Social Rounds

In Part 2 of our conversation with Kate Buhrke, DO, we pick up where her story left off — inside the realities of surgical residency.Kate shares what happened after transferring programs, the culture shock of moving from a county hospital to a private practice environment, and how speaking up about resident conditions quickly labeled her a “problem resident.” What started as advocacy for fairness — from educational funding to work hours — eventually escalated into probation, retaliation, and a system increasingly determined to push her out.This episode dives into the hidden curriculum of medical training:the politics of residency programswhat “not a good fit” often really meanshow institutions protect themselvesand why speaking up can come at a steep personal cost.Kate reflects on the moment her residency ended, the emotional aftermath, and how she’s now rebuilding her career in medicine in a different way — while helping other trainees navigate similar experiences.This is a candid conversation about power, culture, and survival in medicine — and why losing your position doesn’t mean losing your purpose.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdGuest: Kate Burhke, DOConnect with Kate:https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/kate-buhrke-doProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Social Rounds, Tony and Frances Mei sit down with Dr. Kate Buhrke — rock climber, former ortho gunner, and unapologetic regime-builder.Kate shares her journey from growing up in suburban Illinois (not Chicago, according to Tony), to climbing hundreds of feet without ropes, to eating, sleeping, and breathing orthopedic surgery… and then not matching.They talk about:The identity crisis of not matchingWhat surgery demands of you — and what it takes backThe paradox of “putting all your eggs in one basket”The culture of orthoWhether ChatGPT in journal club is criminal or minimalAnd why sometimes you just have to decide you’re not going to fallThis one is about ambition, ego, shame, calling, and what survives when your professional identity doesn’t.Plus: apple-cracking intimidation tactics.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdGuest: Kate Burhke, DOConnect with Kate:https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/kate-buhrke-doProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

This week on Social Rounds, Frances Mei and Tony bring back Outside Baseball with three wild medical stories you can’t make up.First: a woman delivers her baby in the back of a Waymo robo-taxi. Is the surveillance state helping… or creeping us out? Then: doctors warn that your favorite claw clip could cause serious head injuries in a car accident. Fashion vs. safety — where do we draw the line? And finally: GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro are linked to surprise pregnancies. From slowed gastric emptying affecting oral contraceptives to PCOS cycles restarting after weight loss, we break down what’s actually happening.Plus, one cool thing each — from a surprisingly great narrative video game (Dispatch) to the underrated luxury of a disciplined tea ritual (with valerian root, obviously).Modern life is weird. We’re just here to process it.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

It’s that time of year again. Rank lists are due, anxiety is peaking, and medical students everywhere are trying to reverse-engineer “the algorithm.”In this week’s Social Rounds, Tony and Frances Mei break down the residency Match—from the “big computer in the sky” to the chaos of SOAP week—and share what actually matters when you’re ranking programs.Frances Mei opens up about not matching, the shame spiral that followed, and how trying to “game” the system can quietly shape your decisions long before you hit submit. Tony shares his own interview experience, why prestige is overrated, and what you should really be evaluating on interview day (hint: training volume, autonomy, and vibe).They also talk about:Why trying to predict how programs rank you is a trapThe myth of the “perfect” programLeadership changes, hidden curriculum, and the unpredictability of residencyWhat happens if you don’t match—and why it’s not the endThe uncomfortable truth: you don’t control most of thisIf you’re building your rank list right now, this one’s for you.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

