Doctors Making A Difference

Family physician turned entrepreneur Dr. Mike Woo-Ming recounts starting a medical education business during residency in the late 1990s, then walking away from a shareholder position in 2003 after his son’s autism diagnosis so he could be present as a dad.

He later sold a software company, traveled the world, and deliberately returned to medicine by launching cash based longevity practices in Southern California proving physicians can redesign both their careers and their impact.

Top 3 Takeaways

What if the biggest barrier to progress in rare cancers wasn’t a lack of ideas but the inability to connect the right people and turn those ideas into real clinical trials?

In this episode of Living with Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane sits with Dr. Scott Okuno, and Steven Young, as they describe how their organization (SARC) fills a critical gap left by broader cooperative groups. By acting as a regulatory sponsor and operational hub, SARC enables rapid multi institutional and international trials focused solely on sarcoma.

They detail the Sarcoma Centers Directory, patient ad...

What if you could turn a brilliant healthcare idea into a tangible, tested business in just six weeks?
Dr. Shubhendu Gulsharesh, an emergency physician in England, shares his journey from medical school in India to practicing in the NHS. He discusses how the UK system’s lack of financial barriers shapes pure doctor-patient relationships and why he chose emergency medicine after finding “his people.”

Facing post-COVID burnout, he reduced clinical time to 50% through a quality improvement fellowship at Oxford and executive coaching certification. Now he helps clinicians turn ideas into books, courses, and businesses via the Clinic...

 Dr. Rob Beck, an internist and public health specialist, returns to join Dr. Peter Crane on this episode of Doctors Making a Difference to discuss his journey from practicing medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, to relocating with his family to Victoria, British Columbia. He shares what he learned about burnout, autonomy, career transitions, and the courage to rethink what a fulfilling medical career can look like.

The conversation goes beyond simply comparing the U.S. and Canadian healthcare systems. Dr. Beck explains how administrative burden, paperwork, lack of control, and workplace expectations can contribute to physician dissatisfaction, while a...

What if the greatest impact of your medical career isn’t only the patients you treat, but the communities you help transform?

Dr. Adeolu Adeboye, Nigerian, born trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist in Florida, recounts his path from community college and Cornell to Quinnipiac medical school, Guthrie residency, and University of Pennsylvania fellowship. He founded Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation to provide free surgical and medical care in underserved Nigerian communities, driven by faith, early exposure to trauma, and a duty to give back.

Through deep partnerships especially with the 35 year old ProHealth International, missions reach th...

He was an ER doctor who found a 26cm tumor in his own abdomen at 7pm, and still had to work 12 more hours. How did that night lead to 100 episodes of Doctors Making a Difference?

In this 100th episode of Doctors Making A Difference Podcast, guest host Dr. John Winkler interviews host Dr. Peter Crane as he shares the hospital recovery moment after his 26-centimeter solitary fibrous tumor surgery that inspired Doctors Making a Difference. He reflects on the uncertainty of diagnosis, the physicians who walked with him, and why medicine must remain a h...

In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Derek Southwick, a third-year family medicine resident at IU Health Ball Memorial in Muncie, Indiana, and the current resident director on the AAFP Board of Directors.

Southwick traces his path from Idaho Falls to the University of Washington (Idaho WWAMI), early involvement sparked by his father’s leadership and a simple question to a dean, and the deliberate choices that allowed him to serve at the national level while still in residency. They explore time management and support systems, a concrete policy wi...

In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane talks with Dr. Michael Reed about his unconventional career pivot. After years as department chair delivering thousands of babies, burnout, personal health transformation (weight loss and testosterone therapy), and a profound realization that women’s sexual health lacked clear clinical pathways, Reed trained with pioneer Michael Goodman, purchased his California practice mid-COVID, and built a cash-pay model centered on how women experience their anatomy.

They explore why women’s sexual health should stand alongside reproduction, disease management, and longevity as a foundational pillar of women’s health...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane talks with Dr. Josh Daily about the full life of an academic pediatric cardiologist busy family, teaching, research, and w...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane speaks with Dr. Candace Westgate about her journey into medicine, her passion for cancer prevention, and the rapidly devel...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.
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In this episode of Living with Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane interviews his friend Elizabeth Roberts. Elizabeth shares how she discovered her breast cancer via a MyChart text message, the later diagnosis of...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this engaging episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane welcomes Dr. Sasha Rutnam, a general dentist in Sydney, Australia, now caring for her fourth generation of patie...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this inspiring episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Curtis Wilkerson, a driven second-year medical student, National Guard member, and founder of The Physician’s Mind po...

