Ditch The Labcoat

Alfredo Borodowski has lived through public failure, bipolar disorder, and the work of rebuilding identity from the ground up. Now he helps leaders navigate disruption without losing their humanity.

In this episode of Ditch the Labcoat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Alfredo to explore what happens to meaning when systems accelerate. They discuss why productivity metrics fail to capture human performance, what AI accelerates and what it erodes, and how leaders can maintain purpose and resilience when certainty disappears.

Alfredo's formula is simple but powerful: Positivity + Purpose = Peak Performance. But the conversation goes deeper than...

Joshua Resnikoff was a bench scientist at Harvard's Wyss Institute, surrounded by cutting-edge science. 

He believed healthcare could solve anything. Then his son started having unexplained recurring fevers. Monthly ER visits. Ice baths to prevent seizures. Years of diagnostic uncertainty. Finally, a diagnosis: PFAPA, a hyper-inflammatory condition so rare only 500 kids in the US have it. The doctor's response? "There's nothing we can do. It's not terminal, so don't worry about it."

That was his red pill moment.

On this episode of Ditch the Labcoat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Joshua, founder and C...

AI is everywhere in healthcare conversations. This episode asks the more uncomfortable question: what is it actually doing in real hospitals, with real patients, and real constraints?

Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-Founder and CEO of SeamlessMD, for a clinician-first, workflow-grounded conversation about where AI delivers value today, where it still falls apart, and why “smart” tools often die quietly at implementation.

They unpack why the most immediate wins are not futuristic diagnostics. They are the unglamorous bottlenecks that drain clinical bandwidth: documentation, forms, referrals, and the administrative sprawl that keeps team...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat for our 100th episode. Today we tackle a challenge that touches millions yet remains widely misunderstood: falls and balance loss in aging adults.

Host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dan Metcalfe, Founder and CEO of Born SuperHuman and Total Balance Company, to challenge the dangerous assumption that falling is just "part of getting older." They reveal how falls are actually the number one cause of death in older adults, not because bodies weaken, but because the brain-to-body connection deteriorates when we stop challenging our neurological systems. Dan shares groundbreaking insights...

In this episode of Ditch the Labcoat, Dr. Mark Bonta does something different. For the first time on the podcast, he speaks with a former patient.

Nora Rabah Rodden joins the show not as a clinician, but as someone who lived for years with debilitating symptoms that medicine couldn't explain or fix. Despite normal tests and repeated reassurance, her pain, GI symptoms, fatigue, and nervous system distress persisted. What she encountered instead was a gap in care. Not a lack of effort, but a lack of framework.

Nora shares how learning about neuroplasticity and nervous...

Dr. Ford Brewer’s story is not about hacks or shortcuts. It is about a physician who left the adrenaline of the emergency department to confront a quieter, more uncomfortable reality. Most of the heart attacks and strokes he saw should never have happened. At Hopkins, in public health, and later in his own practice, he realized how profoundly our future health is shaped by habits that feel small in the moment and by metabolic problems that remain invisible for decades.

In this conversation, we unpack what “test, do not guess” really looks like in real life. We talk a...

In this special New Year’s Eve solo episode, Dr. Mark Bonta steps away from the guest format to reflect on a landmark year for Ditch the Labcoat and to share where the show is headed next.

After surpassing 50 episodes and approaching episode 100, Dr. Bonta looks back on how the podcast evolved in 2025. What started as a more traditional interview-style medical show has grown into deeper, more philosophical conversations about performance, longevity, mental health, neuroplastic symptoms, and the human side of healthcare.

Using a surprising year-end analytics insight from his recording platform, he explores why the wo...

In this episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with pediatrician and medical journalist Dr. Alok Patel to unpack what it really means to keep kids healthy in a chaotic healthcare system and a distracted digital world. Starting with a story about Mark’s nine year old getting injured at hockey, they dive into how parents can respond to injuries and illness without panicking, how to check your own emotions first, and when a situation truly belongs in the emergency department versus urgent care or a clinic visit.

