In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley gives an in-depth discussion on the significant costs associated with becoming a physician, targeting pre-medical students. The episode breaks down the financial expenses of medical education, including tuition, hidden fees, and loan interest. It also explores the emotional toll, mentioning stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout that medical students and residents frequently experience. Furthermore, Dr. Bradley discusses the phys...
Jul 07, 2025•17 min•Season 11Ep. 27
In this episode of The Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley explores the concept of 'success addiction' and its impact on black and minority physicians. He compares the relentless pursuit of success to the harmful effects of substance addiction, highlighting the psychological toll of always striving to be exceptional. Dr. Bradley discusses the societal pressures faced by minority physicians, the concept of the 'hedonic treadmill,' and the cost of prioritizing career milestones over personal...
Jul 03, 2025•17 min•Season 11Ep. 26
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, an anesthesiologist, critical care medicine physician, and clinical medical ethicist, offers guidance and reassurance to parents whose children are scheduled for surgery requiring anesthesia. Key topics include an overview of pediatric anesthesiology, the qualifications and training of pediatric anesthesiologists, and a detailed explanation of what parents and children can expect before, during, and after surgery. Dr. Bradley emph...
Jun 25, 2025•17 min•Season 11Ep. 25
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley delves into the concept of political determinants of health, exploring how political decisions impact health outcomes and perpetuate disparities. The discussion highlights cases including the Trump administration's cuts to public health funding and RFK's recent overhaul of the CDC's Vaccine Advisory Committee. Dr. Bradley also shares a tragic story from Georgia regarding a pregnant nurse kept on life support against her family's wi...
Jun 17, 2025•14 min•Season 11Ep. 24
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley offers guidance and practical advice for new physicians starting their residency. Reflecting on his own experiences, he emphasizes the importance of mindset, practical skills, and emotional resilience. Key highlights include strategies for handling imposter syndrome, the significance of being coachable and cautious, effective documentation practices, timely communication, and the invaluable role of nurses. Dr. Bradley also discusse...
Jun 10, 2025•23 min•Season 11Ep. 23
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, an anesthesiologist and critical care medicine physician, offers insights on the importance of research for pre-med students. He discusses various types of research and their significance, and provides practical advice on how to find research opportunities, even with no prior experience. Dr. Bradley emphasizes the value of persistence and clear communication when reaching out to potential research mentors. He also highlights ways ...
Jun 03, 2025•16 min•Season 11Ep. 22
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a board-certified anesthesiologist, discusses the various types of sedation used in dental procedures. He explains the purposes, benefits, and safety considerations of each type, including minimal, moderate, deep sedation, and general anesthesia. Dr. Bradley emphasizes the importance of proper training, monitoring, and equipment in ensuring patient safety, especially in children and medically complex patients. He also encourages p...
May 27, 2025•11 min•Season 11Ep. 21
This episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, hosted by Dr. Steven Bradley, explores the ethically complex and emotionally charged case of Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old nurse in Georgia who was declared brain dead while being nine weeks pregnant. The hospital refused to take her off life support due to Georgia's law granting legal personhood to the fetus, igniting a nationwide debate on reproductive rights, medical consent, and dying with dignity. Dr. Bradley, an anesthesiologist and ethicist, delve...
May 20, 2025•23 min•Season 11Ep. 20
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, an anesthesiologist, critical care physician, and bioethicist, discusses the challenges and realities of pregnancy during residency training. Inspired by his wife's recent experience, Dr. Bradley explores how demanding residency can be when combined with the responsibilities of pregnancy and motherhood. He presents data from a national survey of surgical residents, highlighting significant barriers such as unmodified schedules, ne...
May 13, 2025•21 min•Season 11Ep. 19
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, guides listeners through the journey from pre-med or undergraduate studies to medical school. Dr. Bradley emphasizes the importance of building a strong academic foundation with courses like biology, chemistry, and physics, but also highlights the significance of being a well-rounded applicant. He discusses the necessity of leadership roles, research experience, volunteering, ...
May 07, 2025•14 min•Season 11Ep. 18
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a board-certified critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, delves into the crucial role anesthesiologists play in pain management. He describes the different types of pain—acute and chronic—and how these are treated, emphasizing the importance of effective pain management in improving patients' quality of life. Dr. Bradley provides an overview of both surgical and chronic pain management strategies, including nerve blo...
