Not every doctor dreams of climbing the traditional ladder. Some dream of building their own.
Doctors Making a Difference, hosted by Dr. Peter Crane, tells the stories we rarely hear, of physicians who dared to ask, “Is this all there is?” and then changed their lives to answer it.
These are the moments after burnout, after bureaucracy, after sacrifice. When purpose called louder than protocol.
Each week, listeners meet doctors who stepped off the expected path—into roles as entrepreneurs, advocates, creatives, and leaders redefining what it means to heal.
They didn’t just survive medicine. They made it theirs.
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Not every doctor dreams of climbing the traditional ladder. Some dream of building their own.
Doctors Making a Difference, hosted by Dr. Peter Crane, tells the stories we rarely hear, of physicians who dared to ask, “Is this all there is?” and then changed their lives to answer it.
These are the moments after burnout, after bureaucracy, after sacrifice. When purpose called louder than protocol.
Each week, listeners meet doctors who stepped off the expected path—into roles as entrepreneurs, advocates, creatives, and leaders redefining what it means to heal.
They didn’t just survive medicine. They made it theirs.
Infertility doesn’t just test the body — it tests identity, purpose, and resilience.
In this deeply human episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with reproductive endocrinologist and physician coach Dr. Erica Bove to explore infertility, burnout, alignment, and what it means to remain whole in medicine.
Dr. Bove shares her own fertility journey, career pivots, divorce, motherhood, and the mindset work that now helps physicians reclaim hope when science alone isn’t enough.
What happens when the surgeon behind the scalpel hits a breaking point?
In this episode, Dr. Scott Ellner shares the story of how a near-death trauma encounter shaped his path to medicine, why leadership must start with empathy, and how a single phone call stopped him from ending his life.
This is an extraordinary look into purpose, identity, burnout, courage — and what it means to rise after the hardest wipeouts of our lives.
What if primary care didn’t need insurance at all?
In this episode, Dr. Josh Umbehr explains how Direct Primary Care strips away bureaucracy, restores physician autonomy, lowers costs, and rebuilds real relationships between doctors and patients.
How a naturopathic doctor who survived Lyme, lost her vision, and trained with the nation’s top specialists became one of the most trusted clinicians in chronic tick-borne illness.
When a diagnosis turns the doctor into the patient.
In this moving conversation, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Edmond Ghosn, a Lebanese physician based in Dubai, whose life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor—solitary fibrous tumor. From surviving two brain surgeries and navigating experimental treatment to redefining purpose in medicine, Dr. Ghosn shares how humility, connection, and hope carried him through uncertainty.
After decades in pediatrics, Dr. Nanette Nuessle traded burnout for balance—and found her calling in trauma and communication coaching. In this heartfelt conversation with Dr. Peter Crane, she shares her journey from overworked pediatrician to empowered hospitalist, revealing how self-awareness and healing can restore joy in medicine.
After being told he had six months to live, 21-year-old pianist Matthew Zachary defied the odds—and turned his battle with brain cancer into a lifelong mission to transform patient advocacy. In this powerful conversation with Dr. Peter Crane, Matthew shares how his experience reshaped cancer care for young adults, the birth of Stupid Cancer, and his latest work building America’s first cancer patient rights movement.
After nearly two decades practicing internal medicine in the U.S., Dr. Rob Beck hit a breaking point during COVID. What began as burnout and disillusionment turned into a bold leap of faith—moving his entire family to Canada for a fresh start. In this candid conversation with Dr. Peter Crane, Rob opens up about rediscovering joy in medicine, rebuilding life balance, and finding new meaning on Vancouver Island.
High school teacher and coach Gwen Orilio joins Dr. Peter Crane for an emotional and inspiring conversation about living more than a decade with metastatic lung cancer. From early diagnosis and clinical trials in Boston to motherhood, teaching, and advocacy, Gwen’s story is a testament to the power of science, hope, and living each day with purpose.
Family physician and AAFP Board Member Dr. Shannon Dowler joins Dr. Peter Crane for a heartfelt conversation about choosing family medicine, surviving floods and burnout, finding balance on a North Carolina farm, and fighting for underserved care across America. From goat yoga to state Medicaid reform, Dr. Dowler proves that leadership can be equal parts grit, humor, and humanity.
Dr. J. Louis Hinshaw (Professor of Radiology & Urology, University of Wisconsin) joins the Living with Metastatic Cancer series to unpack how minimally invasive tumor ablation—and the emerging noninvasive technique histotripsy—are changing options, outcomes, and recovery for cancer patients.
Orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Chris Hills (Jackson, Wyoming) joins Dr. Peter Crane to share his journey through military medicine, balancing a career in orthopedics with life in the Tetons, and how a personal tragedy led to the creation of the Brody Hills Foundation—using dirt bikes and mentorship to build resilience in youth.
Sarcoma medical oncologist Gina D’Amato, MD (Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami) joins Dr. Peter Crane to unpack solitary fibrous tumor (SFT): why it’s rare, what’s changing in treatment, and how a brand-new SFT patient registry can accelerate answers.
From teenage dream to global impact: Belgian OB-GYN Dr. Marleen Temmerman shares how she built a career spanning frontline maternity care in Nairobi, HIV research, national politics, the WHO, and—today—system-level change across Kenya’s coast.
What if reinvention isn’t a detour but a sign of aliveness?
Med-Peds physician and integrative care specialist Dr. Chrissie Ott shares how meditation-fueled awareness, courageous career pivots, and physician coaching helped her rediscover meaning in medicine—without walking away from it.
What happens when a researcher becomes the patient? Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Heather Hayenga—associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas—to explore her journey from pioneering cardiovascular research to personally battling an ultra-rare cancer. Heather shares how loss, resilience, and her dual roles as mom, patient, and scientist have shaped her mission to push the boundaries of cancer treatment.
What does it mean to practice medicine with both science and soul? In this powerful episode, Dr. Christy Gomez—a GI oncologist and author—shares her journey from first-generation Cuban American roots to becoming a physician who captures the sacred words of her patients. Her book Stopped in My Tracks highlights the humanity of oncology, reminding us that medicine is more than treatment—it’s storytelling, connection, and healing.
When your life’s race takes an unexpected turn, how do you keep moving forward? In this deeply personal episode, Steve McBee shares his 19-year journey with Solitary Fibrous Tumor—from his first brain surgery to living with metastatic disease—and why he’s determined to turn his fight into fuel for a global patient movement.
Not every doctor dreams of climbing the traditional ladder. Some dream of building their own.
Doctors Making a Difference, hosted by Dr. Peter Crane, tells the stories we rarely hear, of physicians who dared to ask, “Is this all there is?” and then changed their lives to answer it.
These are the moments after burnout, after bureaucracy, after sacrifice. When purpose called louder than protocol.
Each week, listeners meet doctors who stepped off the expected path—into roles as entrepreneurs, advocates, creatives, and leaders redefining what it means to heal.
They didn’t just survive medicine. They made it theirs.