This week on Social Rounds, Tony Chin-Quee takes on his most unhinged role yet: hostile interviewer.In a special Social Rounds Book Club episode, Frances Mei Hardin sits down for a deliberately uncomfortable, occasionally inappropriate, and deeply revealing mock interview ahead of the release of her debut memoir, Surgeon on the Edge. What starts as a Groundhog Day cold open quickly devolves into brutal questions about shame, failure, race, crying at work, bystander silence in medicine, and whether writing a vulnerable physician memoir is brave—or just bad PR.What unfolds is part satire, part media training, part cultural critique, and part love letter to anyone who has ever survived medical training and lived to tell the story (even imperfectly).If you’ve ever wondered:how authors actually prepare for press,why likability is still weaponized against women in medicine,or how to hold your composure when an interviewer is clearly trying to break you,this episode is for you.Pre-order Surgeon on the Edge now, and consider this your warning: the real interviews will be easier than this one.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdProduced by: The Hippocratic Collectivehttps://www.amazon.com/Surgeon-Edge-Frances-Mei-Hardin/dp/B0G3JWCCH4

What does medicine look like when the next generation refuses to be broken by it?In this episode of Social Rounds, we’re joined by Shay Taylor Allen, a fourth-year medical student at Howard University, class vice president, and future anesthesiologist—whose journey took her from working as a hospital janitor to interviewing for residency in the same system she once cleaned.Together, we talk about the growing generational divide in medical training:Why younger doctors are pushing back on brutal hours,Why “that’s how we did it” isn’t a solution,And how mental health, mentorship, and purpose are reshaping what it means to become a physician.Shay shares her perspective on Gen Z and nontraditional medical students, the reality of burnout culture, and why healthier doctors make safer patients. We also dig into communication breakdowns between trainees and attendings, whether medicine mistakes resilience for suffering, and what real change could look like inside a system that resists it.This conversation is about more than medicine—it’s about who gets to belong, who gets heard, and how one person’s story can expose what’s broken in an entire profession.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdGuest: Shay Taylor AllenConnect with Shay: @shayy.taylorProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

This week on Social Rounds, Tony Chin-Quee is joined by fan-favorite guest host Joan Chan, MD for a wide-ranging, wildly unfiltered episode that somehow connects vaccines, cocaine-addicted founding surgeons, and prestige gay hockey television.First up: a much-needed PSA on flu shots, herd immunity, and why “you can still get sick” is not the dunk anti-vaxxers think it is. From there, Tony dives into one of medicine’s most unhinged origin stories — how William Halsted’s cocaine addiction helped shape modern residency training — sparking a serious (and hilarious) debate about whether doctors should experience more of what patients actually go through.Then, Joan takes us deep into the cultural phenomenon of Heated Rivalry: why gay hockey romance has taken over the internet, why the sex scenes actually matter, and why sometimes what burned-out clinicians really need is a well-written, deeply horny escape with a guaranteed happy ending.Come for the public health facts. Stay for the medical ethics, pop culture analysis, and elite-level yapping.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatJoan Chan, MD: @joanchanmdProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Social Rounds, Frances Mei and Tony Chin-Quee do what they do best: give unsolicited, deeply opinionated advice on medicine, relationships, and modern life.They start with a deceptively simple question — what’s on your feet? — and unpack how bad shoes, bad posture, and worse training habits quietly wreck physicians’ bodies over time. From Dansko regrets to sneaker conversions, this is the advice no one gives you early enough.Then things escalate.The duo breaks down internet relationship dilemmas involving:“Work wives” and why emotional intimacy absolutely countsSleeping in another woman’s hoodie (hard no)Wedding photo body-shaming disguised as “aesthetics”Grown men missing real-life commitments for MMO leadership rolesAlong the way, they talk emotional cheating, boundaries, aging out of bad systems, and the difference between being technically allowed to do something and it actually being okay.As always, no medical advice — just honesty, humor, and the perspective of two former surgeons who’ve seen enough to call it like it is.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

