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Crosscurrents

Uncertainty in medicine

Courtesy of The Nocturnists team

This segment aired in the May 19, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents.

Click the play button above to listen!

Uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today. It can be something we wrestle with when thinking about our finances, relationships, the economy... and even our health.

Medical care is full of uncertainty: from ambiguous diagnoses to unpredictable outcomes and the complex emotions of not knowing. Exploring this murky space is “The Nocturnists” a documentary podcast series that is dedicating an entire season to examining how both healthcare workers and patients navigate the unknown.

They bring powerful personal stories and in-depth conversations with professionals whose work depends on making decisions amid uncertainty. The series explores what it means to embrace the gray areas of medicine—and life.

Today, we hear an excerpt from the first episode of the new season of the Nocturnists and meet Doctor Emily Silverman, the founder and host of the series.

Crosscurrents
Hana Baba is host of Crosscurrents, KALW's weeknight newsmagazine that broadcasts on KALW Public Radio in the San Francisco Bay Area.