Dueling Scalpels

About Dueling Scalpels

Two surgeons' authentic takes on random things, and sometimes it's funny.

Publisher

Abhishek Parmar and Corey Campbell

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jun 2026

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Episode 21. Palliative Care and the Human Side of Medicine with Dr. Anjali Grandhige

   Dr. Abhishek Parmar and Dr. Corey Campbell sit down with Dr. Anjali Grandhige, a palliative medicine physician in Atlanta and medical director for palliative care medicine, to unpack what palliative care actually is and why it matters across medicine. The conversation focuses on aligning treatment with a patient’s goals, improving communication in high-stakes care, and how clinicians can avoid turning medicine into a purely procedural exercise. Dr. Grandhige also discusses the tensions between aggressive treatment, quality of life, and the realities of healthcare systems, staffing, and reimbursement. Finally, the hosts and guest explore the idea that medicine has a “dual mandate” - prolong life and preserve quality of life. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and introduction 01:45 — What palliative care really means 03:25 — Quality of life versus simply prolonging life 07:23 — Making medical decisions around a patient’s goals 10:43 — Prognosis, hospice, and uncertainty 12:14 — Spiritual care and supporting families 14:43 — When to begin end-of-life conversations 16:58 — How surgical communication is changing 19:12 — Misconceptions about palliative care 22:05 — Asking patients what “better” looks like 24:26 — Language clinicians should avoid 34:29 — Leading a palliative-care team 45:09 — Demoralization, purpose, and making a change 57:18 — Compassion as an antidote to burnout Links Best Case, Worse Case Article (https://watermark02.silverchair.com/jamasurgery_fritz_2025_oi_250062_1762891093.49585.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAl4wggJaBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggJLMIICRwIBADCCAkAGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQML2pGkwAotnVfG2KiAgEQgIICEYw1t3TFKwAsSYfwydGauwc4qHEBJtk-_zcgyI7mYaCkn7oo6tqG03MwMLW6o6ceA11H-r0BG0OpwmtKhznolqPzAYjczyikH1ttiVq83lzV7tG5gNha2Z3nyKGFCUb51cRf-ZbZbNkashzw9TcjO-1yAHQc1I5OJ59nWk9r1CQSxzxziMyGBSrIN_7z8ogO9a-V6G7FRtJ5jXmPJVDJWSGb7LViwIxIXs8xILk9CFZlg6HuXdyYy9cmBDs_OFj5dgMyr0j3UwepzELkEnmjJPFa26bfnxYpisgVKwmpt4IadwTy-GIAgKC1BigeFJsm3LevmEMobZ7Sudna1yALrF_a7b8kbDizUA9JWFv1M3GL64xUqYwgDxtH0_5Ifz5WUcEb9OLWkFDnW8FHVXCV4Czn9HXfGa0EO0QvqIR0fWPtdy4xpKUDeyswOsquDNLnrb-2u2Jfcgp0DC0BrCp83qhECP8fsTEzc76mTyvNgQ7me1LT5NEOs6lUme2K-3AHveG1vxQWoI3Wy-NJ5e0L6pmDoRSBt6K4MX5oq6KwLqBFvAHnmoy1s9Pcz2WNMCRyD78ioo80e5EmkqY1u25hdqcO-zEclL1OgZmM-B5y0eg2Tm8WAjhAM3XbLiaZqOoaH2FCMTjrhUC9G9CZByIaFq3tHQMxpcw7OWwjatQg51cT9HsXFsaSjlNQpwdEz16J9II) Connect with the Guest: ·         Anjali Grandhige - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-grandhige-md-faahpm-67928ba1/) Connect with the Hosts: ·         Abhishek Parmar - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-parmar1/) ·         Douglas Corey Campbell - X (https://x.com/yeroc2003)

2. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Episode 20. Why Surgeons Are So Angry: When High Standards Turn Into Rage

   Why do surgeons have a reputation for being angry—and when does pressure become harmful? In this episode, Abhishek and Corey unpack the emotional reality of surgery: urgency, perfectionism, flawed systems, and the high-stakes expectations that can push people toward anger. They debate whether intensity can drive better outcomes, why rage is different from productive frustration, and how a surgeon’s behavior can shape the entire room long after a blowup. Along the way: the “squeaky wheel” problem, missing equipment, operating-room flow, military-style standards, and the lasting legacy of one very memorable Foley incident. Chapters 00:00 Opening banter: weddings, Washington, and a five-year-old’s take on history 02:13 Why surgeons get angry 07:09 Perfectionism, training, and switching out of operating-room mode 11:42 Time, flow, and the pressure to stay in control 14:06 Can anger improve a broken system? 19:12 The scrub-cap argument and the squeaky-wheel effect 21:29 Different kinds of surgeon anger: flow, fear, and catharsis 24:15 Why unanswered questions can trigger a blowup 31:00 Anger versus rage 34:44 High standards, competitiveness, and being “the jerk” 39:37 Rapid fire: yelling, missing equipment, sarcasm, and standards 45:30 The Foley story—and why anger lingers with a team Connect with the Hosts: Abhishek Parmar - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-parmar1/) Douglas Corey Campbell - X (https://x.com/yeroc2003)

3. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Episode 19. Purposeful Misery: Rethinking Surgical Training and Burnout

   Abhishek and Corey examine what surgical training should demand—and what crosses into needless harm—through burnout data, resident wellbeing, patient ownership, fatigue, and the small forms of support that make hard work sustainable. They unpack a national study on surgical resident burnout, suicidal ideation, and what makes training feel meaningful versus merely miserable. They mix humor with a serious discussion of how surgical education shapes resilience, professional identity, and patient responsibility. Content note: the conversation includes discussion of resident suicide and suicidal thoughts. Key topics In this episode, Abhishek introduces a national study of 6,567 general surgery residents across 301 programs and highlights the alarming finding that 4% reported suicidal ideation in the prior year. Corey and Abhishek discuss how duty hour violations, blame-oriented responses to adverse events, low operative autonomy, bullying, and sexual harassment all contribute to burnout. They debate the difference between necessary hardship and gratuitous suffering in residency, especially when training feels disconnected from patient care or growth. Corey argues that early residency is disorienting because the system stops being built around the trainee and starts centering the patient, which forces adaptation and resilience. Abhishek reflects on how meaningful suffering in training came from taking ownership of a patient, staying when complications happened, and learning that the case was yours. They talk about the role of purposeful misery versus hazing, especially when residents spend hours on documentation and other tasks that may build discipline but can also feel demeaning. Connect with the Hosts: Abhishek Parmar - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-parmar1/) Douglas Corey Campbell - X (https://x.com/yeroc2003)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.