Take-home messages: what physicians say when asked to leave one

Last updated September 20, 2026.

Read together, the 706 closing answers on this page say one thing consistently: asked what a listener should carry away, physicians name something to do rather than something to feel. The median answer runs 108 words, 48 percent name a concrete action, and the encouragement that a closing question invites appears in about one answer in ten. The question is the same in every episode, which makes this the one place in the KevinMD archive where several hundred clinicians answer an identical prompt, on the record, with a date.

This page is a maintained record of what guests say when asked to leave a take-home message at the end of The Podcast by KevinMD, the daily interview show hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician in Nashua, New Hampshire, who founded KevinMD.com in 2004. It draws on every episode published between July 21, 2024 and September 18, 2026, 721 in all, each carrying a full transcript, spoken by 492 named guests, 706 of whom answered the closing question. The complete run of the show is in the podcast archive. Every claim on this page is attributed to a named guest with the month it was said and a link to the episode.

The sections below are organized around the subject the guest was discussing, because the answers follow the conversation rather than a common theme. Each opens with a direct answer, followed by what named guests have said, most recent first. This is a record of opinion and experience, not clinical guidance.

What is a take-home message on The Podcast by KevinMD?

It is the closing question of every episode of The Podcast by KevinMD, asked after a conversation about an essay the guest published on KevinMD. Guests know it is coming, which is why the answers are substantive rather than a sign-off: of the 721 transcribed episodes published between July 2024 and September 2026, 706 contain one, at a median of 108 words.

The answers take a small number of shapes. Most name an action a listener can take. A smaller group restates the argument of the essay in one sentence the guest wants remembered. A few are addressed to a particular listener, a resident, a patient, a colleague who is struggling. Almost none are thanks and nothing else.

What do physicians tell other physicians about diagnosis and treatment?

Physicians closing a clinical conversation almost always name a behavior to change rather than a fact to remember. The three instructions that recur are to question the diagnosis when treatment keeps failing, to treat the driver rather than the number, and to keep reassessing when a case does not fit the pattern. This is the largest group on the page, 260 of the 706 answers.

Shiv K. Goel, MD, an internal medicine physician, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in August 2026 that physicians should listen to patients rather than test reflexively, and that “The treatment should target the identified driver first,” in “Your leaky gut tests aren’t fixing you.” Victoria Rundus said in August 2026 that medical knowledge helps in diagnosis but “we have to always keep an open mind to those zebras and constantly reassess,” in “A wrong diagnosis that almost killed a doctor.” Franklyn Gergits said in September 2026 that repeated antibiotic courses should prompt a physician to ask whether the diagnosis is right, in “Antibiotics for sinusitis without a real diagnosis.” John Erbey said in July 2026 that the instruction for surgery is “Make sure they leave with the kidney they came in with,” in “Your kidney never fully recovered from surgery, and the labs won’t show it.”

Francisco M. Torres, MD, said in August 2026 that treatment should not be dictated by an algorithm from the party paying the bill, and that “You need to question what you are doing,” in “A back procedure that can weaken a young spine.” Yemi Famuyiwa, MD, said in July 2026 that a patient with irregular periods should “come see a doctor who can help you put it all together,” in “PCOS was never just about your ovaries.” Devika Bhushan, MD, said in September 2026 that stigma is treated as unchangeable when in fact it means “people are not receiving the care that they deserve,” in “Addiction stigma costs lives, and one word can change that.” Jim Ellwood said in September 2026 that a patient with treatment-resistant depression should not lose hope, because “You sort of are set up for failure just from your mindset,” in “Ketamine for depression: what actually makes it dangerous.”

