Blood Bank: Recent Episodes
Amanda Rubano
A podcast about the moments in medicine we will never forget. Stories from hospital workers that changed the way they think about humanity.
Dr. Jessica Shand discusses the intersection between spirituality and medicine as she remembers a patient whose bravery was fueled by her unwavering faith
In the midst of a routine patient encounter, a heartfelt exchange becomes a poignant reminder for Dr. Maia Dorsett about the importance of taking a moment to listen.
An anonymous doctor tells the story of her experience with a patient who shared her disease
Chaplain Kevin Boyd shares an experience about his work in the hospital on Ash Wednesday. It’s a story about ritual, death, and ceremonious endings.
Professor Justin McDaniel talks about his dad and the speech he gave in Part I. He reminds us what it means to be interesting, the complexity of the human experience, and why mediocrity is OK.
Professor Justin McDaniel gives a graduation speech about the gift of no expectations, losing his father, and Nobokov's reminder that meaning is found in the process.
Dr. Victor Poleshuck recounts stories from his career about abortion and religion where patients' values conflicted with his own and how he reconciled that
"There might come a time when truth does harm, and lack of truth does less harm" Dr. David Korones tells a story about a young boy who was dying of leukemia and fulfilling the family's wish to take him home. This is a story about telling the truth, about omitting the truth, and deciding what’s best.
"Life doesn't come in well-organized experiences... but to be available, to and present, and open to potential..." Dr. Flavia Nobay recounts a her introduction to Emergency Medicine, a moment of sheer chaos, and ultimately, the time that inspired her to join the field
Dr. Erika Ramsdale retells the public story of her patient Debbie and the unfortunate abuse and neglect of the prison system
Chaplain Kevin Boyd talks about a moment that confronted him with people’s need to make meaning out of a terrible situation—and humans’ tendencies to want to live in a world with rules, even if those rules are corrupt, then live in a world that is based on randomness.
Dr. Larry Guttmacher, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, tells us a story of how his experience as the husband of someone who had a serious illness changed him as a doctor.
Hear him discuss the difference between boundary violations and boundary crossing in medicine for the salvation of the patient and the healthcare worker.
I'm Amanda and I'm a medical student at the University of Rochester. I love a good story and the hospital is full of them. The Blood Bank gives a platform for doctors, nurses, and hospital staff to tell the stories of the moments that meant the most to them at work. These stories are altered to respect confidentiality should they involve patients.