In this heartfelt episode of Living With Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. James C. Wittig, an orthopedic oncologist and sarcoma specialist. Dr. Wittig reflects on his unconventional path into medicine, the evolution of limb-sparing surgery for sarcoma patients, his deep commitment to vulnerable populations, and the personal calling that led him to launch the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. He also shares candid insights on physician burnout, finding joy in medicine, and living with purpose after facing his own health challenges.

Episode Highlights

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this episode of Living with Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane (physician and SFT patient) interviews Dr. Brandon Mancini. They cover Dr. Mancini’s journey from traditional radiation oncology to lead...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Jeff Sekinger, founder of NURP (algorithmic trading software), Zero Percent (financial education), and Orca Capital (digital asset hedge...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

—-----------------------------

In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. Alexa Roth, a bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist running a Center of Excellence program in Idaho...

This episode is sponsored by NURP

NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. 

Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors  to learn more. 

Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice.

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In this episode of Living with Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane (physician and SFT patient) interviews Barbara Van Hare. They explore the challenges of researching rare cancers due to sma...

In this episode of Living With Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Professor Dr. Robin Jones as he shares his career journey from the UK to Seattle and back, the heterogeneity of sarcomas, the importance of the NAB2/STAT6 fusion for accurate SFT diagnosis, emerging site-directed therapies targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP), anti-angiogenic treatments, and the real-world challenges of research funding and medication access in different healthcare systems. A hopeful and practical conversation for patients, physicians, and researchers dealing with rare cancers.

Episode Highlights

In this episode of Living with metastatic cancer, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. Sagar Naik, an abdominal imaging oncologic radiologist at MD Anderson. Dr. Naik opens up about his unconventional path from Africa to UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine, his deep expertise in sarcomas and rare tumors, the evolving practice of radiology, and the very real human impact of precise imaging interpretation. They explore misconceptions about radiology’s role, the challenges of remote reading, the promise (and limits) of AI, and strategies to combat burnout through reflection and financial preparedness.

Episode Highlights

In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Lee Sharma, a practicing OB/GYN in Auburn, Alabama, and host of the Scalpel and Sword podcast. Dr. Sharma opens up about her unique path into medicine, influenced by her physician parents, her early love for women’s health, and the burnout that led her to pursue a master’s degree in conflict resolution. Together, they explore why conflict is a “vital sign” in healthcare, practical techniques for de-escalating tension, the power of curiosity and storytelling, and how addressing conflict proactively preserves relationships and mental e...

In this heartfelt episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. Arthur Burnett, Professor of Urology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Burnett discusses his path into urology, key scientific contributions (including work on Viagra and penile transplantation), and his decades-long commitment to global health through missions in the Caribbean and Africa. He offers practical wisdom on avoiding burnout, finding purpose through service, building international collaborations, and staying engaged in medicine over a 40+ year career. This episode is filled with inspiration for physicians at any stage who want to make a broader impact while sustaining their love for...

In this heartfelt episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. Susan Chobanian, a highly experienced facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Glendale, California. Dr. Chobanian discusses her unconventional path from math/chemistry teaching aspirations to medicine, her transition from ENT to facial plastics, and her deep commitment to whole-patient care. She addresses myths about plastic surgery, details her patient-centered approach (especially in rhinoplasty), shares inspiring multi-generational patient stories, and offers wisdom for young physicians on technical excellence, physical fitness, psychology, and sustaining joy in medicine.

Episode Highlights

Dr. Peter Crane welcomes Dr. Gina D’Amato, sarcoma medical oncologist and leader of the Horowitz Solitary Fibrous Tumor Initiative at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. They discuss the current state of SFT research, the importance of the global patient registry and biobank, preliminary findings from molecular profiling, and major developments including a rapid oral abstract presentation at ASCO. Dr. D’Amato shares updates on the successful creation of an SFT cell line and organoids, ongoing collaborations, and an imminent clinical trial using FAP-targeted radioligand (alpha particle) therapy. The conversation emphasizes the critical role of patient part...

