One Year of Interesting MD: Growth, Physician Stories, and Moving to Canada
Celebrating One Year of The Interesting MD Podcast: Reflections, Surprises, and What’s Next
Hello friends and fellow docs,
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve officially hit the one-year mark for The Interesting MD Podcast. What started as a messy experiment with zero online presence has blossomed into a community of over 300,000 downloads, meaningful conversations, and even a few inside jokes about my poor houseplant and overused words (looking at you, “Victoria”!).
Why I Started This Podcast
After 17 years in medicine, I realized we often forget to take care of ourselves while we’re busy caring for others.
COVID, career pivots, and personal changes all reminded me: there’s life beyond charting.
I wanted a space to:
Decompress and laugh.
Explore the passions, fears, and dreams that make us more than just healthcare providers.
Connect people who’d never meet in a call room—or a comment section.
How It’s Changed (And Why That’s Awesome)
When I started, the vision was pretty simple: talk to interesting doctors about avoiding burnout and having a life outside of medicine. Turns out, you all had bigger questions!
Pivot points:
Started with outdoor adventures and hobbies (yes, kite surfing fantasies included).
Quickly found massive interest in the stories of U.S. doctors moving to Canada—and the real experiences behind that.
Episodes on “How to Actually Move to Canada as a Physician” blew up, with tons of feedback and questions from both sides of the border.
What’s Worked (and What Definitely Hasn’t)
Wins:
Speaking about my personal journey as a U.S. doctor in Canada.
Honest conversations about the differences—and myths—of healthcare in both systems.
Inviting fascinating guests (from CDC officials to bestselling authors like Stephen Marche).
Creating a safe space to discuss tough topics that matter to doctors (sometimes not so safe to chat about publicly in the U.S., unfortunately).
What I’d Rethink:
Not every hobby episode takes off—and that’s okay!
Financial literacy topics: not the massive hits I hoped for, but still worth sharing.
Results reinforced: it’s okay to experiment, and it’s okay if not everything lands.
Surprises and Community Moments
Listeners who wrote after brutal shifts to say an episode made them laugh or reevaluate their career direction.
Physicians (and even some non-healthcare folks!) reaching out with thanks, ideas, or just stories of their own.
That plant is still alive…barely. It’s become an unofficial co-host reminding me that both podcasts—and plants—need serious tending.
My Biggest Lessons
Stay persistent: 90% of podcasts don’t survive past 5-10 episodes. Thick skin is required.
Be ready to pivot: The content you want to talk about and the content your audience needs may not always be the same.
It’s a legacy: Even if something isn’t a viral hit, it might be just the thing someone needs to hear, someday.
Looking Ahead: Year Two and Beyond
Here’s what’s next for Interesting MD:
More episodes on life in Canada, including:
Real stories from Canadian and US docs.
Epic outdoor adventures in British Columbia and beyond (maybe I’ll finally get to Tofino and try surfing for real).
Diving deeper into the realities facing physicians in the US in 2025—and what it means if you’re considering a move.
Honest, occasionally uncomfortable, but always real conversations—whether you’re exploring, staying, or somewhere in between.
THANK YOU for being here, pressing play, sharing your stories, and letting me keep this little plant (and podcast) alive for a year.
If you have ideas, want to get in touch, or just need a friendly ear as you figure out your place in medicine, you know where to find me: rob@interestingmd.com or any of the socials.
Here’s to another year of learning, laughing, and living beyond the chart!
Gratefully,
Dr. Robert Beck
P.S. Special thanks to Dr. Mark Royer for being the best guest host, plant cheerleader, and friend a podcast could ask for.