What do you do when a patient says “I love you”?Is it ever okay?And why do residents have less mobility than college football players?On this episode of Social Rounds, Frances Mei Hardin and Tony Chin-Quee are joined by a very special guest: Frances Mei’s partner (and longtime behind-the-scenes editor), Colin. Together, they unpack:Patients getting too familiar with their doctorsProfessional boundaries in medicine (and how to hold them without being cold)Why some patients choose doctors based on attractiveness 👀Dating invites from patients (yes, really)And a surprisingly compelling idea: a residency “transfer portal” inspired by college footballIf athletes can change programs, why can’t resident physicians?This episode blends humor, honesty, and structural critique of medical training—covering everything from awkward patient encounters to why lack of mobility keeps residents trapped in unhealthy systems.🎙️ Social Rounds is where medicine, culture, and real life collide—no institution spared.👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes⭐ Rate & review if this one hit close to home🔗 More shows and writing at hippocratic-collective.comHosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Social Rounds, Tony Chin-Quee, Frances Mei Hardin, and Ryan Montoya kick off 2026 with chaos, candor, and consequences.The conversation starts with a surprisingly brutal EHR statistic—what it means to be in the zero percentile (or the 99.97th)—before spiraling into a sharp, necessary discussion about social media in medicine. Should medical students and residents be influencers? Is authenticity worth the professional risk? And why does the medical establishment still punish visibility while quietly profiting from it?The trio breaks down the uncomfortable truth: the internet is written in ink, medicine is deeply unfair, and “just being yourself online” can have real-world consequences—especially for trainees navigating competitive specialties and institutional gatekeeping.Later, they shift to medical news, unpacking the FDA approval of a non-hormonal medication for low libido in menopausal and post-menopausal women, why it took so long, and what it reveals about whose discomfort medicine takes seriously.The episode wraps with a lighter—but still thoughtful—final segment on solo travel, unconventional relationships, music recommendations, and the surprisingly dark origins of the words “cliché” and “stereotype.”Unfiltered, funny, and honest—this is Social Rounds doing what it does best: saying the quiet part out loud.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdRyan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_artProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Social Rounds, Tony, Frances Mei, and returning “friend of the pod” Ryan Montoya get honest about joy—how medical training erodes it, how it’s weaponized against trainees, and what it actually takes to reclaim it.From phone detoxes and small daily creative rituals to reading fantasy novels in secret and hiding cultural lunches in elementary school bathrooms, this conversation moves from playful chaos to deeply personal territory. The trio also debuts a new segment, Majority / Minority, unpacking the first moments they realized they were “different” and how those moments shape identity, ambition, and survival in medicine.Funny, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly tender, this episode is a reminder that joy isn’t frivolous—it’s protective.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouatFrances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdRyan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_artProduced by: The Hippocratic Collective

Tony shares a moment that restored his faith in humanity: a vaccine discussion in a parents’ group chat that didn’t implode.From there, he and Frances Mei unpack why rational health conversations feel so hard to come by, especially in the U.S.—and why community matters more than ever. The episode winds down with real-life holiday talk: family traditions, work-life tension, vision boards, and how people actually reset for the year ahead.

In this episode of Social Rounds, Frances Mei and Tony take on a dynamic that almost every woman doctor has felt but few talk about openly: dating while out-earning your partner. They dig into the cultural scripts that still tell women to downplay ambition, the discomfort some men feel around female success, and the quiet identity negotiations that happen inside modern relationships.Instead of offering tidy answers, they share real stories, ask better questions, and explore what it means to build relationships that can hold two full, complex people. It’s a sharp, honest conversation about money, ego, partnership, and the freedom that comes from refusing to shrink.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat  Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd  Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this week’s Social Rounds, Tony & Frances Mei pull back the curtain on one of medicine’s worst-kept secrets: sycophancy. Why do so many trainees learn to smile, nod, and swallow their opinions? And how did we get to a place where disagreeing with an attending feels riskier than doing the wrong thing?They unpack the unwritten rules of hierarchy — the quiet calculations trainees make to stay safe, the way questionable comments get brushed aside, and how all of this chips away at psychological safety and moral clarity. Along the way, they swap stories, compare notes, and even draw parallels between medical trainees and AI: two systems trained to please instead of push back.It’s honest, a little uncomfortable, and very on-brand for Social Rounds — a conversation about power, integrity, and whether medicine is finally ready for a culture where people can say the quiet truth out loud.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat  Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd  Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