Drawing on his frontline pediatric experience, Dr. Patel breaks down practical re...

Psychotherapist and author Leah Marone joins Mark for a grounded conversation about why so many of us fall into the trap of overfunctioning for others. Leah, whose new book Serial Fixer explores this exact pattern, explains how emotional mirroring and urgency cycles show up in families, friendships, and clinical environments. She walks through the patterns she sees when people try to rescue or fix someone who is struggling and why that well intentioned approach often fuels more chaos rather than growth.

Leah introduces practical indicators that boundaries are slipping, including resentment and repetitive conversations where nothing changes. She...

Invisible illnesses shape millions of lives, yet most patients spend years in the system without answers. Dr. David Clarke has spent his career at the intersection of internal medicine, psychology, and mind-body research. His mission is clear. Help clinicians recognize when symptoms are driven by the nervous system rather than structural disease. Help patients finally feel seen. And give the medical community a framework to reduce unnecessary testing while improving outcomes.

In this episode he explains how the brain generates real physical symptoms under stress, trauma, and emotional overload. He walks through clinical red flags that differentiate structural...

In this deeply human episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with cardiac surgeon, scientist, and writer Dr. Paul Fedak for an honest look at the hidden cost of excellence in medicine. Dr. Fedak shares the story of the injury that forced him out of the operating room and into a profound reckoning with identity, purpose, and the culture of silence that surrounds clinician suffering.

Drawing from years as Professor at the University of Calgary and Director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, he unpacks why perfectionism is so common in medical training, how surgeons learn to mask pain behind...

Clinical psychologist Dr. Chloe Carmichael joins Dr. Mark Bonta for an important and timely conversation about free speech, emotional regulation, and the psychology of open dialogue. Drawing on her clinical work and her new book, Dr. Carmichael explains how suppressing opinions affects stress, anxiety, and even physical health. She describes her own experience with media self censorship, the impact of masking policies during COVID, and how moving from New York to Florida revealed the mental health benefits of open discussion.

The episode explores how naming emotions reduces amygdala activity, how repressing thoughts can lead to acting out, and...

In this powerful conversation, Matteo Esposito shares the story that shaped his mission to help others reclaim their lives from addiction and mental illness. Matteo is a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach and co-founder of Invisible Challenge, a movement focused on ending the stigma around invisible illnesses including bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, and suicidality.

Mark and Matteo explore the difficult reality of dual diagnosis, the limits of our current system, and the lived experience behind manic episodes, depression, and the pull of addiction. Matteo explains how suffering, time, and honest acceptance led him to recovery, and why connection...

Your voice says more than you think.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Kang Hsu, Chief Medical Officer of Canary Speech, to explore how AI and vocal biomarkers could make the human voice the next vital sign in medicine.

They unpack the science behind this breakthrough, showing how subtle shifts in tone, rhythm, and cadence can reveal early signs of depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s, or cognitive decline long before symptoms appear.

Dr. Hsu shares the origin story of Canary Speech, the research that powers its models, and how voice-based screening is...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat. This week, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Elliot Justin, emergency physician, innovator, and founder of FirmTech, for a conversation that’s equal parts fascinating, funny, and paradigm-shifting. Together, they explore a topic that most people find awkward to talk about—but everyone is curious about: male sexual health.

Dr. Justin shares how a personal injury and a deep curiosity about human physiology led him to develop an unexpected form of wearable technology—an erection ring that can not only enhance sexual performance but also collect valuable health data. Beneath the hu...

Halloween isn’t just about candy and costumes. In this special episode, Dr. Mark Bonta explores the science behind our favorite spooky-season habits, from the myth of the “sugar high” to the real risks behind thrill rides and haunted houses.

He unpacks how our brains process fear and excitement, why some people chase adrenaline while others avoid it, and how risk-benefit thinking can make us safer without killing the fun.