Alan P. Feren, MD, said in July 2026 that clinicians should make sure “that the shared responsibility is done with shared clarity,” in “Why your treatment plan falls apart after you leave the doctor.” Shiv K. Goel, MD, said in June 2026 that physicians should not dismiss a patient’s concern because of its politics, and that “we need to reclaim the language of root cause and functional from populist movements,” in “MAHA has the right diagnosis and the wrong treatment plan.” Richard M. Fleming, MD, said in May 2026 that “precision medicine means precision measurements, not simply using surrogates,” rather than treating a number, in “GLP-1s, weight loss, and the inflammation tests your patient needs.” Lianne Mandelbaum said in May 2026 to “Be kind to people who have food allergies” even when they appear well, in “DOT ruling protects peanut allergies but not eggs, sesame, or milk.” Franklyn R. Gergits, MD, said in July 2026 that a clinician should “don’t just prescribe an antibiotic indiscriminately without any knowledge,” in “Why your sinus infections keep coming back, and antibiotics may be the reason.”

Alan P. Feren, MD, said in May 2026 that clinicians should explore and implement the five disciplines his essay describes, and that patients should make sure they understand their own plan, in “Patients don’t need certainty, they need your reasoning out loud.” Vikas Patel, MD, said in May 2026 that physicians need a working knowledge of the substances their patients are already taking, in “14 patients studied, thousands injecting: the peptide evidence gap.”

What do physicians say patients should do?

Asked what a patient should do, physicians on the show most often say to see someone who can put the whole picture together rather than treating symptoms one at a time, to learn enough about the condition to advocate for yourself, and to speak up when something is wrong. Sixty-two of the 706 answers are addressed to patients rather than to clinicians, and several come from guests who are patients or family members themselves.

Yemi Famuyiwa, MD, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in July 2026 that a patient with irregular periods or related symptoms should “come see a doctor who can help you put it all together,” in “PCOS was never just about your ovaries.” Emily Hansen said in July 2026 that a patient facing numbness after a mastectomy needs to learn “how to advocate for yourself, how to understand what your options are,” in “Numbness after a mastectomy no one warns you about.” Steven E. Warren, MD, said in June 2026 that a patient using an over-the-counter product should “get a good quality product, read about it, always start really low dose,” in “Why most methylene blue cases came from anesthesia, not pills.”

Jordan Grumet, MD, said in August 2026 that he wanted to address the audience “as a patient instead of a doctor” and that “Just because our medical system seems unfair and uneconomical now doesn’t mean it has to be that way,” in “Doctors and patients are not the enemy here.” Alan P. Feren, MD, said in July 2026 that “patients can’t act on a threshold that was never defined” when a treatment plan leaves the office, in “Why your treatment plan falls apart after you leave the doctor.” Kenneth Scott Burnham, MD, an emergency physician, said in July 2026 that a mental health crisis is not the end of the story but the turning point, because recovery happens in the weeks after the emergency department, in “Why doctors hide their own depression until it nearly breaks them.” Richard A. Lawhern, PhD, said in June 2026 that “If you’re a chronic pain patient or a clinician who treats them, you’re not alone,” in “Dark money is writing your health care laws.”

Jeffrey Junig, MD, said in May 2026 that he reminds colleagues “I know everyone is busy and I know it’s such a tough job” before asking them to return a patient’s call, in “Your doctor saved your life but won’t return your call.” Eric Goldfarb, a patient advocate, said in April 2026 that “Common sense is still the most powerful diagnostic tool in the room,” in “Why hospital systems fail to notice the human behind the bill.” Charan Teja Bobba, a clinical director, said in April 2026 that a clinician must meet the patient before treating the patient, in “Safety-net dentistry restores human dignity for patients recovering from severe addiction.” Adam Cunningham said in April 2026 that a practitioner must “understand if your patient can afford the care that you suggest,” in “Why your patient isn’t filling that prescription (and won’t tell you).”

Erica Bove, MD, said in March 2026 that a patient who moves from clinic to clinic should understand why the last one did not work before starting the next, in “Understanding the science behind embryo grading improves IVF decision making.”

What do physicians say actually helps with burnout?

Physicians who work on burnout say almost uniformly that the exhaustion is a response to working conditions rather than a personal failing, and that the individual should still change the one thing they control rather than wait. Very few recommend self-care as a remedy, and several say so explicitly. This group holds 102 of the 706 answers and uses the word system more than any other group on the page.

