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  • DMD #67 | International Service: Connecting Physicians Through Global Volunteerism

    DMD #67 | International Service: Connecting Physicians Through Global Volunteerism
    Jan 22 2026

    Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the Executive Director of Globe Aware, a nonprofit offering short-term (6-7 day) volunteer service trips in 26 countries, focusing on community partnerships for projects like medical clinics, wheelchair distribution, and infrastructure builds. With a family full of physicians, Kimberly shares her journey founding Globe Aware to bridge the gap between willingness to serve and limited time, emphasizing human connections over heroism. The discussion explores the transformative power of cultural immersion, misconceptions about efficiency and structure in global service, benefits for volunteers, including burnout recovery, and practical details like costs, $1,500/week average, tax-deductible, and inclusivity for non-medical participants.

    Dr. Crane reflects on his own life-changing trips, highlighting trust-building and global unity.

    Episode Highlights

    • Globe Aware's origins: Bridging time gaps for volunteers inspired by Peace Corps and Doctors Without Borders
    • Short-term projects: 30 hours/week of service with cultural learning in 26 countries
    • Medical and non-medical roles: From clinics to building stoves and distributing wheelchairs
    • Cultural exchange: Challenging assumptions and fostering soft power through human connections
    • Misconceptions: Efficiency abroad vs. home; embracing flexibility in community settings
    • Inclusivity: Opportunities for families, EMTs, and non-clinicians
    • Practical considerations: Safety, meals, and adapting to local structures
    • Costs and accessibility: $1,500/week average, tax-deductible, with employer matching
    • Personal impact: Reigniting joy, combating burnout, and building lifelong friendships
    • Getting involved: Contact Globe Aware for tailored trips

    Top 3 Takeaways

    • Service abroad is a mutual exchange. Volunteers gain as much in perspective and joy as communities receive in aid.
    • Short-term trips fit busy schedules; focus on partnerships and flexibility over rigid efficiency.
    • Non-medical skills are valuable; everyone contributes, from families to paramedics, in holistic community projects. About Kimberly Haley-Coleman

    About Kimberly Haley-Coleman

    Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the Executive Director of Globe Aware, a U.S./Canadian nonprofit with 25 years of experience running short-term volunteer service trips in 26 countries. Founded to address the time constraints of professionals eager to serve, Globe Aware emphasizes cultural partnerships and transformative experiences. Kimberly's background in international volunteering led her to create accessible programs blending service, learning, and connection. Surrounded by a family of physicians, she has collaborated extensively with medical professionals on global projects.

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberlyglobeaware

    Website: https://www.globeaware.org

    About the Host:

    Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

    Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

    About the Show:

    Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.

    In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.

    Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

    LMC Series Note:

    Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations.

    The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    39 Min.
  • DMD #66 | Real Estate Investing for Physicians & Financial Strategies

    DMD #66 | Real Estate Investing for Physicians & Financial Strategies
    Jan 15 2026
    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.—-----Jonathan Spitz, Head of Capital Formation at Lightstone Direct, joins Dr. Peter Crane to discuss real estate investing tailored for busy physicians. With over a decade in the industry, Jonathan shares his path from commercial brokerage to capital raising, emphasizing passive strategies over active management. The conversation covers REITs vs. private investments, liquidity considerations, target returns (14-16% IRR), tax efficiency, and risk management. Jonathan highlights Lightstone's conservative approach, including 20% co-investment and wealth preservation focus, while advising on common pitfalls like excessive leverage. Practical tips include due diligence on managers, diversification, and when to start (around $2-3M net worth). This episode equips physicians at all career stages with tools for long-term financial independence.Episode HighlightsJonathan's career journey from public equities to real estate brokerage and capital formationActive vs. passive real estate: Managing properties yourself or investing with professionalsREITs explained: Public vs. private, dividends, and volatility differencesPrivate real estate strategies: Value-add deals with 3-5 year horizonsLiquidity trade-offs: Illiquid investments for higher potential returns (14-16% IRR)Tax efficiency and cash flow benefits for high-income physiciansRisk management: Conservative leverage (e.g., 54% LTV) and scenario stress-testingLightstone's differentiators: 40-year history, 20% co-investment, and multi-sector agilityCommon mistakes: Over-focusing on high IRRs without checking debt or manager track recordsAdvice for physicians: Join investor groups, seek references, and diversify portfoliosTop 3 TakeawaysPrioritize manager due diligence—check track records, co-investment, and strategy execution over flashy returns.Balance liquidity and upside: Allocate 5-20% to illiquid private real estate for tax-efficient growth.Start diversifying at $2-3M net worth, focusing on wealth preservation and conservative leverage. About Jonathan SpitzAbout Jonathan Spitz Jonathan Spitz is Head of Capital Formation at Lightstone Direct, overseeing business development and investor education for a $12B AUM real estate institution. With over a decade in real estate, he has experience in commercial brokerage, single-family REITs, community banking, and private equity. Jonathan focuses on educating investors—from residents to retirees—on passive real estate strategies, emphasizing risk management and alignment through Lightstone's 20% co-investment policy. Based in Tampa, he enjoys guiding physicians through diversified portfolios.LinkedIn: Jonathan Spitz About the Host:Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the Show:Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.comLMC Series Note:Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations. The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    37 Min.
  • DMD #65 | Medical Education, Student Loans & Work-Life Integration

