The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast

Three Decades at the Frontlines of Epidemics, Policy, and Global Health Leadership

In this powerful episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Rana Hajjeh, a global public health leader whose career has spanned over three decades at the heart of epidemic response, vaccine policy, and global health diplomacy.

From her early training as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer at the CDC to leading outbreak responses to meningitis, Ebola, MERS, and COVID-19, Dr. Hajjeh reflects on what it truly means to work at the frontlines when science, uncertainty, and urgency collide. She shares behind-the-scenes insights into global vaccine introduction, lessons on equity and trust, and why global coordination through organizations like the WHO remains indispensable in a world without borders.

This conversation goes beyond titles and institutions exploring leadership, resilience, and the human side of public health decision-making. Whether you’re a physician, public health professional, policymaker, or simply curious about how global health works in real life, this episode offers rare perspective, hard-earned wisdom, and enduring hope for the future.

🎧 Tune in for an honest, timely, and inspiring discussion on leadership, epidemics, and the future of global health.

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#GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #EpidemicResponse #InfectiousDiseases #VaccineEquity #HealthLeadership #GlobalHealthDiplomacy #WHO #CDC #PublicHealthCareers #MedicineBeyondBorders #LebanesePhysiciansPodcast #HealthcareLeadership #HealthPolicy #PandemicLessons #subscribe

On YouTube @thelebanesephysicianspodcast and on all podcast apps

New Year Nutrition: Why Diets Fail and How to Succeed

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we sit down again with Christelle Bashi, clinical dietitian and founder of Yes You Can Clinic in Lebanon, for an honest and practical conversation about New Year’s resolutions, nutrition, and long-term lifestyle change. Why do 80% of people abandon their health goals within weeks? How do stress, economic pressure, culture, and unrealistic expectations sabotage progress? And what actually works when it comes to weight loss, nutrition, and habit change? We discuss:

 

1. Why New Year’s resolutions often fail

2. The difference between motivation and sustainability

3. SMART goals for real-life nutrition

4. Weight loss vs fat loss

5. The impact of stress, sleep, and lifestyle

6. Affordable and traditional Lebanese healthy meals

7. Supplements: when they help and when they harm

8. Small, realistic changes that actually last This episode is about building a healthier lifestyle without guilt, extremes, or burnout — one step at a time.

#NewYearGoals #SustainableHealth #NutritionScience #WeightLossJourney #HealthyLifestyle #LebanesePhysiciansPodcast #YesYouCanClinic #MindsetMatters #FatLossNotWeightLoss #WellnessWithoutBurnout #HealthEducation #LifestyleMedicine

yesyoucanclinic.com or on social media

Links

Linktreelinktr.ee/yesyoucanclinic

Facebookfacebook.com/YesYouCanClinic

Instagraminstagram.com/yes.you.can.clinic

Tiktoktiktok.com/

 

@yes.you.can.clinic

  ⁨@yesyoucanclinic⁩ 

From Grants to Grazing Boards: Reinventing Success with Pamela Abi Khalil Maalouf

What happens when a carefully built academic career no longer feels aligned with who you are becoming?

In this episode, we sit down with Pamela Abi Khalil Maalouf, who made the bold leap from a successful career in research and grant administration at AUBMC to founding Bites on Boards—a creative, passion-driven business built from courage, curiosity, and reinvention.

With an MSc and MBA, Pamela once envisioned a traditional path of stability and growth. Instead, she chose uncertainty, creativity, and purpose. We talk honestly about the fears behind leaving a secure job, the unglamorous realities of entrepreneurship, early mistakes, slow seasons, and the resilience required to start from scratch. This conversation is about redefining success, trusting your instincts, and building a life and business that actually feels like yours. Whether you’re dreaming quietly of a change or standing at the edge of a big leap, this episode is for you.

🎧 Tune in, reflect, and maybe just maybe give yourself permission to imagine a different version of success.

#FromGrantsToGrazingBoards #ReinventingSuccess #CareerPivot #EntrepreneurshipJourney #WomenInBusiness #LeavingTheComfortZone #PurposeDrivenWork #CreativeEntrepreneur #SmallBusinessStory #RedefiningSuccess #FearAndGrowth #StartWhereYouAre #TheLebanesePhysiciansPodcast #BuildYourOwnPath #TakeTheLeap #Subscribe 🎧

من سامسونج إلى ريادة الأعمال قرارات مصيرية، ثقافات مختلفة، وبناء شركة من الصفر

في هذه الحلقة العميقة والصريحة، نناقش الرحلة الكاملة للانتقال من العمل داخل شركة عالمية بحجم سامسونج إلى عالم ريادة الأعمال وبناء الشركات من الصفر.