Lisa Rubiano said on The Podcast by KevinMD in June 2026 that burnout and moral injury are “a natural process that happens when you’re in a toxic system,” in “Physician burnout is not your fault, and here’s why blaming yourself keeps you stuck.” Gus W. Krucke, MD, said in August 2026 that clinicians should not confuse metrics with meaning, because “very rarely do they speak directly to what’s going on with the patient,” in “Burnout blames the doctor for a broken system.” Jessie Mahoney, MD, a pediatrician and certified coach, said in March 2026 that institutional wellness is effective but not sufficient, and that the answer is an and situation, in “Wellness requires safe spaces outside the medical system.” Claudine Holt, MD, an occupational medicine physician, said in March 2026 that the care a physician can give depends on the quality of their own life, in “Why ‘just relaxing’ fails when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.”

Gita Balakumar, MD, said in August 2026 that “by giving ourselves permission to be who we truly are” physicians do not diminish their professionalism but strengthen it, in “What a dragonfly teaches physicians about burnout and self-compassion.” Jerina Gani, MD, MPH, said in July 2026 that she dreams of the day primary care physicians “go to work so happy to see patients, without feeling burned out,” in “Why the cure for physician burnout is seeing fewer patients.” Stanley Liu, MD, said in September 2026 that a courage fund is a cash reserve that lets a physician “leave an unsustainable job without immediate financial pressure,” in “Burnout isn’t only about autonomy, it’s about your bank account.”

Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, a psychiatrist and internist, said in January 2026 that physicians should hold onto each other and “We want our physicians to return back to wellness,” in “Physician suicide represents a silent epidemic demanding urgent reform.” Christie Mulholland, MD, a palliative care physician, said in January 2026 that “We should continue pushing for the system to change for the better” while naming five counterproductive trends, in “Blaming younger doctors for setting boundaries ignores the broken system.” Shari Morin-Degel said in December 2025 that “We can’t wait for those big system things to change” before acting locally, in “Leadership buy-in is the key to preventing burnout.” Jessie Mahoney, MD, said in February 2026 that physicians should stop waiting and “be thoughtful about the path forward,” in “Waiting for the system to change causes burnout.” Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD, said in May 2026 that “Being vulnerable about our struggles in medicine is extremely important,” in “When a code blue on the psychiatry unit ends in a police interview.”

Tracy Gapin, MD, a urologist, said in January 2026 that a physician who is burned out and feels stuck has a way out through building a practice on their own terms, in “Escaping the golden cage of traditional medical practice to find joy again.” Ananta Subedi, MD, a rheumatologist, said in October 2025 that a physician who is unhappy in a clinical or academic setting should always look for options, in “How physicians can use faith, family, friendship, and fulfillment to combat burnout.” Scott Abramson, MD, a neurologist, said in November 2025 that physicians must not suffer in silence, in “Why physicians must not suffer in silence.”

What advice do physicians give medical students and residents?

Physicians addressing students and residents give three instructions more than any others: value what the training cost you and do not sell it cheaply, speak up when something is wrong even when it costs you, and treat a nonlinear path as normal rather than as failure. The advice here is the most direct on the page because the guest usually remembers being the listener. This group holds 147 of the 706 answers.

Kathleen Muldoon, PhD, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in August 2026 that “Who you are matters just as much to your patient as what you know,” in “Medical students aren’t cheating on their essays: They’re afraid.” Vasilii Khammad, MD, said in August 2026 that residents should “keep fighting for what you think is fair,” in “He spoke up in residency, then got walked out in front of his patients.” Hernan Moscoso Boedo, MD, said in July 2026 that physicians should value their investment in human capital and “Don’t give up the fruit of that work by following wrong advice,” in “How fear of the stock market quietly costs doctors a million dollars.” Suneer Chander, MD, said in August 2026 that “I don’t think anyone should evaluate any opportunity based on income alone,” in “Why telemedicine should be a career, not a side gig.”

