Please bring back this podcast. It adds so much value and need perspective to the healthcare industry.

The questions are interesting- but I come to freakonomics for the data behind the pontification. Otherwise I could be listening to my great uncle at dinner.

The content is great. As soon as they start the podcast the titles change lol Example: “Do Kids Cause Divorce” is actually “Do Twins Cause Divorce”. Strange.

Nice to discuss topics but not helpful regarding what to do, how to decipher the data. More chatty than beneficial. Dig deeper, explain clearer, offer solid direction where ethical.

If this review stays up and isn’t cut short, it will be a miracle. How can the information here be trusted when the good doctor buys into the CDC/FDA/WHO/Fauci/Gates narrative of the Covid mRNA "vaccines"? He has ignored the early & ONGOING warnings of globally esteemed experts and the recent underreported disclosures of just how dangerous mRNA vaccines are with a benefit to risk ratio that should have kept it from ever being unleashed on the global population. On other topics presenting data, there is no consideration given to who paid for the research and conflict of interest. If MD and economics is to be effectively examined, he should be looking at how profits over healing affects our health.

A research study/paper is often referenced as a basis/core of the conversation (i.e. , #75 What Is Sugar Really Doing to You?) but they don’t provide a direct link or even a citation. The host is an MD and PhD, he’s written enough papers to *know* to cite his references/source. Why wouldn’t it be done here? Yes, I can google it. But why can’t the source(s) he has spent a 20-25 min show discussing not be provided? That’s not a unreasonable ask since you already have the information.

Really disappointed in this episode. Yes, I think refined sugar is harmful. Yes, I was expecting this to be the discussion. The evidence discussed did NOT support this though. Suggesting a causal relationship when one hasn’t been proven is unethical. Even worse, if there is a causal relationship, it is likely the inverse of what was suggested. Normally I would rate this podcast a 5 - this episode really hurt my overall view of the podcast.

I’m a second year med student and really love this show- especially the medical mystery cases. I aspire to reach this level of excellent clinical reasoning skills one day!

I never miss an episode of this show. Bapu always gives facts and stats about the issues that are covered. The best part is that I have yet to see any real bias, except on behalf of the patients that the health care industry is supposed to be doing anyway. Thank you Bapu and the Freakonomics team!

Interesting dialogues and great information.

This podcast has opened my eyes to so many aspect of healthcare I’m curious about. The episodes are well researched, interesting and nice and brief. I’ve worked in healthcare for a long time and always enjoy this podcast!

Excellent show. Very informative and entertaining. Dr Jenu is a great host

Having worked in healthcare management the last 15 years of my career, the intersection of healthcare and economics has always fascinated me. The topics that are presented on this podcast are always interesting, informative and thought provoking. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to informative listening.

I am always intrigued by the interactions between the medicine, the financial/health insurance aspects of the podcast. The mental health, the challenges of the patients with the hardest medical issues and the financial costs of that are interesting, but showing that we can, as a medical society, work to improve their lives rejuvenates me to help my patients at the top of my ability. Thank you!

Below is a review from a year or so ago; I’d given up on this show. Recently, they played one on the Freakonomics show (not Freakonomics md), so I listened in. The topic was breast feeding. First they had Emily Oster on (look up her podcast if you like data). Emily is probably left leaning because she’s a professor (yeah, that’s not all that fair). But I’ve never seen her bias in her research and she’s taken some politically incorrect positions. That’s courageous in academia. Emily found that there was almost no value to breast feeding once the data was controlled for race, intelligence and a dozen other factors. I was amazed and encouraged. I have no opinion on breast feeding, but dropped Baku’s show because he always, always injects his social justice bias into the data. I often agree with him, but can’t trust him. But now, he brought in an expert who didn’t fit his bias. Go Bapu; maybe I misjudged you. Next was Emma Fitzsimons (sp?). She concluded that there was a 15% advantage in cognitive skills (reasoning, verbal) that children of privileged women had thru age 7. No mention of controls like Emily did. Maybe she did proper research, but Bapu didn’t ask if she did or ask Emily why the difference. And of course Bapu finished with a plea for social justice. It’s so disappointing because Bapu has a great background and speaking ability. But just another mediocre advocate. Anyone wonder why “experts” are no longer trusted? My review from a year or so ago: Love the combination of medicine and economics and Bapu (hope I got that right) is easy to listen to. Episodes like the Marathon, Retirement and what docs say and do were excellent. But some of the recent ones are introducing political bias into his work. The one on gender bias is an example. At the risk of overly generalizing, it netted out to the disparity was due to women not selling themselves well and there's an institutional bias against them. The work of Dr. Goldin was mentioned but essentially ignored. If I'm remember this right, she found that 97% of the wage gap was due to women fairly or unfailry needing more work flexibility than men. So, they might need more time off for children or a job that required fewer hours. She was mentioned, but the work dismissed with "we controlled for all that" (not a direct quote, but I think accurate). That women need more flexibility was the entire argument for the pay gap. How can you not address this and go right to women are persecuted. Also, you brought on a guest who was clearly an advocate for all forms of diversity; that's her job. So, don't pretend she's objective. There are other examples, though much more subtle and usually only short comments. I don't need another NPR podcast that twists the data or selectively picks the data that supports their side. Actually, no one does as science itself is now losing credibility as it's being viewed as a tool of one side. Please go back to being an objective economist and doctor, and stay away from advocacy. There are a gazillion shows that already are doing this. If there are arguments that don't support what you believe, tell them, kill them with what you know, but don't become just another tool of either side.

Social media is not in a good place in today’s world. People need to learn how to do something different.

The show is really interesting ! The host is great. Topics are unique. Looking forward to more!

