, they dissect the case of Karrie Jones at Dallas Regional Medical Center, who was kept in a wheelchair for admitting questions while in active labor, and Merc...

en-us

60:56

The Epstein of It All

The Present Illness ·

2025/11/15

Send us a text Join Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart as they don their sterile gloves to dissect the web of connections surrounding Mr. Pedophile Criminal, Jeffrey Epstein, in "The Epstein of It All." The doctors examine how powerful men shield each other from consequences - and compound harms to survivors. Arghavan shares her social media deep dive into the recently released Epstein emails about Donald Trump, including those with journalist Michael Wolff and former Harvard Dean Larry ...

en-us

52:52

Lady Voters

The Present Illness ·

2025/11/08

In this electrifying episode of The Present Illness, Drs. Arghavan and Alyssa examine America's complicated relationship with lady voters. Our physician hosts unpack the historical struggle for women's voting rights with their characteristic wit, dissecting how gender equality at the ballot box has changed our political anatomy. Fresh from the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities conference, Alyssa shares insights on disability bias in ethics consultations and the lesser-known ...

en-us

61:38

SNAP, Crackle, Billionaire

The Present Illness ·

2025/11/01

Arghavan & Alyssa diagnose America's latest nutrition emergency as SNAP benefits face potential cuts. They dissect the economic consequences of food insecurity with surgical precision while examining the bizarre phenomenon of billionaires hoarding wealth like it's toilet paper in a pandemic. The doctors perform a thorough examination of: The alarming case of disappearing SNAP contingency funds (prognosis: sus)How cutting food assistance creates a cascade of symptoms across the economyBill...

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47:50

This Man Does Not Like You

The Present Illness ·

2025/10/25

TikTok is up for sale in America, but Arghavan and Alyssa are not into it. They discuss the implications of TikTok's potential sale and its impact on privacy and social media dynamics. They explore how social media influences relationship norms, particularly through examples of weaponized incompetence in partnerships. The conversation shifts to public health, focusing on the importance of hepatitis B vaccination for children and the challenges posed by misinformation in healthcare. They also ...

en-us

63:19

Vaccine Debate and Very Loud Ladies

The Present Illness ·

2025/10/21

In this episode, Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart dive into the world of vaccine misinformation, examining a debate between science communicators and anti-vaccine advocates. They explore how scientific illiteracy fuels dangerous health trends, including the current measles outbreak. The hosts then switch gears to discuss an evangelical pastor's claim that women should remain quiet and out of public life, highlighting how this rhetoric connects to broader political movements aimed at re...

en-us

53:55

Death by Wellness Influencers: Paloma Shemirani

The Present Illness ·

2025/10/11

In this episode of "The Present Illness," hosts Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart delve into the tragic story of Paloma Shemirani, a young woman whose life was cut short by misinformation and a lack of standard medical intervention. Despite being diagnosed with a treatable form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Paloma's journey was marred by her mother's influence and a series of misguided decisions that led her away from life-saving treatment. The episode explores the broader implications of medic...

en-us

38:52

The Shutdown Shuffle

The Present Illness ·

2025/10/04

In this fever dream of an episode, Arghavan and Alyssa perform a thorough examination on America's latest government shutdown drama and the wildly contagious misinformation about immigrant healthcare that's spreading faster than a hospital norovirus. They'll decode EMTALA (that's Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act), dissect proposed Medicaid cuts that would make even the Grim Reaper wince, and explore how the Affordable Care Act's subsidies are hanging on by a thread thinner than hospi...

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54:21

Tylenol, Autism & the Clown Car of Public Health

The Present Illness ·

2025/09/27

In this engaging first episode of "The Present Illness," physician-hosts Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart delve into the complexities of public health, politics, and culture. They discuss the controversial claims surrounding Tylenol and autism, emphasizing the importance of scientific evidence and the dangers of misinformation. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by patients trying to access care, the medical community, the impact of deregulation, and the role of social me...

en-us

13 results

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