Apr 29, 2025•15 min•Season 11Ep. 17
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley shares his experiences and reflections from the annual medical education conference hosted by the Student National Medical Association in St. Louis. He highlights key interactions with fellow healthcare professionals and emphasizes the importance of community support and encouragement for his podcasting journey. Dr. Bradley also discusses his collaboration on mindfulness resources with Dr. Bianca Bush, aimed at democratizing access...
Apr 21, 2025•15 min•Season 11Ep. 16
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, delves into the increasingly relevant topic of hyper-specialization in medicine, particularly for medical students and resident physicians on the cusp of significant career decisions. He defines hyper-specialization as the trend of medical professionals focusing on narrower fields of practice, driven by advances in medical technology and expanding knowledge. Dr. Bradley discus...
Apr 16, 2025•17 min•Season 11Ep. 15
In this episode of Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician, kicks off a new series to guide pre-med students on their journey to becoming physicians. This episode focuses on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), providing a comprehensive overview of what the MCAT entails, including its structure, key subject areas, and scoring system. Dr. Bradley emphasizes that while the MCAT is crucial, it is only one part of the medical school applicati...
Apr 11, 2025•15 min•Season 11Ep. 14
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a double board-certified anesthesiologist and critical care medicine physician, delves into the role of anesthesiologists during labor and delivery. He aims to demystify various anesthesia techniques, focusing on epidurals and spinals, which are commonly used to manage pain and support safety during childbirth. Dr. Bradley explains the procedures, potential risks, and common misconceptions, emphasizing the importance of understand...
Mar 25, 2025•23 min•Season 11Ep. 12
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Stephen Bradley, anesthesiologist and critical care medicine physician, discusses the ethical dilemmas faced by medical professionals when interacting with law enforcement in clinical settings. Using a recent case where physicians at Mercy Health Lorraine Hospital in Ohio refused to perform a court-ordered body cavity search on a patient suspected of hiding drugs, Dr. Bradley explores the conflict between law enforcement demands and medical ethic...
Mar 19, 2025•14 min•Season 11Ep. 11
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, discusses the importance of mentorship in the medical field. He outlines the structure of the podcast for the season, including focused episodes for pre-medical students, resident physicians, medical ethics, and community-awareness topics. Dr. Bradley also introduces a book club segment, recommending 'Never Split the Difference' by Chris Voss, which provides actionable advice ...
Mar 10, 2025•15 min•Season 11Ep. 10
Maximizing Shadowing Experiences for Aspiring Medical Professionals In this episode of The Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley dives into the essential role of shadowing in the journey to medical school, offering detailed advice on how to find shadowing opportunities and maximize these invaluable learning experiences. The discussion is part of the 'So You Want to Be a Doctor' series aimed at pre-medical students. Dr. Bradley emphasizes the importance of leveraging personal networks, volunt...
Mar 03, 2025•19 min•Season 11Ep. 9
In this episode of the Black Doctors podcast, host Dr. Steven Bradley delves into the world of anesthesiology. He explores the importance and role of anesthesia in healthcare, explaining its different types - general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, and monitored anesthesia care or sedation. Dr. Bradley breaks down how each type works, the specific procedures they are used for, and what patients should know before undergoing surgery involving anesthesia. This episode aims to educate patients, fa...
Feb 24, 2025•24 min•Season 11Ep. 8
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley delves into the issue of discharging patients against medical advice (AMA). He discusses a viral video capturing the distress of a patient trying to leave the hospital against medical advice, highlighting the tension between patient autonomy and physician responsibility. Dr. Bradley dispels the myth that insurance companies frequently deny payment for AMA discharges, revealing that such misconceptions can coerce patients into stayi...
Feb 18, 2025•18 min•Season 11Ep. 7
In this episode of the Black Doctor's Podcast, Dr. Steven Bradley, a medical ethicist and critical care anesthesiologist, discusses the importance of creating a niche within your specialty as a physician. Whether you're a resident deciding your career path or an attending physician looking to expand your expertise, developing a niche can set you apart, enhance job satisfaction, and open new opportunities. Dr. Bradley outlines the significance of having a niche, how to identify and build one, and...
