Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world. Today’s article unlike others on News On the March will be dedicated to just one podcast.
Video podcast at Peter Attia MD
Ordinarily I wouldn’t be anxious to listen to the subject of organ transplantation but given the quality of Peter Attia podcasts I felt compelled to lend a listen. Unexpectedly, I found myself immersed and the two and a half hours flew by. It astounds me how Attia’s podcast hasn’t got over a million subscribers given the extraordinary wealth of ‘untapped’ knowledge his podcasts elicits.
Where this particular podcast enters the stratosphere of being one of my favorites is due to the quality of guest Peter has here. I had never heard of Chris Sonnenday before or understood why Peter was so in awe of him. But it became so apparent Chris made such a lasting impression on Peter due to his remarkable leadership and ability to maintain his humanity through the stressors of the most challenging environments. Chris Sonnenday is the Transplant Center Director for Michigan Medicine and was Peter’s senior resident while at John’s Hopkins.
‘I felt I was lucky to be there. …there were probably thousands of people who might want that spot… So I felt obligated to maximise that experience.‘
Chris’s general demeanour and manner of expression throughout the podcast was something I was unfamiliar. I was listening to a guy who probably had/has one of the important and stressful jobs in the world, but he conveyed himself in such a modest way it left an indelible mark.
Chris repeatedly transforms Attia’s dizzying display of scientific abbreviations and intellect into something the layperson can understand. He’s breaking down some of the most sophisticated transplant surgeries and his own work history as if he were talking to a relative of a patient he was treating. His calmness and ability to communicate so lucidly given his profession and subject matter, well… I felt very grateful to witness. I hope you enjoy it as well. (Watch podcast).
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
The organ transplant hits close to me. I have a friend who has been a diabetic since he was a kid. He has had to take shots every day of his life. Recently because of diabetes his kidneys were failing. He had been on the list for a long time…this past month he finally got one and a pancreas. Now he doesn’t have to take shots anymore and he is doing great…I hope it stays that way.
I’m glad your friend is going great! Wonderful news. I hope you and or your friend find the time to see this podcast. It’s just so damn good and the two are such impressive individuals. I found Chris’s explanation about the transplantation history and procedures completely engrossing and I’m usually not one for that kind of discussion.
Chris has this aura about the way he interacts and conducts himself that is on a whole other level. I’ve seen the podcast twice and I’m already looking forward to seeing it again.
By the way, you’ll like tomorrow’s post Max! It was a joy to write it and for obvious reasons as you’ll find out. Hehe.
Will do Matt…I hope to see him in a few weeks. He is still quite sore but doing great.
Looking forward to it Matt!