Effect of mother’s milk on microbiome and development of immune system was not mentioned at all. Importance of human milk oligosaccharides. Missed to talk about the key factor.

Soft ball questions and doesn’t get into scientific rigor. Otherwise very political like race in medicine is all they talk about. I really liked the original topics but now I don’t listen anymore. Oh for the record I 100% abortion even third trimester. Abortion is necessary for society. And Covid is real and dangerous. The vaccines need to be examined more there IS evidence of heart damage and none of you guys talk about it.

Fellow physician here Bapu. I have enjoyed your program a lot, but was very surprised you did not push back at all on Ashish Jha and the problem so many of us have with his Covid messaging. I’m quite sure you are aware of Dr Vinay Prasad’s frustration with Jha - why didn’t you ask about some of his specific concerns? It was difficult to listen to Jha humble-brag about how in demand he was during the pandemic. Ugh. How can he say that the authorization for the Covid boosters was solely the decision of the FDA when it is a fact that the White House put enough pressure on the FDA that senior officials resigned in protest? If he is as smart and amazing as you made him sound then he surely knows he is being dishonest with the American public when he, among other things, makes no mention of our valid Covid vaccine cardiac concerns in young men. He sounds like a slick drug rep, not like the normal physicians with whom I trained and practice. The reason why the uptake on the bivalent shot is so low is because most of the American people are smart and know when they aren’t getting the full story. His obvious lack of intellectual honesty is contributing to the distrust Americans have for public health authorities. If you truly don’t see that then you have lost some of your economist objectivity.

A friend told me about the show a while ago. I’ve been listening since the start and I have to say the episodes keep getting better and better. The topics are great, host is clearly an expert, and it always makes me think a little differently.

I appreciate the prospectives that are presented concerning the decision making and thought process as it relates to medical malpractice. But, I am disappointed that the producers did not work harder to present both opinions/facts on such a polarizing subject as abortion and how it effects decision making, health, malpractice. Freakonomics as a brand is known for presenting balanced opinions/facts and thereby educating its audience.

Crazy to me that an entire episode on “defensive medicine” is really just a commercial for progressive politics related to abortion. Apparently abortion is the safest procedure out there. -with nary a mention of the other side -the baby. I’d be fine with the position, I’d only it were given honestly with recognition of the actual argument. So completely one-sided.

Interesting podcast, but always with a decidedly progressive bias.

I’m a fan of the regular freakanomics podcast. I gave this one a quick try and it was just lacking in substance. I listened to the one regarding FDA Friday releases being detrimental and even deadly. While this was an eye popping news, the podcast could have been completed in 5 minutes. I would have turned it off but I was too busy on my exercise machine.

Would give this 20 stars if I could! Incredibly informative information, and very informative and easy to understand for someone that is not part of the healthcare community, and cares about personal health. Look forward to listen to this every week!

Just found this podcast and am very impressed. Covered a lot of issues related to rankings-quite informative. Answered a lot of questions for me. Thanks for the podcast.

Thought-provoking topics, excellent guests, and a calm, concise host- couldn’t ask for more in a podcast! Great job.

It seems the advertised content on many podcasts is nothing more than clickbait. Certainly true for this show. Pairing the medical world and economics would be interesting were it not saturated in political and social bias. Good on the shows that are upfront and fully disclosed about who they are and what their agenda is, and then stay true to it. Not the case with this guy.

What a pleasure to listen to a medical professional with such fabulous communication skills. The focus on medicine from an economist’s point of view may sound dry and clinical; it is neither. Clever, thoughtful questions, fast pacing and a master communicator make for a great listen!

Thank you for the great insight information about hospitals and doctoring. I truly enjoy this podcast

Wonderful episode, salute

An excellent podcast, always very interesting.

Well presented and thought-provoking… Always leaves me with more questions… only so much one can do in a short podcast. Sometimes wish would do a series of episodes on a large topic to dive deeper… See one suggestion below gun violence is a public health crisis in the United States. could you do an episode on the epidemiology and successful interventions around the world on gun deaths? Do the arguments against gun control hold any water based on the data? This could actually be a series I have a several episodes

Almost every episode provides interesting and thought provoking material, that prompts me to want to learn more about the topic on my own. The one-star reviews seem to be coming from MAGA people who claim bias on everyone and everything that doesn’t bow down to their god.

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I’m a nurse, and I love economics. This show exists in the center of the Venn diagram, where medicine and economics meet. Every episode is super interesting. I’m glad I started listening.

Love this pod!

As a pharmacist and late blooming economics nerd, this is the perfect podcast. The current state of our healthcare system is unsustainable and we need some revolutionary ideas to make needed changes. Keep up the great work!

I am a long time (from day one!) reader, listener and admirer of Freakonomics. And this is definitely a failure - too much biases and personal research data. Not controversial enough and finally, zero response to comments :(

As a nurse and money nerd this hits all my favorite topics. He weaves a great story and I am often sharing what I learned with my coworkers.

This has quickly become my favorite podcast. I’ve always loved Freakonomics, but now this one is even better. My family, friends, and coworkers are sick of me retelling them all the interesting things I heard in the latest podcast episode.

What an interesting combination medicine and economics makes! The host covers interesting topics in an understandable way and within the perfect amount of time.

Dr. Jena discusses a variety of topics and brings new insights in plain language.

The topics on this podcast are always something that either I knew I was interested in, or that I didn’t know I was interested in but turns out I am.

Always interesting and informative.

Great podcast

Excellent!

wow

Really enjoy listening to the episodes each week. Dr. Jena and guests explain complex topics in an understandable way. They also cover very unique topics and clever research. Keep the natural experiments coming!