    DMD #65 | Medical Education, Student Loans & Work-Life Integration
    Jan 8 2026
    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.—--Dr. Suzanne Allen is a family physician and Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs at the University of Washington School of Medicine, overseeing education across the five-state WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho).With a background in military service, public health, and residency training, Dr. Allen shares her unexpected path into medical education, the joys of teaching, and strategies for work-life integration through supportive teams. The conversation delves into the history and future of student loans, including the impacts of HR1 (passed in July 2025), which eliminates Grad PLUS loans, adjusts federal loan limits, and introduces new repayment options like the Repayment Assistance Program (RAP). Dr. Allen offers practical advice for aspiring physicians navigating these changes and emphasizes advocacy to ensure diverse access to medical careers.Episode HighlightsFrom military service to academic leadership: Dr. Allen's career journeyDiscovering a passion for teaching during residencyOpportunities in medical education amid expanding programsThe importance of precepting and mentoring future physiciansWork-life integration over balance: Insights from UW's Chief Wellness OfficerBuilding supportive teams to handle life's challengesHistory of federal student loans from the GI Bill to modern reformsKey changes in HR1: Elimination of Grad PLUS loans and new limitsRepayment options: Standard plans and the Repayment Assistance ProgramPublic Service Loan Forgiveness and other forgiveness programsPrivate loans as a gap-filler and the need for advocacyEncouraging diverse backgrounds in medicineTop 3 TakeawaysPassion for teaching is key to a fulfilling academic career.Work-life integration thrives on supportive colleagues and flexibility.Advocate for policy changes to keep medical education accessible.About Dr. Suzanne AllenDr. Suzanne Allen was appointed to the position of Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs for the University of Washington School of Medicine in February 2015. Prior to that, Dr. Allen was the Vice Dean for Regional Affairs for the University of Washington School of Medicine for five year and Idaho WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean for four years. As the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs, Dr. Allen is responsible for the WWAMI program across the five states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Dr. Allen is originally from Bremerton, Washington and attended the University of Washington receiving her B.S. in Biology. She then attended George Washington University where she received her M.D. and M.P.H. degrees. Following her family medicine residency training at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Andrews Air Force Base and four years of active duty practicing as a family physician at Ellsworth Air Force Base and Andrews Air Force Base, Dr. Allen joined the physician faculty at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise, Idaho in 1999. Before joining the Idaho WWAMI office, she was the Assistant Director and Medical Student Clerkship Coordinator at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. Dr. Allen holds a Clinical Professor faculty position within the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and continues to see her patients at Full Circle Health, Family Medicine Residency, Boise. Dr. Allen is committed to medical education and rural and underserved healthcare in the Northwest and enjoys working across the WWAMI region to help train the next generation of physicians. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-allen-4253013About the Host:Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the Show:Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: ...
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    44 Min.
  • DMD #64 | New Year Reflection: Why Being a Healer Still Matters

    DMD #64 | New Year Reflection: Why Being a Healer Still Matters
    Jan 1 2026

    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.

    –

    This special New Year’s solo episode is both a thank-you and a reckoning.