Stephanie Waggel, MD, said in September 2026 that a reader should question any piece of information, including research in a reputable journal, in “Genetic test results, social media advice, and an irreversible choice.” Kathleen Muldoon, PhD, said in May 2026 that the narrative that paths in medicine are linear deserves examining, in “When what’s in the envelope doesn’t match what you expected.” Gus W. Krucke, MD, said in August 2026 that physicians should, in his words, “Make the decisions that you think are right,” in “Burnout blames the doctor for a broken system.”

Kathleen Muldoon, PhD, said in April 2026 that a trainee should “think about how even if you can’t change the whole system” there is something in reach, in “Silence isn’t neutrality: Why medical students can’t wait to find their voice.” Umayr R. Shaikh, a medical student, said in March 2026 that students have power and asked listeners to “Don’t be afraid to ask us about whatever concerns you may have,” in “Shift from universal to optional vaccination risks normalizing preventable disease.”

Janet A. Jokela, MD, said in January 2026 that students and residents deciding what to do should first follow their passion, in “Personal memories reveal the transformation of HIV care over four decades.” Jessica Duncan, MD, an obesity medicine physician, said in April 2026 that it is never too late to change specialty, in “Why weight regain is a predictable biological response after stopping GLP-1s.” Laura Suttin, MD, said in January 2026 that guilt is not required and a schedule that does not match everyone else’s is acceptable, in “Waking up at 4 a.m. is not required for success.”

What do physicians advise other physicians about using AI?

No physician on the show advises a colleague to refuse artificial intelligence. The advice across 120 of the 706 answers is consistent: learn the tools well enough to govern them, insist on terms that keep your clinical data yours, and treat the design of the systems as the thing at stake rather than the technology itself. Mentions rise every year, from 5 percent of answers in 2024 to 9 percent in 2026.

Tod Stillson, MD, a family physician, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in August 2026 that “The AI companies are going for the land grab” in defining how patients reach care, in “Doctors are now the second opinion, AI is the first.” Shiv K. Goel, MD, said in March 2026 that “AI like Claude for health care will not fix medicine by itself” but can help if physicians stay at the center of how it is designed, in “AI could end the administrative nightmare for doctors.” Sonal Patel, MD, said in August 2026 that physicians should not be afraid of the technology but should work under a subscribed model so their intellectual property is not used, in “Who should own the AI that doctors built.” Ahmed Elsonbaty, MD, said in August 2026 that physicians should build their own tools and “Don’t wait for engineering or Silicon Valley to help you,” in “How a doctor with no coding background built his own bedside AI tools.”

Robert Wachter, MD, said in April 2026 that “The next 10 years are going to be pretty great for doctors” and better for patients, in “Gradually, then suddenly: Dr. Robert Wachter on health care’s giant AI leap.” Kevin J. Campbell, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, said in July 2026 that “technology should be your next clinical staff member,” in “Why patient engagement platforms must reduce staff burden.” Steve Buslovich, MD, said in June 2026 that “it’s super important to choose your partners wisely, your technology partners,” in “How Medicare is breaking nursing home care.”

Tod Stillson, MD, said in June 2026 that he wants physicians to not fear AI but to “embrace it and govern it and use it as a capacity multiplier in their clinical practice,” in “What happens when physicians cede AI to direct-to-consumer startups.” Tod Stillson, MD, said in March 2026 that “AI doesn’t carry malpractice insurance, but doctors do,” which is why governance matters, in “Why physicians must lead the design of artificial intelligence in health care.” Harvey Castro, MD, said in March 2026 that adopting the technology is like learning to ride a bike, frightening at first and then automatic, in “Hospitals must establish safety guardrails before deploying AI.” Grace E. Terrell, MD, said in June 2026 that every new tool should be judged by one test, whether it is about the patient, and to “Think about a future where you’re able to actually be about the patient again,” in “Why every new health care tool keeps making the job harder.”