In this inspiring episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. Brittany Anderson, a board-certified family medicine physician, podcaster, author, and advocate. Dr. Anderson opens up about her path through residency, challenging employed positions, severe burnout, and the pivotal decision to resign and open her own private practice. She offers candid, actionable advice on financial planning, marketing, team building, mindset shifts, and why private practice restored her love for medicine while delivering excellent patient care. This conversation is a must-listen for any physician considering independence or frustrated with the current healthcare system.

Episode Highlights:<...

In this fascinating and forward-looking episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane welcomes Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, a double board-certified gynecologic oncologist and leader in robotic surgery.

Dr. Kumar shares his journey from a farming background in India to training in the UK and the United States, ultimately developing a highly specialized career in gynecologic oncology and robotic surgery. Guided by mentorship and a commitment to mastering a niche skill, he has positioned himself at the forefront of surgical innovation.

The conversation explores how robotic surgery has revolutionized patient care, allowing for greater precision...

In this insightful and deeply relatable episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane welcomes Dr. Michael Hersh, a gastroenterologist, podcaster, and physician life coach dedicated to helping doctors rediscover fulfillment in medicine.

Dr. Hersh shares his journey from always knowing he wanted to be a physician to experiencing burnout years into practice, exacerbated by malpractice litigation and the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, he found himself searching for a way out of medicine entirely. That turning point led him to physician coaching, where he began reframing his mindset and reconnecting with the parts of medicine...

In this heartfelt episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane welcomes Dr. Lance Hansen, a full-spectrum family physician practicing in rural Idaho. The two friends, who once shared an office and countless challenging cases for nearly a decade, discuss the unique rewards and realities of rural medicine.

Dr. Hansen shares his journey from a Southeast Idaho potato farm to medical school at the University of Washington and a rural training track residency. The conversation covers why he chose broad-scope family medicine, the deep relationships formed in small communities, the challenges of being on call 24/7 for...

In this timely episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane interviews Dr. Joel Warsh, a board-certified pediatrician practicing integrative medicine in Los Angeles. Dr. Warsh shares his journey from conventional training to embracing lifestyle-focused care and his deep dive into vaccine science after years of fielding complex parental questions.

The conversation addresses the rise in vaccine hesitancy since COVID, the erosion of public trust due to messaging around “safe and effective,” and the growing divide between what physicians see in hospitals versus what parents observe in daily life (chronic conditions, allergies, and developmental issues). Dr. Wars...

Dr. Peter Crane, wearing both physician and metastatic cancer patient hats, hosts Steve McBee and Michael Weishuhn to discuss bridging the information gap in rare disease care. Steve shares two decades of experience with solitary fibrous tumor, highlighting the challenges of overwhelming question lists, time-constrained visits, and the value of focused, relevant preparation. Michael explains how Inciteful Med anchors large language models in peer-reviewed medical literature (primarily PubMed) to deliver cited, verifiable insights, reducing hallucinations common in general AI tools.

The conversation covers the shift from adversarial or generic AI use to collaborative preparation: uploading medical records...

Dr. Joseph Jarvis, a semi-retired public health physician and consultant from Salt Lake City, joins Dr. Peter Crane on Doctors Making a Difference. With decades of experience spanning primary care, occupational and environmental medicine, state health leadership in Nevada and Colorado, and now health system reform advocacy, Dr. Jarvis offers a unique, authoritative perspective on what’s gone wrong in American healthcare, and how we can fix it.

The conversation explores his calling to medicine, the stark differences he observed between nonprofit and for-profit hospital systems, the failures of applying free-market principles to healthcare, and the alarming ec...

In this powerful episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Prudence Hall, a trailblazing gynecologist and founder of The Hall Center. Dr. Hall recounts her unexpected calling to medicine, the discovery that conventional menopause care was failing women, and how she built a revolutionary integrative practice using bioidentical hormones, international approaches from France and Germany, functional medicine principles from Dr. Jeffrey Bland, and a true team-based model. Listeners hear candid stories of regulatory pushback, the power of presence and love in healing, and practical guidance for physicians who want to offer more than “on...