    After thousands of downloads and countless conversations with physicians making a difference, Dr. Peter Crane pauses to reflect on the heart of the work — and the responsibility that comes with wearing the white coat.

    As both a physician and a patient, Dr. Crane shares how a massive retroperitoneal tumor diagnosis at age 43 reshaped his understanding of medicine, trust, and healing. What mattered most wasn’t statistics or algorithms — it was presence, compassion, and the collective expertise of a medical team showing up when everything was on the line.

    This episode explores:

    • Why trust in physicians feels fragile — but deeply personal
    • How being a healer goes beyond protocols and prescriptions
    • The growing shift of medical information away from physicians
    • Why advocacy, financial independence, and alignment protect both doctors and patients
    • And how medicine can — and must — be left better than we found it

    This is a reflective, grounded conversation for physicians navigating burnout, identity, purpose, and the future of medicine.

    Episode Highlights

    ✨ The moment medicine became deeply personal
    ✨ Why patients don’t just need answers — they need reassurance
    ✨ What cancer taught Dr. Crane about trust and teamwork
    ✨ The difference between being a provider and being a healer
    ✨ Why burnout isn’t about weakness — it’s about misalignment
    ✨ How financial independence gives physicians ethical freedom
    ✨ Why disability insurance matters more than we want to admit
    ✨ The power of local advocacy and state medical involvement
    ✨ How physicians can rebuild trust — one patient at a time

    Top 3 Takeaways
    1. Healing is relational, not algorithmic
    2. Physicians who are aligned and financially secure are better advocates.
    3. Medicine is still a calling — but it must be protected to survive.

    About the Host:

    Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

    Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

    About the Show:

    Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.

    In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.

    Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

    LMC Series Note:

    Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations.

    The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    29 Min.
  • DMD #63 | Infertility, Identity & Finding Alignment in Medicine

    DMD #63 | Infertility, Identity & Finding Alignment in Medicine
    Dec 26 2025
    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.–Dr. Erica Bove is double board-certified in OB-GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology — but her most powerful insights come from lived experience.After being told early in life she may never conceive, Erica’s personal fertility journey reshaped both her career and her philosophy of care. As a new attending, she recognized a troubling pattern: patients weren’t failing treatment — they were drowning in anxiety, fear, and nervous system overload.That realization led her to integrate coaching, mindset work, and nervous-system regulation into infertility care — especially for physicians who struggle to become patients themselves.Episode HighlightsBeing told you may be infertile — while training to be a doctorThe mental load of infertility in medical trainingWhy anxiety blocks comprehension and healingReframing infertility as a disease, not a personal failureCoaching physicians through long, unsuccessful fertility journeysAlignment as burnout preventionLearning to say no — and why your “yes” must be full-bodiedMotherhood, divorce, and redefining successWhen stepping back clinically allows deeper impactTop 3 TakeawaysInfertility doesn’t mean failure.Burnout doesn’t mean weakness.And alignment — not perfection — is the path to sustainability.About Dr. Erica BoveErica Bove, MD is a double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, physician coach, and educator dedicated to helping physicians navigate infertility, loss, and identity shifts in medicine.She serves as faculty and program director at the University of Vermont and is the founder of Love & Science Fertility, a coaching practice that supports physicians facing infertility when traditional treatments alone aren’t enough. Drawing from both clinical expertise and lived experience, Dr. Bove integrates evidence-based medicine with mindset work, nervous-system regulation, and values-based coaching to help physicians restore hope and alignment during some of the most challenging seasons of their lives.Dr. Bove is especially passionate about helping doctors learn how to become patients themselves—reducing shame, isolation, and burnout while empowering them to reconnect with their bodies, their purpose, and their humanity.Learn more at https://loveandsciencefertility.com Physician & patient referrals: https://www.loveandsciencefertility.com/patient-referral-formAbout the Host:Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the Show:Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.comLMC Series Note:Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations. The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    41 Min.
  • DMD #62 | Surviving the Breaking Point: Leadership, Purpose & Suicidal Ideation in Medicine with Dr. Scott Ellner