نتحدث عن:

• لحظة اتخاذ القرار وكم كان الخوف والشك جزءًا منها

• الفرق الحقيقي بين ثقافة الشركات العالمية وشركات العائلة

• كيف تنتقل من بيئة منظمة إلى حرية ومسؤولية العمل لحسابك

• اختيار الفرصة الصحيحة، بناء الفريق الأول، والتعامل مع المخاطر

• التمويل، القرارات الصعبة، والتوسع في أسواق جديدة

• كيف تحافظ على الابتكار، القيم، وصحتك النفسية كرائد أعمال

حلقة مليئة بالدروس العملية لأي شخص يفكر في ترك وظيفة كبيرة، أو يبدأ مشروعه الخاص، أو يبني شركة تريد أن تنافس عالميًا.

#ريادة_الأعمال
#من_الشركات_العالمية_للبيزنس
#StartupLife
#Entrepreneurship
#Leadership
#BusinessCulture
#ترك_الوظيفة
#بناء_الشركات
#قرارات_مصيرية
#العمل_الحر
#الشركات_العائلية
#GlobalCompanies
#ArabEntrepreneurs
#Mindset
#StartFromZero
#PodcastArabic
#Subscr

Bridging Healthcare Worlds Mazen Samadi’s Journey from Lebanon to the U.S. Healthcare System

From the classrooms of Lebanese American University to hospital leadership in the United States, Mazen Samadishares an honest, insightful journey across healthcare systems.

In this episode, we explore what it takes to transition from Lebanon to the U.S., how the role of pharmacists has evolved into clinical and leadership domains, and where American healthcare is headed—from AI and value-based care to burnout and access.

A must-listen for students, pharmacists, physicians, and healthcare professionals navigating global careers—and for anyone thinking about the future of healthcare in Lebanon and beyond.

🎧 Tune in, reflect, and join the conversation.

 

#BridgingHealthcareWorlds #LebanesePhysiciansPodcast #HealthcareLeadership #PharmacyLeadership
#GlobalHealth #LebaneseDiaspora #HealthcareCareers #USHealthcare #HealthcareInnovation
#Pharmacists #MedicalEducation #FromLebanonToUSA #FutureOfHealthcare
#Subscribe #Podcast #HealthcarePodcast #MedEd

From CDC to Coaching: Building a Healthier Life with Rola Doughan

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, we speak with Rola Naaman Doughan, a public health specialist whose career led her from the CDC to launching her own health coaching practice — Healthier with Rola.

Rola opens up about burnout, purpose, and what pushed her to shift from public health analytics to empowering individuals to take charge of their own wellbeing.
Through Healthier with Rola, she helps clients cultivate healthier habits, reclaim balance, and live with intention — one sustainable step at a time. 🌿

Learn more at https://www.healthierwithrola.com/
Follow her on Instagram: @rolanaaman

🎧 Tune in — and don’t forget to #Subscribe!

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#LebanesePhysiciansPodcast #HealthierWithRola #FromCDCtoCoaching #PublicHealth #HealthCoaching #WellnessJourney #BurnoutPrevention #WorkLifeBalance #LifestyleMedicineMindset #CareerPivot #WomenInPublicHealth #LebanonDiaspora #Subscribe

The episode is also available on our YouTube Channel

 

Giving Psychiatry a Voice: The Birth of the Lebanese Journal of Mental Health

In this landmark episode, we sit down with Dr. Ramy Bou Khalil and Dr. Joseph El Khoury to explore the vision, urgency, and meaning behind the launch of the Lebanese Journal of Mental Health (LJMH).

Drawing on journeys that span academia, clinical care, leadership, and the diaspora, our guests reflect on how Lebanese psychiatry has endured war, economic collapse, political instability, and mass physician emigration yet continues to produce rigorous, compassionate, and globally relevant work. From the formative academic environments of American University of Beirut and Université Saint-Joseph, to leadership within the Lebanese Psychiatric Society, this conversation traces how institutional memory, resilience, and responsibility converged to make LJMH not just aspirational—but necessary.

We discuss:

• Why now is the right moment for a national mental health journal

• How LJMH supports clinicians and researchers working in resource-limited settings

• The importance of honoring pioneers while mentoring the next generation

• Turning brain drain into brain circulation through meaningful diaspora engagement

• Redefining “impact” beyond metrics—toward relevance, voice, and continuity

This episode is a reflection on legacy and a blueprint for the future of mental health scholarship in Lebanon and the region.

👉 Subscribe to the podcast for more conversations at the intersection of medicine, leadership, and global health—and follow us so you never miss an episode.