The conversation then turns to health, looking at how stress, lack of sleep, and seasonal viruses collide every fall. Dr. Bonta shares practical tips on protec...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat. This week, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Filippo Ongaro. He is a physician, bestselling author, and former flight surgeon at the European Space Agency who joins Dr. Bonta in the studio to explore a topic that’s redefining how we think about aging: the pursuit of healthspan over lifespan.

In a world obsessed with biohacking, supplements, and quick fixes, Dr. Ongaro brings the conversation back to fundamentals; how to age strong, not just long. Drawing from his years working with astronauts exposed to the accelerated aging effects of space travel, he...

In this week’s episode of Ditch The Labcoat, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with gastroenterologist and podcast host Dr. Neil Parikh—known from The Gut Doctor Podcast—for a fascinating journey through one of the most complex and misunderstood systems in the human body: the gut.

Together, they unpack the modern obsession with “gut health,” the hype around the microbiome, and why everyone from wellness influencers to scientists seems to think the key to longevity lies somewhere between our mouth and anus. But this conversation goes far deeper than digestion—it explores how what we eat, how we live...

This episode applies a clinical lens to the mindset first philosophy shared by Dr. Cassidy Preston in Part 1. 

In this insightful episode, Dr. Mark Bonta, Dr. Sebastian Mafeld, and Dr. Cassidy Preston delve into the intersection of mindset and medicine. They explore how principles from sports psychology can enhance medical practice, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, presence, and continuous learning. Through personal anecdotes and professional experiences, they discuss the transformative power of coaching and the potential for integrating these strategies into medical education. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges traditional paradigms and inspires a new approach t...

In this conversation, Dr. Mark Bonta and Cassidy Preston explore the critical role of mental resilience in high-stress environments, particularly in sports and medicine. They discuss Cassidy's journey from being an elite athlete to a coach focused on mental skills training, the evolution of mental coaching in various fields, and the importance of measuring success through mindset rather than just results. The discussion also delves into the concept of the alter ego effect as a transformative tool for performance and the significance of the narrative we tell ourselves in achieving our goals.

 In this conversation, Cassidy Preston and D...

This week's episode will be with Dr. Bijaj Patel a nephrologist who has done amazing work developing transitional dialysis centers.

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat, where we break down the highs, lows, and real talk of life on the frontlines of medicine. In this episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Brian Ferguson—a former military special operator and founder of Arena Labs—to explore what it truly means to perform under pressure in today’s healthcare landscape.

Drawing on his unique experience in both military special operations and high performance coaching, Brian unpacks the surprising similarities between the worlds of medicine and the military: relentless stress, long hours, a drive to serve, and the ever-present risk of burnou...

Welcome to this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, hosted by Dr. Mark Bonta—a show where curiosity meets science and skepticism, all in the name of practical healthcare innovation.

This week, we tackle a problem plaguing healthcare systems across Canada (and beyond): the painfully long wait times to see a dermatologist, especially when it comes to skin cancer. Our guest is Mike Druhan, President of Dermatology Services at MedX Health. Mike is on a mission to save lives by closing the gap between a suspicious mole and a potentially life-saving diagnosis.

Together, Dr. Bo...

Welcome back to Ditch the Lab Coat! In this episode, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. William Cherniak, an emergency physician, global health leader, and CEO of Rocket Doctor—a Canadian tech company on a mission to shake up how we access healthcare. As the world continues to grapple with the lessons learned from COVID-19, Dr. Cherniak and Dr. Bonta dive deep into the evolution of virtual care and its role in both episodic and chronic healthcare.

Together, they challenge the misconceptions around virtual medicine, exploring how digital innovation is not just a convenient al...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat. Today’s episode dives deep into a topic that’s been quietly reshaping lives and families across the globe: gambling addiction. Host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Daniela Lobo, a leading expert in addiction psychiatry, to explore just how dramatically gambling—especially online and sports betting—has surged in prevalence, fueled by intensive marketing and made even more accessible by the pandemic’s isolation.