This week on Social Rounds, Frances Mei, Tony, and the self-appointed “voice of the people,” Dr. Ryan Montoya, descend into absolute chaos.What starts as a simple Thanksgiving check-in becomes a masterclass in disastrous feedback stories, violent revenge fantasies in hospital hallways, and the single worst metaphor ever uttered on this show (“Plantation Rock”… yeah, we go there).We debut a new segment — Friendly Fire — where Ryan grills the hosts with increasingly deranged rapid-fire questions.Superpowers, worst movies, seat-choice ethics on airplanes, January 6 alibis, and which specialty you want in your pandemic bunker… it only gets more unhinged.If you’ve ever wondered how doctors actually talk to each other, or what happens when three people with no business podcasting together decide to do exactly that, this is the episode.Chaos, confession, loyalty tests, and a little holiday peacekeeping. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat  Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimdRyan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_art  Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode, we dig into the exploding trend of breast-milk sharing—an underground practice driven by desperation, inequity, and a system that leaves new mothers to fend for themselves. We trace how social pressure, economic strain, and impossible postpartum expectations push parents to seek milk from strangers online, often without any medical screening or safety oversight.We talk openly about the real risks: contamination, harmful substances, and the absence of public health protections. But the larger question is the one no one wants to touch—why do women have to rely on unregulated networks in the first place? This episode pulls back the curtain on a growing public health crisis and asks what it would take to build a society that actually cares for mothers and infants.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat  Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd  Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

On this week’s Social Rounds, Tony and Frances Mei go from the universal pain of long-haul flights (and the rise of the Butt Donut Brotherhood) to one of the biggest breakthroughs in women’s mental health: a new blood test that can predict postpartum depression with over 80% accuracy. They break down the biology, the stigma, and why so many women suffer in silence.Then, the conversation turns to stigma in medicine—how weakness is weaponized, how shame gets baked into training, and why physicians are conditioned to hide anything that looks like vulnerability.Finally, Tony shares a rare, raw story about a capital-F failure from med school—walking at graduation with an empty diploma folder after failing a rotation during a major depressive episode—and how it reshaped his understanding of shame, resilience, and what failure actually looks like in medicine.Oh—and yes, they absolutely cover the Kentucky woman who opened a package full of severed fingers (???), because of course they do.Topics:– The science behind postpartum depression– Why stigma still controls medicine– Failure as a doctor: the stories people never tell– Cadaver-lab scandals & severed-finger delivery nightmares– How to stop letting shame run your lifeHosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat  Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd  Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Social Rounds, surgeons-turned-dropouts Frances Mei and Tony revisit the myths and realities of what it takes to stay healthy—in and out of medicine. It starts with a story from their first week of residency, when an upper-level told them to “know your alcohol tolerance.” What followed was a crash course in stress, survival, and misplaced wellness advice. From the marketing origins of the 10,000-step myth to the real metrics that matter for health, they explore how doctors—and everyone else—can move, rest, and live without guilt or burnout.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: https://www.instagram.com/wheyouat/Frances Mei Hardin: https://www.instagram.com/francesmeimd/Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective00:00: The First Week of Residency04:17: Debunking the Myth of 10,000 Steps15:59: Health Scares and Life Changes20:19: Understanding Food Relationships and Coping Mechanisms34:21: Navigating Professional Ethics: Alcohol and Responsibility37:31: Navigating Patient Relationships45:21: The Heist Theme: A New Direction for Social Rounds

