with @AgeWellWithDrSteph: Longevity Myths, Aging Realities & What Actually Matters

What’s the difference between a board-certified plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon? And how can patients protect themselves from medical misinformation, unqualified practitioners, and lucrative treatments that put profits ahead of safety? In this episode of I Did My Own Research, Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Kelly Killeen, a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in complex breast revisions, breast reconstruction, and aesthetic surgery. They discuss the importance of surgical training, how to verify a surgeon’s credentials, and why before-and-after photos don’t always tell the whole story. They also dive into the dangers of unregulated med spas, unnecessary IV treatments, hormone pellets, and medical grifting that can lead patients away from evidence-based care. This conversation explores what happens when medical expertise, patient safety, and profit collide—and how to make more informed decisions about your health. Dr. Kileen's social media: @KLKilleen Dr. Fran's social media: @PagingDrFran

What does it actually mean to keep our kids safe in a world full of medical misinformation, social media, and rapidly evolving technology? In this episode of I Did My Own Research, Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, child abuse pediatrician, and child health and safety communicator, to discuss what parents need to know about protecting their children. From car seats and choking hazards to online safety and AI, Dr. Murray explains how parents can reduce preventable risks without expecting themselves to control everything. They also dive into the dangers of medical misinformation, why parents can be vulnerable to fear-based messaging even when they're trying to do the best for their children, and how to evaluate the sources behind the health information we encounter online. Dr. Fran and Dr. Murray discuss the life-saving impact of vitamin K and vaccines, the importance of credible medical voices on social media, and why pediatricians need to meet families where they are rather than retreat from online conversations. This conversation is a reminder that good parenting isn't about avoiding every intervention or eliminating every risk. It's about making informed decisions, asking questions, and knowing who to trust when your child's health and safety are on the line. Dr. Murray's social media: @DocEMurray Dr. Fran's social media: @PagingDrFran

What happens when being a good doctor means pushing back against the healthcare system? Dr. Fran sits down with plastic and reconstructive breast surgeon Dr. Elisabeth Potter to talk about breast reconstruction, healthcare advocacy, and what happens when insurance companies start getting between doctors and their patients. Dr. Potter shares the story of being pulled out of the operating room by United Healthcare during a breast reconstruction case—and how that experience pushed her to become an even more vocal advocate for patients and physicians. They also dig into the bigger problems facing American healthcare: insurance, access, transparency, pricing, monopolies, physician burnout, and the fear many healthcare professionals have of speaking publicly about what they see every day. Dr. Potter explains why she believes physicians need to stop being afraid to challenge a system that isn't always acting in the best interest of patients—and why she isn't interested in simply opting out of insurance, but in helping fix the system itself. Dr. Potter's social media: @DrElisabethPotter Dr. Fran's social media: @PagingDrFran

In this episode of I Did My Own Research, Dr. Fran sits down with internal medicine physician and medical creator Dr. Sarwat Makkani to talk about what happens when nuanced medicine meets the internet. Dr. Makkani shares her journey from immigrant, young mother, and medical student to independent private practice owner—and why she ultimately chose to build a practice centered around metabolic health, obesity, and long-term patient relationships. She also explains how her own experience with insulin resistance and weight management shaped the way she approaches both patient care and medical education online. The conversation dives into why so much medical misinformation isn’t necessarily completely false—it’s often incomplete information presented with far too much certainty and without the context or nuance that medicine requires. They discuss insulin resistance, obesity, GLP-1 medications, PCOS, and the judgment surrounding weight-loss treatment, as well as the role physicians can play in making complex medical information more understandable. Plus, they talk private practice, aesthetic medicine, vaccines, physician creators, and why putting yourself online as a doctor can be both incredibly vulnerable and incredibly valuable. Dr. Makkani's social media: @DrMakkani Dr. Fran's social media: @PagingDrFran

What happens when patients become experts in their own endometriosis—and the internet becomes their second opinion?