    DMD #62 | Surviving the Breaking Point: Leadership, Purpose & Suicidal Ideation in Medicine with Dr. Scott Ellner
    Dec 18 2025
    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.–Dr. Scott Ellner is a trauma surgeon, author, and healthcare leader who has lived on both sides of medical vulnerability — the elation of healing, and the despair that nearly cost him his life.In this conversation with host Dr. Peter Crane, Scott shares the story of witnessing a lifesaving field intubation that changed his career direction forever. He also opens up about the emotional collapse that came years later: a painful breakup, exhaustion, and a suicidal impulse that only stopped because a friend happened to call at the perfect moment.Scott discusses the emotional truth behind surgical identity, medical mistakes, patient relationships, resilience, and why empathy — not authority — is the most powerful form of leadership.He also talks about his career transition into senior leadership, the parallels between surfing and surgery, and his book Wipe Out, Rise Up.This episode is a raw, powerful reminder that even the strongest physicians are human — and that connection, meaning, and purpose remain medicine’s greatest force.Episode HighlightsThe trauma event at Zuma Beach that changed his career pathSurviving suicidal ideation — and the phone call that saved himAdmitting a surgical mistake and gaining trust instead of fearHow empathy reshapes leadership, relationships, and outcomesWhy reference power matters more than positional powerBalancing identity, career evolution, and life outside medicineUsing surfing as a metaphor for navigating adversityWhy physicians must learn health — not just medicineLetting go of the OR to lead at scaleLeaving medicine better than we found itTop 3 Takeaways1. Physicians are vulnerable — and that’s not a weakness.Suicidal ideation is more common in medicine than most people admit. Opening space for honesty saves lives.2. Leadership without empathy isn’t leadership.Real influence starts with listening, trust, and connection — not titles, pressure, or intimidation.3. Identity evolves.Careers change. Meaning shifts. And sometimes stepping out of the OR is the most courageous form of growth.About Dr. Scott EllnerDr. Scott Ellner is a trauma surgeon, author, and healthcare executive who has dedicated his career to improving quality, safety, and physician well-being. After decades in clinical practice and surgical leadership, Scott now helps healthcare organizations build stronger systems, healthier cultures, and more resilient clinicians.His book, Wipe Out, Rise Up, blends surfing, medicine, and personal storytelling to explore how people rise after failure, adversity, or emotional darkness — including his own near-fatal turning points.Today, Scott speaks, writes, and leads with a mission to help people find purpose, reconnect with their identity, and build a more human healthcare system.Learn more: https://www.wipeoutriseup.com/About the Host:Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the Show:Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.comLMC Series Note:Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations. The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    40 Min.
  • DMD #61 | Direct Primary Care: Fixing Healthcare by Removing the Middleman with Dr. Josh Umbehr

    DMD #61 | Direct Primary Care: Fixing Healthcare by Removing the Middleman with Dr. Josh Umbehr
    Dec 11 2025
    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.–Dr. Josh Umbehr is a board-certified family physician who took an unconventional path—opening a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice straight out of residency.In this conversation with host Dr. Peter Crane, Dr. Umbehr breaks down why the insurance-based system is structurally broken, how DPC flips the incentives back toward patients, and why time—more than technology or paperwork—is the missing ingredient in modern medicine.Drawing from over 15 years of real-world experience, Dr. Umbehr explains how monthly membership models allow physicians to spend more time with fewer patients, dramatically lower costs for labs and medications, and reclaim professional satisfaction without compromising care.This episode is a grounded, practical look at how medicine can work again—by being simpler, leaner, and more human.Episode HighlightsWhy insurance was never designed to pay for routine primary careHow Direct Primary Care works (and how it differs from concierge medicine)The real cost of labs, medications, and procedures—without insurance markupsHow smaller patient panels lead to better outcomes and lower burnoutWhy “do no harm” must include financial harmHow DPC improves physician work–life balance without sacrificing accessThe role of HSA/FSA funds in Direct Primary CareWhy chronic burnout is an unwinnable game in insurance-based careTop 3 TakeawaysHealthcare isn’t expensive—insurance makes it expensive.Most primary care services are affordable when stripped of administrative overhead.Time is the most powerful clinical tool.Longer visits, fewer patients, and direct communication lead to better care and better outcomes.Direct Primary Care restores agency—to physicians and patients.By removing the middleman, care becomes simpler, cheaper, and more personal.About Dr. Josh UmbehrDr. Josh Umbehr is a family physician and founder of AtlasMD, a concierge-style direct primary care practice based in Wichita, Kansas. He’s passionate about reimagining how health care should feel—less bureaucracy, more humanity. Beyond patient care, Josh helps physicians transition to direct care models and is building the next-gen infrastructure (yes, software, insurance, etc.) to support them. On this podcast he’ll talk about innovation, challenges in medicine, and why he thinks health care can be better if we stop treating it like a broken machine.Websites:https://www.atlas.mdhttps://www.atlas.direct About the Host:Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the Show:Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.comLMC Series Note:Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations. The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    41 Min.
  • DMD #60 | Chronic Illness, Misdiagnosis & the Truth About Tick-Borne Disease with Dr. Susan Marra