Together, Dr. Bonta and Dr. Lobo break down the reality behind those flashy ads and glossy casino images, peeling back the curtain on the true costs...

This week on Ditch the Labcoat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Diana Driscoll, an optometrist, researcher, and internationally recognized authority on the autonomic nervous system—who also happens to be one of the rare non-MDs to join the show. 

After her own sudden and life-altering health collapse, Dr. Driscoll found herself deep in the world of dysautonomia—a group of disorders affecting the autonomic nervous system, responsible for all those automatic functions in our bodies we don’t usually have to think about. Finding few answers from doctors, and confronted by a system that too often shuns “...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat with Dr. Mark Bonta! In this episode, we dive into the world of burnout—what it really looks like, how it creeps into even the most resilient among us, and, most importantly, what we can do to prevent it. Dr. Mark sits down with Dr. Judy Wright, a physician, performance strategist, burnout survivor, and the founder of JW Health Consulting. 

Dr. Wright brings a unique blend of medical expertise and personal experience to the conversation, sharing hard-won insights and practical tools that go beyond the surface-level “self-care” advice.

From the silent...

Welcome back to Ditch the Lab Coat with Dr. Mark Bonta—a podcast where we cut through health hype with evidence, curiosity, and a good dose of scientific skepticism. In this special solo episode, Dr. Bonta takes a step back to reflect on what he’s learned after recording over 70 episodes with experts across medicine, wellness, and psychology.

Instead of chasing the latest biohacks and trendy do’s, Dr. Bonta shares his take on the “don’ts” that could make the biggest difference to our health: don’t load your pantry with ultra-processed foods, don’t rely on fad diets without re...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat! In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Kali Dayton, nurse practitioner, international consultant, and the bold voice behind the Awake and Walking ICU movement. Together, they peel back the curtain on a common but rarely questioned practice in critical care: routine heavy sedation of patients on ventilators.

Kali shares her journey from a nurse in a pioneering ICU—where awake, mobile, intubated patients were the norm—to a world where comatose ventilator patients are the expectation. She unpacks the hidden harms of automatic sedation, sharing both eye-opening research and the hear...

On this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Georg Haymerle—once a top head and neck surgeon in Europe and Australia, now a dedicated advocate for culture change in medicine. Georg’s journey is anything but typical: after reaching the pinnacle of surgical mastery, he made the radical decision to walk away—not because of burnout or failure, but to confront the invisible crisis unraveling healthcare teams from within.

Join us as we dive into Dr. Haymerle’s powerful story: from the grueling demands of 14-hour cancer surgeries and the accidental discover...

Welcome back to Ditch the Lab Coat, the podcast where we break down the fascinating world of medicine with a blend of scientific skepticism and real-world insight. In today’s episode, we dive deep into the mysteries of the vagus nerve—a nerve so ancient and essential, it’s been called the “conductor” in the symphony of human physiology.

Join host Dr. Mark Bonta as he sits down with Dr. Kevin Tracey, neurosurgeon, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, and a pioneer in the world of bioelectronic medicine. Dr. Tracey’s breakthrough research has shown us that the...

Welcome back to another episode of Ditch the Labcoat! This week, Dr. Mark Bonta is joined once again by the ever-insightful Dr. Dante Morra—innovator, internal medicine specialist, and the driving force behind the Can Health Network. In this wide-ranging conversation, they pull back the curtain on the current state and future of Canadian healthcare, tackling everything from the rise of AI-driven virtual care to the systemic issues clogging up our hospitals.

Dr. Morra breaks down the four pillars of healthcare—catastrophic, chronic disease, episodic, and preventative—and reveals why technology and innovation are set to overhaul not only h...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat, the show where we challenge assumptions in medicine and seek out the systems, stories, and science that truly shape healthcare. In today’s episode, we’re joined by Martin Bromiley: airline captain, human factors champion, and founder of the Clinical Human Factors Group.

