In this episode of The Host Response, Dr. Paul Bunce (Infectious Diseases specialist and clinical teacher) reflects on his complicated relationship with academic writing. From a fellowship project that refused to die to his mother’s psychic prediction that he’d one day be “published,” this episode explores what makes a medical paper worth writing.

He shares his personal criteria for taking on a writing project: lessons about mentorship, practicality, curiosity, and the occasional clever title that never made it past peer review.

Whether you’re a trainee, educator, or reluctant author, this episode offers a candid, funny, and ultimately hopeful take on publication in medicine, and how writing can still matter, even if it’s not your main metric of success.