In this heartfelt episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane welcomes back Dr. John Winkler, emergency physician and peer-support advocate. After briefly recapping the personal tragedy and growth shared in the June 4, 2025 episode, Dr. Winkler dives into the practical tools that have sustained him: the Gottman Method’s Four Horsemen and their antidotes, mindfulness that leans into pain instead of avoiding it, crucial conversations, rewriting negative storylines, and simple shift-prep rituals that keep him present and compassionate even on the busiest nights. Listeners walk away with actionable strategies to integrate personal healing with professional purpose, turn conflict in...

Dr. Troy Badger, an interventional cardiologist with over a decade of experience, joins host Dr. Peter Crane to discuss his evolution from high-acuity procedural work to preventive and performance medicine. Drawing from his own atrial fibrillation episode triggered by stress and metabolic issues, Dr. Badger shares how he founded Cardio Strong MD, a concierge-style practice focused on lifestyle interventions, risk factor management, and athlete-specific cardiac evaluations. The conversation covers the realities of building a cash-based model, the importance of physician presence on social media to combat misinformation, the rise of direct primary and specialty care, and insights for mid-career...

Dr. Dave Davis, the most cited primary care physician in Canada, joins Dr. Peter Crane to share his career journey from clinical practice to revolutionizing CME. With decades in family medicine, academia at McMaster and the University of Toronto, and innovative research, Dave discusses the inefficacy of traditional lectures, effective learning strategies like problem-based learning and point-of-care tools, and the importance of relationships in medicine. The conversation delves into avoiding burnout by listening to one's "gut," pivoting to meaningful roles like underserved community care during the AIDS epidemic, and exploring creativity through science fiction novels and historical f...

Dr. Stuart Clive, MD, an emergency physician in Boise, Idaho, joins Dr. Peter Crane to discuss his path from undergrad at BYU and medical school at Emory to practicing in Western Idaho. He opens up about burnout in ER medicine, a pivotal documentary on curing blindness, and his decision to donate a year's salary to the Cure Blindness Project after achieving financial independence. 

The conversation covers the cost-effectiveness of cataract surgeries (as low as $100 in some regions), funding a new ophthalmology residency in Ghana to address 200,000 cases of curable blindness, and the broader impact on families and c...

Dr. Amy Fogelman, MD, a former internal medicine physician from Boston, joins Dr. Peter Crane to discuss her career trajectory from a high-volume primary care practice at Mass General to founding High Rock Experts in 2018. With over a decade in clinical medicine, she opens up about burnout exacerbated by long commutes, administrative overload, and loss of joy in patient care. 

The conversation explores her decision to leave clinical practice after her husband's encouragement, her six-month break for self-reflection, and networking with non-clinical physicians. Dr. Fogelman highlights the value of expert witness work for leveraging medical expertise, the i...

Dr. Alexander Schloe, MD, a family medicine physician and Air Force veteran, joins Dr. Peter Crane to discuss his multifaceted career blending clinical practice, military service, family life, and real estate entrepreneurship. With over a decade in medicine, Dr. Schloe recounts his early exposure to assisted living at age 15 and a pivotal residency experience witnessing substandard care in a facility, prompting his shift toward boutique residential assisted living homes that prioritize dignity, consistent staffing, and personalized care. He explains the financial and ethical advantages of investing in these small, home-like facilities (6–16 residents), which yield higher returns (20–30% cash-on-cash) than traditional rent...

Dr. Javier Martin-Broto, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist at Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital in Madrid, joins Dr. Peter Crane to discuss his extensive career in sarcoma care and research. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Martin-Broto shares how he entered oncology, emphasizing its innovative and research-driven nature. The conversation focuses on solitary fibrous tumors (SFT), including diagnostic shifts from "malignant" to risk-based classifications, the efficacy of anti-angiogenic agents like pazopanib over chemotherapy, and promising preclinical research on BET inhibition and alternative splicing inhibitors like tepotinib. He highlights clinical trial results showing tumor shrinkage, the role of microenvironment in...

Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the Executive Director of Globe Aware, a nonprofit offering short-term (6-7 day) volunteer service trips in 26 countries, focusing on community partnerships for projects like medical clinics, wheelchair distribution, and infrastructure builds. With a family full of physicians, Kimberly shares her journey founding Globe Aware to bridge the gap between willingness to serve and limited time, emphasizing human connections over heroism. The discussion explores the transformative power of cultural immersion, misconceptions about efficiency and structure in global service, benefits for volunteers, including burnout recovery, and practical details like costs, $1,500/week average, tax-deductible, and inclusivity for non-medical participants.