But before he became a global advocate for patient safety, Martin faced unimaginable tragedy when his wife, Elaine, died following what was supposed to be a routine surgical procedure in 2005.

Martin’s journey isn’t just about personal loss—it’s about his relentless quest to understan...

In this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Marie Claire Bourque, a psychiatrist, executive coach, and mental performance consultant to elite athletes, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. Together, they dive into the world of high performance under pressure, uncovering what medicine can learn from the mental training of professional athletes.

Dr. Bourque shares her insights on the importance of presence, focus, and resetting under stress—skills commonly built into the toolkit of elite performers but often neglected in the medical field. She discusses practical strategies like meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, and values-based living, em...

Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat, the podcast where we cut through the noise and myths swirling around modern healthcare—one evidence-based conversation at a time. I’m Dr. Mark Bonta, and in today’s episode, get ready to hear from one of our returning guests: Dr. Samira Jeimy, allergist, immunologist, associate professor, and the straight-talking force behind Allergies Explained.

Dr. Jeimy is here to tackle her “Top 10 Propaganda Pieces” as an allergy expert—the big healthcare myths, media soundbites, and outright scams that drive her up the wall. From debunking the so-called ‘immunity debt’ theory and the raw milk craze, to e...

In this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Dov Gebien for a deeply personal and raw conversation about addiction, stigma, and redemption within the medical profession. 

Dr. Gebien, an emergency physician, shares his courageous story of opioid addiction—tracing his journey from the initial dependency that crept in after multiple back surgeries, through the devastating fallout of withdrawal, arrest, and prison, to his eventual recovery and fight to reclaim both his medical license and sense of self.

The episode explores the culture of medicine and the harsh jud...

Welcome back to another eye-opening episode of Ditch the Lab Coat with Dr. Mark Bonta! While we usually dig into the science behind medicine’s biggest questions, on this episode, Dr. Mark is joined by the extraordinary Dr. Erwin Loh — a powerhouse at the intersection of medicine, law, healthcare leadership, and medical futurology. 

Dr. Loh is not only the President of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators and National Director of Medical Services for Calvary Healthcare in Australia, but he’s also a trusted voice on LinkedIn, where he untangles medical breakthroughs and ethical dilemmas for his global audienc...

Welcome back to another eye-opening episode of Ditch the Lab Coat with Dr. Mark Bonta! While we usually dig into the science behind medicine’s biggest questions, this week we’re tackling the latest health fads and “wellness” trends lighting up your social feeds—from infrared saunas and cold plunges to mouth taping and chlorophyll water.

Joining Mark is Dr. Samir Gupta, a leading Canadian health communicator, clinician, and respirologist known for translating the complex world of medical research into practical advice you can trust. Together, they sift fact from fiction on everything from the cardiovascular perks of sauna bathing (i...

Welcome to a brand new episode of Ditch the Lab Coat with Dr. Mark Bonta! Normally, we dig deep into medical mysteries and healthcare headlines, but today we’re taking a high-flying detour into the world of extreme movement and gravity-defying stunts. 

In this episode, Mark sits down with internationally renowned parkour athlete, free runner, stunt performer, and Ninja Warrior UK finalist, Joe Scandrett. If you’ve ever seen someone leap between rooftops or swing from lampposts like a real-life Spider-Man, you’ve probably watched Joe in action.

But behind the jaw-dropping videos and viral s...

In today’s episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Sasha High—internist, obesity medicine specialist, founder of High Metabolic Clinic, and host of the High on Life podcast—to take a fresh, science-based look at weight management, obesity, and why sticking to those well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions isn’t just about willpower.

Dr. High pulls back the curtain on one of the most stubborn misconceptions in medicine: that losing weight is simply about eating less and moving more.

Instead, she invites us inside the fascinating intersection of biology, psychology, and our modern environment—unpacking ev...