Hamad Husainy, DO, said in June 2026 that artificial intelligence is here and every physician should take a first step into it rather than be intimidated, in “Why your ER doctor doesn’t know your medical history.” Tod Stillson, MD, said in March 2026 that the technology can reduce cognitive chaos and restore cognitive meaning for doctors, in “AI redefines the physician’s role by reducing cognitive overload.” Dave Wessinger, a health care executive, said in January 2026 that the first rule for adopting the technology is to be curious, in “Focusing on outcomes over novelty prevents AI failure in health care.”

What do physicians say to check before signing a contract?

Physicians and the attorneys who advise them name four things to check before signing: how call is compensated, how the relative value unit threshold behind the salary actually works, how the income is structured for tax, and which billable services the practice is leaving on the table. Several physicians describe what they did not know when they signed. This group holds 93 of the 706 answers.

Corinne Sundar Rao, MD, an internal medicine physician, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in March 2026 that “call is not an infinite resource” and that call is labor that must be paid, in “Unpaid on-call shifts are driving doctors into early retirement.” Logan Foltz, a physician and tax specialist, said in April 2026 that “It is generally better to have steady income than to have variable income” for tax purposes, in “Why physicians pay more in taxes and how to reclaim your income.” Rachel Yates said in July 2026 that Medicare has built an opportunity most practices are missing, and that “It’s not because anyone is doing anything wrong,” in “Medicare will pay you to keep patients well. Most practices miss it.” Timothy Bulat, MD, said in June 2026 that “Medicare Advantage is absolutely a valuable part of the Medicare program” while its incentives deserve questioning, in “20 years inside a Medicare Advantage insurer, and who actually pays.”

Dennis Hursh, a health care attorney, said in January 2026 that “So many people look at it and say they are paying a good salary,” and that a physician should be aware of how the RVU threshold behind it works, in “Hidden financial dangers of wRVU thresholds in medical employment agreements.” Edward Anselm, MD, a board-certified internist, said in February 2026 that a practice should do the math before dismissing tobacco cessation as unprofitable, because “you will find that you can delight your patients and delight your office managers with improved revenue,” in “Tobacco cessation offers untapped revenue for medical practices.” Jonathan Bushman, DO, a family physician, said in February 2026 that physicians should “Do what you can to learn about benefits” their patients are entitled to, in “Primary care receives only five cents of every health care dollar.”

What do physicians say should change in health care?

Asked what should change, physicians name consolidation, Medicare payment, and rural access more than any other subjects, and they usually close with an action rather than a diagnosis: contact a specific body, learn what a benefit covers, or engage at the level of the system rather than the individual case. This group holds 127 of the 706 answers.

Angela C. Johnson said on The Podcast by KevinMD in September 2026 that a natural disaster is the moment for physicians to move beyond a personal response to “the ability to engage at a higher level on systems,” in “Hurricane season is a fifth season, and medicine has to plan for it.” Rita Agarwal, MD, said in September 2026 that insurance consolidation and federal funding cuts are why physicians are leaving, in “Health insurance mergers are why your doctor is leaving.” John Birkmeyer, MD, said in June 2026 that independent practice matters and physicians concerned about Medicare cuts should act, in “How Medicare is breaking nursing home care.” Richard A. Lawhern, PhD, said in June 2026 that chronic pain patients and the clinicians who treat them are not alone, and that “There’s an organization that we strongly recommend that you come visit,” in “Dark money is writing your health care laws.”

Stephanie Waggel, MD, said in May 2026 that consolidation means “People are going to have to wait longer” for care, in “I Googled my own name and a corporate clinic I’ve never worked at appeared.” Ken Terry said in July 2026 that his argument covers waste, health information technology, and rural care rather than a single reform, in “How to fix health care without Medicare for All.” Yousuf Zafar, MD, a practicing oncologist, said in February 2026 that cancer care has become complex enough that patients need help navigating it, in “Remote second opinions bridge the gap in rural cancer survival.” Timothy Bulat, MD, said in June 2026 that plans add value while their incentives deserve scrutiny, in “20 years inside a Medicare Advantage insurer, and who actually pays.”