    DMD #60 | Chronic Illness, Misdiagnosis & the Truth About Tick-Borne Disease with Dr. Susan Marra
    Dec 4 2025
    This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.–When Dr. Susan Marra graduated from naturopathic school, she expected to treat the usual mix of fatigue, hormone imbalance, and stress. Instead, she walked into a wave of patients with strange, multisystem illnesses no textbook had prepared her for. Migrating joint pain. Seven-day migraines. Brain fog. Dysbiosis. Symptoms crossing multiple organ systems.Her instinct told her something bigger was happening — and she was right.That intuition led her to Dr. Bernard Raxlen, one of the earliest clinicians to recognize chronic Lyme disease. She went on to train with world experts Dr. Richard Horowitz and Dr. Charles Ray Jones, immersing herself in complex tick-borne illness long before mainstream medicine acknowledged it.And then she got infected herself.A tick — likely carried in by her yellow lab — transmitted Lyme and Bartonella. She lost vision in her right eye for six months and required IV antibiotics, steroids, and years of recovery. That lived experience, combined with decades of clinical immersion, transformed her into one of the most respected Lyme specialists in the country.Today, after treating 9,000+ patients, Dr. Marra joins Dr. Peter Crane to dismantle the myths surrounding Lyme, the limitations of standard testing, the rise of co-infections, and why so many patients with “mystery symptoms” are actually living with chronic vector-borne illness.This is an eye-opening conversation every physician should hear.HighlightsHow a wave of multisystem complaints led Dr. Marra to uncover the true prevalence of tick-borne illness.Why nine out of ten patients she tested in Connecticut were Lyme-positive.The difference between IDSA and ILADS—and why it affects diagnosis.Dr. Marra’s personal battle with Lyme & Bartonella, including temporary vision loss.The modern reality: patients rarely have “just Lyme”—co-infections are now the norm.Why standard labs miss most infections—and which specialty labs offer reliable results.Cutting-edge diagnostics: PCR, FISH testing, and antibody panels.The evolving treatment landscape: antibiotics, antiparasitics, methylene blue, Dapsone, botanical protocols, and more.The growing concern of transfusion-acquired infections and congenital Lyme.How physicians can recognize tick-borne disease in patients with long, confusing symptom lists.Top 3 Takeaways1. Multisystem symptoms should trigger suspicion.If a patient presents with a long list of symptoms across multiple organ systems, think vector-borne illness.2. Standard labs miss the majority of cases.Specialized labs (e.g., IGeneX, Armin, T-Labs) dramatically increase diagnostic accuracy.3. Co-infections—not single infections—are the new norm.The modern patient rarely presents with isolated Lyme; Babesia, Bartonella, and other pathogens are commonly intertwined.About Dr. Susan MarraDr. Susan Marra is a naturopathic physician with 27 years of experience specializing in chronic Lyme disease and complex tick-borne illness. Trained by legendary clinicians including Dr. Richard Horowitz and Dr. Charles Ray Jones, Dr. Marra blends rigorous clinical training with lived experience as a Lyme survivor. She has treated more than 9,000 patients, serves on multiple research boards, and is known for her precision-based diagnostic approach, combining specialty testing with a deep understanding of chronic infection and epigenetics.Website: drsusanmarra.comAbout the Host:Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the Show:Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.comLMC Series Note:Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations. The Doctors ...
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    40 Min.