It’s Halloween on Social Rounds, and Tony and Frances Mei are in rare form. Between witch hats, hangovers, and parental sleep deprivation, they cover everything from the science of “short sleepers” (can you really thrive on four hours of sleep?) to the most audacious Louvre jewel heist in recent history.In true Social Rounds fashion, they tie it all back to medicine — what surgeons can learn from jewel thieves about staying cool under pressure, why residency interviews bring out everyone’s inner weirdo, and whether charisma can actually be taught (spoiler: Frances Mei thinks it can, Tony isn’t so sure).Stay for the unfiltered advice for medical students, residents, and attendings — and maybe a few tips for your next great escape.Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: https://www.instagram.com/wheyouat/Frances Mei Hardin: https://www.instagram.com/francesmeimd/Produced by: The Hippocratic CollectiveChapters:0:00 Halloween stories & hangovers5:00 Inside Baseball: short sleepers and residency PTSD14:50 Outside Baseball: the Louvre heist25:30 Social Rounds: how to survive interview season42:00 Why charisma can (maybe) be learned

Welcome back to Social Rounds, the podcast where your two favorite Surgeon Dropouts, Tony and Frances Mei, give their unsolicited opinions on medicine, pop culture, and the world at large.In Episode 9, Frances Mei is back from her sabbatical in Europe with tales of foreign travel and a mysterious new hat! Tony then delivers a fascinating deep dive into the winners of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, breaking down the revolutionary discovery of Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and the key role they play in autoimmune diseases and cancer treatment. They also discuss their own personal ambitions for a Nobel Prize (Peace vs. Literature).Finally, the gloves come off in a rapid-fire pop culture segment as Frances Mei delivers her brutally honest take on Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Show Girl! Did the superstar break her own mythology? Tune in to find out!Hosted by:Tony Chin-Quee: https://www.instagram.com/wheyouat/Frances Mei Hardin: https://www.instagram.com/francesmeimd/Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective00:00Intro and Welcome to Social Rounds00:48Frances Mei is Back!Sabbatical Reflections and the Story Behind the Hat 02:48Shoutouts to Devoted Listeners and Guest Hosts (Ryan Montoya, Joan Chan, Janet McMordie) 05:02The Machiavellian Threat to Guest Hosts: "You come for the king you best not miss." 06:41Sabbatical Takeaways: Travel, Culture, and the Value of Time Alone 10:36Looking Ahead to the Social Rounds Halloween Episode10:48News Segment: The Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine10:59The 2025 Nobel Laureates: Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi 11:15Tony's Science Corner: The Immune System as an Army (Helper T's, Killer T's, and the Thymus Boot Camp) 13:25The Discovery of Regulatory T Cells (Tregs) and the FoxP3 Gene 14:38The Impact: Treating Autoimmune Disease, Preventing Organ Rejection, and Fighting Cancer 15:20The Big Question: If You Won a Nobel Prize, Which Field Would It Be In? (Frances Mei: Peace, Tony: Literature) 25:09Pop Culture Segment: Taylor Swift's New Album25:31The Global Phenomenon and Frances Mei's Critique of The life of a show girl 26:40Taylor Swift "Broke Her Own Mythology" and the Joe Alwyn/Jack Antonoff Dynamic 28:49The "No One is Telling Her No" Theory and Director Christopher Nolan 29:13Discussion of the Song "Wood" (The Travis Kelce/Redwood Penis Analogy) 33:04The "Writing for Travis's Reading Level" Theory 35:28Frances Mei's Defense of the Song "Father Figure" (George Michael Sample) 36:31Is This the Start of the Taylor Swift Fall Off? 39:30Social Rounds Segment: Predatory Relationships in Medicine40:49What Training Level Difference Makes a Relationship "Officially Predatory?" 43:20Frances Mei's "Five-Year Differential" Rule 43:51The Med Student/Senior Resident Scenario and the Power Dynamic 47:17The Importance of Perceived Power (Interns as "Superstars") 49:30The Advice Paradox: Just Get Out Now (But You'll Do It Anyway) 51:43Tony's Advice: Look Past the Status and Ask Deeper Questions 53:21The Litmus Test: "Would I date this person if they weren't a doctor?" 54:50Wrap-up and Outro (Next Week: Halloween Episode)