David K. Cundiff, MD, said in February 2026 that the current crisis is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the system, in “Community cooperatives offer a solution to the affordable health care crisis,” and in a second appearance that month that the system is in a crisis unlike any before, in “Community ownership transforms the broken health care system.” Samah Khan, a premedical student, said in January 2026 that the patient in the office is often the endpoint of a broken system and clinicians should look upstream, in “Medical brain drain leaves vulnerable communities without life-saving care.”

What do physicians say makes a good leader in medicine?

Physicians describing good leadership say the same thing in different words: culture is set by what a leader tolerates rather than by what a leader announces, and a wellness program designed without asking the staff will not survive contact with the work. The recurring request is that leaders ask before they build. This group holds 153 of the 706 answers.

Namit Choksi, MD, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in July 2026 that the health care organizations that lead the next decade will be the ones that treat mental health support as a requirement rather than an option, in “How credentialing fears harm physician mental health.” Jessie Mahoney, MD, said in July 2026 that the profession should stop calling the pattern a curse and “figure out how we can change things for the next generation,” in “Why women doctors get sick and blame themselves for it.” Narinder Singh Parhar, MD, said in September 2026 that caregivers are individuals and “We do need to take care of ourselves,” in “Doctors were told to be blind to the cost of care.” Apurv Gupta, MD, MPH, a physician coach, said in April 2026 that “I know many of you are struggling, feeling burnt out, disengaged, and feeling despair,” in “Why loving organizations are the secret to ending burnout in medicine.”

Mary Wilde, MD, an integrative pediatrician, said in March 2026 that a leader attending to a team or a department should remember, “don’t forget to attend to your own heart,” in “Why physicians must reclaim their right to pause.” Cristin Mount, MD, said in March 2026 that a leadership framework is scalable but takes practice, and that “Practice doesn’t have to be large and grand and in public,” in “How to master a new health care leadership role.”

Which guests appear most often on The Podcast by KevinMD?

Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, has appeared 27 times since October 2024 and Jessie Mahoney, MD, 26 times since April 2025, the two most frequent guests in this span. Seventy guests in all have appeared more than once and account for 284 of the 721 transcribed episodes, which means the archive holds the same person answering the same closing question a year or two apart.

Guest Episodes Span First episode in span Most recent
Muhamad Aly Rifai 27 October 2024 to March 2026 Inside the courtroom: a doctor’s battle against a fraud investigation Unregulated botanical products pose hidden risks in convenience stores
Jessie Mahoney 26 April 2025 to July 2026 Funding physician wellness: a guide to getting programs approved Why women doctors get sick and blame themselves for it
Kathleen Muldoon 12 May 2025 to September 2026 Why true listening is crucial for future health care professionals She spent weeks on her personal statement. Then someone asked why she didn’t use AI.
Janet A. Jokela 11 August 2024 to June 2026 From refusal to acceptance: a journey of trust in vaccination Why physician is not the same as provider
Oluyemisi Famuyiwa 10 February 2025 to September 2026 Marijuana’s hidden threat to fertility and family planning Why acne, chin hair, and irregular cycles are more than an ovary problem
Dennis Hursh 9 August 2024 to January 2026 Compensation for mentoring residents Hidden financial dangers of wRVU thresholds in medical employment agreements
Yemi Famuyiwa 7 August 2024 to July 2026 How microplastics affect our reproductive health PCOS was never just about your ovaries
Lianne Mandelbaum 7 March 2025 to May 2026 Compassionate solutions for food allergies in air travel DOT ruling protects peanut allergies but not eggs, sesame, or milk
Shiv K. Goel 7 January 2026 to August 2026 Healing chronic illness requires treating the mind alongside the body Your leaky gut tests aren’t fixing you
Kim Downey 6 August 2024 to August 2025 Untold stories of physician suicide and mental health A systemic plan for health worker well-being
Tod Stillson 6 August 2024 to August 2026 A family medicine playbook to earn a million dollars Doctors are now the second opinion, AI is the first
Pamela Buchanan 5 January 2025 to March 2025 Why stress and trauma are at the heart of autoimmune diseases How diversity transforms health care and patient outcomes