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Hashtags
#LebaneseJournalOfMentalHealth #LJMH #Psychiatry #MentalHealth #LebanesePsychiatry #AcademicMedicine #MedicalPublishing #GlobalMentalHealth #PhysicianLeadership #MedicalDiaspora #BrainCirculation #ResilienceInHealthcare #Subscribe #Podcast #MedicineAndSociety

From Beirut to the Open Seas: Inside Maritime Medicine with Dr. Kevin Saliba

How does a physician go from building a genetics startup in Beirut to practicing medicine hundreds of miles offshore?

In this episode, we explore the world of maritime medicine, a little-known field at the crossroads of clinical care, emergency decision-making, prevention, and global regulation. Our guest breaks down what maritime medicine really is, how it differs from emergency, occupational, and family medicine, and what a “workday” looks like when patients are on ships, in ports, or connected by satellite from the open ocean.

We discuss the most common medical cases at sea, the ones that keep physicians up at night, and the unique clinical and logistical challenges of caring for patients when evacuation isn’t an option. We also dive into fitness-for-duty decisions, prevention, and why joining the American Board of Maritime Medicine marks an important step for the specialty.

Finally, we look ahead at where maritime medicine is headed with telemedicine, AI, and a rapidly evolving global shipping industry, and whether this unconventional path could be a fit for burned-out physicians seeking something different.

#MaritimeMedicine #PhysicianCareers #NonTraditionalMedicine #Telemedicine #GlobalHealth #MedicineAtSea #CareerPivot #LebanesePhysiciansPodcast

2025 Year in Review – Reflections, Stories, and What’s Next | The Lebanese Physicians Podcast

What a year it has been. In this special Year in Review 2025 episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, Khalil Diab and MohammadAli Jardaly look back at a remarkable year of conversations that went far beyond medicine.

From artificial intelligence and innovation to humanities, storytelling, identity, and reinvention, 2025 revealed a powerful shift in how we talk about healthcare, careers, and purpose. We revisited unforgettable episodes featuring physicians, scientists, writers, entrepreneurs, and leaders from Lebanon and the diaspora voices that challenged assumptions, changed perspectives, and reminded us that medicine is as human as it is scientific.

This episode reflects on:

The growing role of AI in healthcare and beyond

The return of humanities, books, and personal journeys to medical dialogue

Powerful stories of career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose

Highlighting Lebanese and regional talent making a global impact

Why you are never stuck—in medicine or in life

Lessons learned from guests who reshaped how we think about success, risk, and fulfillment

We also discuss how the podcast itself is evolving embracing video, reaching new audiences, and expanding its mission as an open platform for meaningful conversations. You don’t have to be a physician to be part of this dialogue—if you have a story worth sharing, this space is for you.

🔔 If you’ve enjoyed these conversations, please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform.

Subscribing helps us grow, improve our production, and continue bringing you thoughtful, high-quality content from voices that matter.

✨ As we look ahead to 2026, we remain committed to curiosity, honesty, and storytelling—especially during challenging times. We hope for a peaceful, healthy year ahead for everyone, and especially for Lebanon.

👉 Subscribe, share, and stay with us—your support truly makes a difference.

🔖 Hashtags #LebanesePhysiciansPodcast #YearInReview2025 #MedicineAndHumanities #PhysiciansBeyondMedicine #AIinHealthcare #MedicalPodcast #HealthcareInnovation #PhysicianStories #CareerReinvention #EntrepreneurshipInMedicine #LebaneseDiaspora #ArabVoices #PersonalJourneys #GlobalHealth #SubscribeNow

Weaving a Life Across Continents: Medicine, Humanities, and Home with Dr. Nancy Chedid

In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, Dr. Nancy Chedid—surgeon, educator, writer, musician, and cultural bridge—shares the extraordinary journey that shaped her life across the United States and Lebanon.

From training at Yale, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and Harvard to rebuilding a life in Beirut after loss, Dr. Chedid reflects on identity, purpose, and the power of weaving medicine with the humanities. She discusses her memoir Snow on the Barbecue, her transformative years at LAU, the creation of humanities-in-medicine programs, and the profound impact of mentorship and community.

We explore themes of home, displacement, grief, belonging, and reinvention. This episode is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and to the many ways one can build a meaningful life across continents. 

#LebanesePhysiciansPodcast #NancyChedid #HumanitiesInMedicine #MedicineAndHumanities #MedicalEducation #PhysicianStories #WomenInMedicine #LebaneseDiaspora #ArabAmericanVoices #Lebanon #Beirut #DiasporaStories #Memoir #LifeTransitions #Resilience #Healing #HomeAndBelonging #IdentityAndCulture #StorytellingInMedicine #MentorshipMatters #AcademicMedicine #ArtsInMedicine #CreativeWritingInMedicine #GlobalMedicine #CrossCulturalJourneys #Reinvention #GriefAndHealing #BeirutPortExplosion #SnowOnTheBarbecue #LebaneseWriters #ArabDiaspora

Episode also on YouTube