There's no two ways about it - you’re busy: busy caring for patients, busy with miscellaneous admin, busy with continuing medical education, busy in your personal life. We don’t need to tell you that it can be tough for busy people to quickly get all of the information they need to feel well informed.

As we acknowledge World Mental Health Day, taking the time for yourself (even utilising your commute home) is paramount. Podcasts are the perfect solution for swamped doctors to stay up-to-date on industry happenings and even learn a thing or two.

So, the Acute & General Medicine Team bring you the ultimate guide to podcasts, whether you're new to them or an experienced listener. 

Podcasts created by doctors, for doctors

• This Podcast Will Kill You 
  Ecologists and epidemiologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke bring you this podcast about infectious diseases. Each episode tackles a different disease, from its history, to its biology, and finally, how risky it is.
• The Doctor's Kitchen
  Covering a range of topics from the principles of healthy eating to how to prevent and treat illness, Dr Rupy Aujla and his panel of experts draw on the latest research to give you actionable tips to help supercharge your health.
• Royal Society of Medicine Digital Health Section
  Discussions with key digital health leaders at The Royal Society of Medicine. Presented by Dr Mala Mawkin.
• The Food Medic Podcast
  In this podcast you will hear from leading experts in their field who share evidence based advice on how we can live healthier lives and cut through the confusing information that we find online. 
• Royal College of Physicians Medicine Podcast
  Different topics relevant to physicians and physician associates. Episodes discuss and explore different topics including real-life clinical cases, new evidence-based guidelines and specific physician issues in the modern healthcare environment.
• BMJ talk medicine
  Episodes from the British Medical Journal and specialist journals
• Everyday Emergency - Doctors without Borders
  Bringing you true stories from people on the frontline of humanitarian emergencies across the world. Everyday Emergency is the official Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders podcast.

Learn Something New

• TED Talks Daily
  Thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable - from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology - given by the world's leading thinkers and creators. Change your perspectives, ignite your curiosity, and learn something new.
• Stuff You Should Know
  If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, printing presses, rabies, chaos theory, how dog training works, true crime and Rosa Parks then look no further.
• Something Rhymes with Purple
  Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth invite you to enhance your vocabulary, uncover the hidden origins of language and share their love of words. 
• Duolingo Spanish Podcast
  True stories for English speakers learning Spanish. From the makers of Duolingo comes a new podcast that delivers fascinating real-life stories in easy-to-understand Spanish with English narration. These are not language lessons; they’re life lessons through language. #
• How to Save a Planet
  Can you love fashion and the planet? Inspiring stories from the frontlines of the climate movement, frank discussion of the issues and solutions at play and takes a look at how anyone can have an impact.

Health & Mental Wellbeing

• Physio Matters
  Has the stress of 2020 taken a toll on you physically? Episodes feature expert, honest advice, delivered directly to listeners at no cost. Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine information for those working in physiotherapy, sports therapy, sports rehabilitation, medicine and all divisions of the healthcare industry.
• Mental Health Foundation Podcasts
  This regular podcast features interviews with a number of interesting people involved in mental health, including people who have experienced mental health problems, campaigners and mental health experts.
• Deliciously Ella
  This podcast brings you open, honest conversation around mental and physical health. Each week  an expert brings a little inspiration - from gut health to mental health and anxiety, how to make sustainable changes, finding happiness, what happens to our brains when we exercise, skincare 101, dealing with stress.
• Happy Place
  Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them.
• Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
  Stories from leading health experts and exciting personalities who offer easy health life-hacks, expert advice and debunk common health myths giving you the tools to revolutionise how you eat, sleep, move and relax. Dr Chatterjee – a GP with over 16 years’ experience - aims to inspire, empower and transform the way we feel.
• Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
  Dan Harris [ABC News anchor] had a panic attack live on "Good Morning America," which led him to try something he always thought was ridiculous: meditation. Dan explores happiness (whatever that means) from all angles. But the show also ventures beyond meditation, bringing on leading researchers in areas such as social anxiety, bias, creativity, productivity, and relationships. 

Lighthearted, perfect for your commute

• Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
  The best satirical comedy from Radio 4, every Friday. Features The News Quiz, The Now Show and Dead Ringers.
• Oprah's Supersoul Conversations
  Oprah’s personal selection of her interviews with thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health and wellness experts. 
• Desert Island Discs
  A classic BBC podcast about the importance of music. Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
• Grounded with Louis Theroux
  Louis Theroux's adventures during lockdown of tracking down high-profile people he's been longing to talk to, from all walks of life.
• Table Manners with Jessie Ware
  A podcast about food, family, the art of having a chat direct from her own  dinner table. Guests are from the world of music, culture and politics.