Feb 11, 2025•22 min•Season 11Ep. 6
In this episode of the Black Doctor's Podcast, host Dr. Steven Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and biomedical ethicist, provides essential tips on crafting a compelling personal statement for medical school applications. He outlines five key areas: understanding the purpose of your statement, how to start writing it, key components of a strong essay, common mistakes to avoid, and revision tips. Dr. Bradley emphasizes the importance of reflection, specificity, and clear structure, encou...
Feb 04, 2025•17 min•Season 11Ep. 5
Dr. Steven Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and host of the Black Doctors Podcast , introduces the latest season of the podcast where he changes the format to cater to different audiences each week. The podcast aims to inspire and empower minority healthcare professionals and students by sharing stories from various medical specialties. Season 11 will feature advice for pre-medical students, tips for current physicians, discussions on medical ethics, and information about healthcare iss...
Jan 30, 2025•18 min•Season 11Ep. 4
In this episode of The Black Doctors Podcast , host Dr. Steven Bradley, a double-boarded critical care anesthesiologist with a passion for bioethics, discusses the ethical implications of social media use in healthcare. He shares his journey into medical ethics, driven by his experiences with complex patient cases and ethical dilemmas during his training, and highlights the importance of diverse representation in the field. Dr. Bradley elaborates on the role of social media as an informational t...
Jan 20, 2025•30 min•Season 11Ep. 3
Doctors on Strike: Are Physician Unions Helpful or Harmful? In this episode of The Black Doctors Podcast , host Dr. Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, explores the timely topic of physician unions. He begins by spotlighting the recent historic healthcare strike in Oregon, involving 5,000 workers, including physicians, and touching on similar advocacy efforts on the East Coast. Dr. Bradley examines the motivations behind unionizing, such as improving working condition...
Jan 13, 2025•15 min•Season 11Ep. 2
10-Step Guide to Becoming a Physician | So You Want to be a Doctor? Dr. Steven Bradley, a double-boarded critical care anesthesiologist, launches the 2025 season of the Black Doctors Podcast. In this first episode of the new year and season 11, Dr. Bradley shares a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to become a physician. He emphasizes the importance of increasing diversity in medicine, providing guidance and support to those on the path to becoming a physician. The episode covers everything fr...
Jan 07, 2025•17 min•Season 11Ep. 1
In this annual State of the Pod episode, host Dr. Bradley shares comprehensive insights into the progress, milestones, and metrics of The Black Doctors Podcast over the past year, with reflections on its inception back in 2020. Dr. Bradley discusses the evolution of the podcast, its impact, and the support from listeners and colleagues that has kept the show thriving. He also acknowledges the dedicated community of Black and Brown physicians and notable contributors to the podcast's success. Dr....
Jan 01, 2025•27 min•Season 10Ep. 30
In this episode of The Black Doctors Podcast, host Dr. Steven Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, takes a reflective look back at the events that shaped 2024. Sharing personal anecdotes from his medical career, Dr. Bradley weaves together insights from key moments of the year—including celebrity headlines, political scandals, and significant court cases—with practical advice for medical students and residents. Dr. Bradley highlights the importance of crafting diverse ...
Dec 27, 2024•23 min•Season 10Ep. 29
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, host Steven welcomes sports cardiologist Dr. Aubrey Grant . A Meharry Medical College alum and a new father, Dr. Grant shares his journey from an athlete to a leading figure in sports cardiology and health equity. He discusses the inspirational role his family played in his career choice, the impact of his late grandmother, and the importance of trust in the patient-clinician relationship. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Grant highlights his experie...
Dec 16, 2024•33 min•Season 10Ep. 28
In this episode of the Black Doctors Podcast, host Dr. Bradley, a critical care anesthesiologist and medical ethicist, discusses recent headlines and their implications for healthcare professionals, focusing on administrative harm. The podcast covers the shocking murder of a major insurance group’s CEO in New York and its impact on public discussions about insurance policies and their ethical ramifications. Dr. Bradley reflects on how this event has fueled debates over the effects of insurance c...
Dec 09, 2024•21 min•Season 10Ep. 27
