In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Dr. Jonathan Shaffer, who argues that physicians’ responsibilities extend beyond individual patient care to confronting harmful misinformation, inequitable systems, and political forces that shape health outcomes. Drawing on sociology, social movement theory, and a materialist critique of bioethics, Shaffer contends that medical professionals cannot effectively address these challenges alone and should instead engage in collective organizing to protect public health and influence policy.Guest:Jonathan Shaffer, PhDAssistant Professor of Sociology University of VermontHost:Bryan Pilkington, PhDProfessor of Bioethics Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

Link to Show NotesGuest: Joseph Ali, JDAssociate Director for Global Programs, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics & Associate Professor, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthHost: Bryan Pilkington, PhDProfessor of Bioethics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Dr. Dorene Balmer about her book, The Long Arc of Training: Six Stories of Aspiring Doctors, which emerged from a 12-year longitudinal qualitative study that followed medical students into residency and practice. Balmer reflects on how repeated, relationship-based interviews allow participants to reflect on their evolving identities as physicians and surgeons, their career options and their personal values in ways that traditional “snapshot” research cannot capture.Guest: Dorene Balmer, PhDProfessor of PediatricsPerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania&Education ScientistEducation Collaboratory, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Dr. John Lantos about how artificial intelligence is reshaping medicine, particularly the doctor–patient relationship. He situates current concerns within a broader historical pattern of technological disruption in medicine, emphasizing that the true value of physicians lies not just in knowledge, but in navigating uncertainty and building trust with patients. He argues that AI will not make doctors obsolete but will redefine their role toward being interpreters of technology and stewards of patient-centered care.Guest: John D. Lantos, MDJDL Bioethics ConsultingArticle discussed:Lantos JD. The Lost Aura of the Physician in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. JAMA. 2026 Apr 7;335(13):1119-1121. doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.0946. PMID: 41770545.

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Dr. Arthur Caplan on his effort to urge the American and International Red Cross to investigate alleged human rights and healthcare abuses in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. Caplan describes reports of unsafe, prison-like conditions, arguing that these conditions warrant independent inspection under international humanitarian norms. He emphasizes that bioethicists have a special responsibility to speak out because many of the violations directly involve health, basic care, and the rights of vulnerable populations, especially children.Read the open letter here:Caplan, Arthur L. “An Open Letter to the American Red Cross and the International Red Cross: Calling for Immediate Humanitarian Visits to ICE Internment Facilities in Texas,” published March 16, 2026 in Bioethics Today, the website for the American Journal of Bioethics. https://tinyurl.com/openletterRedCrossGuest:Dr. Arthur Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

A discussion on recent changes in U.S. vaccine policy, the impact on pediatric practice, and the ethical challenges created by shifting public health communication.Guests:Aviva Schein, MD, Pediatrician, Zufall HealthJ. Patrick Bardill, PhD, Assistant Professor & Microbiologist, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Dr. Veronica Catanese about accreditation in medical education and its role in ensuring quality standards for MD programs. They also discuss how recent legislative challenges have affected accreditation Element 3.3 (diversity programs and partnerships).Veronica Catanese, MD, is Senior Director of Accreditation Services at the Association of American Medical Colleges.

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Kaitlin Puccio, JD, MS about how discussion of current emotionally-charged social issues can benefit from logical reasoning and respectful dialogue with opposing viewpoints. The use of art as a way to make bioethical issues accessible to the public and foster civil discourse is also discussed.Kaitlin Puccio, JD, MS is Director, Art and Bioethics Initiative at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights & Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham Law. https://kaitlinpuccio.com/

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Dr. Gabrielle Finn on differential attainment, which refers to the variation in academic attainment between groups of students who share protected characteristics (such as religion, ethnicity and ability) and those who do not share the same characteristic.Report discussed:Gabrielle Finn, Jenny Twyford, Adam Danquah, Asieh Shomali. The Game of Academic Privilege: An Exploration of Differential Attainment at the University of Manchester. 2025. https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=76069

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Pilkington speaks with Kyle Tafuri, a healthcare sustainability expert, about the importance of aligning environmental sustainability with the mission of healthcare systems. Tafuri emphasizes that clean air, water, and healthy soil are fundamental to health and that healthcare institutions, as major employers and resource users, have both an ethical obligation and strategic opportunity to lead in sustainability.Kyle Tafuri is Vice President of Sustainability, Hackensack Meridian Health.