The arcs differ. Lianne Mandelbaum came on in March 2025 about food allergies in air travel and by May 2026 was discussing a Department of Transportation ruling that covers peanut allergies but not eggs, sesame, or milk. Kathleen Muldoon, PhD, started in May 2025 on listening as a clinical skill and by September 2026 was discussing a student accused of using artificial intelligence to write a personal statement. Tod Stillson, MD, opened in August 2024 on how a family physician earns a million dollars and by August 2026 was arguing that artificial intelligence has become the first opinion and the physician the second.

Have the take-home messages changed since 2024?

Barely. Two years of the same closing question produce answers that look much the same in 2026 as in 2024, which is the most notable thing the year-over-year counts show. Artificial intelligence is the only term that clearly rises, from 5 percent of answers in 2024 to 9 percent in 2026. Burnout, advocacy, and encouragement each move by two points or less, and the only decline is in answers naming a concrete action, from 25 percent to 18 percent.

Term 2024 (160 answers) 2025 (342 answers) 2026 (213 answers)
Artificial intelligence 5 percent 6 percent 9 percent
Burnout 6 percent 4 percent 5 percent
Advocacy 6 percent 7 percent 7 percent
Hope or encouragement 5 percent 8 percent 8 percent
A concrete action to take 25 percent 23 percent 18 percent

Answers were counted by the same expression in every year. The 2026 figures run through September 18, 2026.

The take-home message corpus by the numbers

The figures below describe the transcribed episodes this page draws on, as of September 19, 2026. They are counts of what the show has published, not survey data about physicians.

Measure Value
Transcribed episodes, July 21, 2024 to September 18, 2026 721
Episodes with a closing take-home answer 706
Named guests 492
Guests with more than one appearance 70
Episodes by repeat guests 284
Median length of an answer 108 words
Answers naming a concrete action 48 percent
Answers containing a generic encouragement 10 percent
Episodes linking the guest’s own KevinMD essay 97 percent
Most frequent guests Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD (27); Jessie Mahoney, MD (26); Janet A. Jokela, MD (12); Kathleen Muldoon, PhD (12); Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, MD (10)

How this page was built and how it is updated

Every episode of The Podcast by KevinMD published between July 21, 2024, the first with a full transcript, and September 18, 2026 was retrieved from the archive, 721 in all. The closing answer was taken from each: where the phrase take-home message appears, from the guest turn that follows it, and otherwise from the guest’s last substantive turn before the sign-off. Nine in which the host rather than the guest was captured were removed, leaving 706. Guest names come from the episode description line, because episodes are bylined to the show rather than to the guest; where that line could not be parsed the speaker label was used, and any name that resolved to a suffix, a single word, or a duplicated token was excluded from citation. Counts of appearances will undercount a guest whose name is transcribed inconsistently. Answers were sorted by subject using the words in the answer and the episode title together, so an answer can belong to more than one subject and 15 percent belong to none; those are counted but not quoted. Quotations are verbatim from the transcript. Counts and figures are as of the September 18, 2026 corpus; this page was brought to the current record standard on September 20, 2026 without rebuilding that corpus. Credentials are given as the episode described the guest, and omitted where it did not. The complete episode list, including episodes before July 2024 that have no transcript, is at the podcast archive. Related records: What physicians say: the KevinMD records, Physician burnout: what physicians say, in their own words, and Artificial intelligence: what physicians say, in their own words.

This page is updated as new episodes are transcribed. When it is updated, the date at the top changes, the counts in the tables are recomputed, and new guests and answers are added. Nothing is removed unless the original episode is removed. A guest who believes a quotation on this page misrepresents them can write to Kevin Pho and the page will be corrected.

To cite this page: Pho K. Take-home messages: what physicians say when asked to leave one. KevinMD.com. Updated September 20, 2026. https://kevinmd.com/take-home-messages

The 104 episodes of The Podcast by KevinMD cited on this page, in order of publication