Episodes 20
Avg. Duration 28m
Activity Dormant
Since Sep 2023
Latest Episode Dec 2024

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Hosting
podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk

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About This Podcast

Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. In each programme, Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science to an obscure invention, an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure.

Whether it's micro-robotic surgery, virtual reality syringes, Victorian clockwork surgical saws, more than a few ingenious cures for cancer, world-first lifesaving heart operations, epidurals, therapy, dancing, faith or laughter - it's always something worth celebrating.

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Recent Episodes

7. Bonus Episode - Extra Dose

Dec 24, 2024 40m

Right, roll up your sleeve, it’s time for an extra dose of Best Medicine!This is a special episode of unheard bits that couldn’t be squeezed into Series 2, featuring more fascinating medical…

6. Pain Management, Organoids, Prosthetic Leg Covers

Dec 24, 2024 28m

Joining Kiri this week is comedian Desiree Burch who explains the best ways to cope with pain following surgery. Dr Abdullah Khan engineers mini versions of human organs in a dish to enable more…

5. Books, Poetry, Scandal, Writing

Dec 17, 2024 28m

Joining Kiri this week in a literary special recorded at the Hay Festival is comedian Ignacio Lopez who heals family wounds through writing. Dr Paul Craddock explains how one of the most prestigious…

4. CAR T-cells, Ritual, Water, Crying

Dec 10, 2024 28m

Joining Kiri this week are Dr Claire Roddie who retrains cells to fight cancer using revolutionary, game-changing CAR T-cell therapy, and comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri who finds spiritual healing in…

3. Sleep, FMTs, Dr Charles Drew, Stem Cell Transplantation

Dec 03, 2024 28m

Joining Kiri this week is comedian Laura Smyth who discovered the importance of sleep as she underwent cancer treatment. Historian Subhadra Das celebrates the incredible medical pioneer of blood…

2. Sweating In Nature, Animals, Transplantation, Horticulture

Nov 26, 2024 28m

Joining Kiri this week at the Hay Festival is comedian Zoe Lyons who tells Kiri how running helps with the stress associated with her alopecia - and how she survived getting rammed by a badger. Dr…

1. MV140, Origami Surgical Capsules, Denial, Defibrillators

Nov 19, 2024 28m

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Daliso Chaponda who champions Denial as the best medicine (or does he?). Urology Consultant Mr Bob Yang explains how a pineapple-flavoured UTI…

Best Medicine: Series 2 - time for your second dose!

Nov 12, 2024 1m

It's time for your second dose of Best Medicine! Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate…

10. Epidurals, Embroidery, Play, Death

Dec 12, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week are historian Dr Paul Craddock who unravels how vascular surgery owes a debt to 19th century Parisian embroiderer Marie-Anne Leroudier, historian Subhadra Das unearthing…

9. Autopsies, Light, Escapism, Henrietta Lacks

Dec 05, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week is a druid, a drag queen and a mortician...it's one man, Kristoffer Hughes, who puts forward the autopsy as the best medicine. Professor Olivette Otele tells us the tale of…

8. Doing Less, Gardening, The Smartphone, Expertise

Nov 28, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri are historian Dr Paul Craddock who talks about what gardening and skin grafting have in common, comedian Shaparak Khorsandi who tells us how doing less helps manage her ADHD, Professor…

7. Failure, Detection, Herpes, Climate Change

Nov 21, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week are Dr Lindsey Fitzharris who brings with her a Victorian clockwork surgical saw to demonstrate why failure can sometimes be the best medicine, while Professor Kevin Harrington…

6. CT Scans, Inhalation, Faith, Attention

Nov 14, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week are Reverend Kate Bottley who offers up faith as the Best Medicine, Dr Subarna Chakravorty and John James OBE who team up to talk about sickle cell, comedian Ria Lina who wants…

5. Laughter, Other People, Inclusion, Tissue Engineering

Nov 07, 2023 27m

This week comedian Nabil Abdulrashid tells us how laughter and comedy reduced the levels of violence in prison, heart surgeon Professor Massimo Caputo describes how he used tissue engineering in a…

4. Surgical Microrobots, Backlash, The Immune System, Keeping an Open Mind

Oct 31, 2023 29m

Joining Kiri this week are Dr Christos Bergeles demonstrating surgical micro-robots that can transport the surgeon to areas of the body that are normally impossible to operate on, historian Dr Elinor…

3. Breast Medicine

Oct 24, 2023 27m

Joining Kiri are friend of the show historian Dr Lindsey Fitzharris who shares her own breast cancer recovery story with a detour via Victorian breast cancer surgery. Comedian Jordan Gray champions…

2. Cytosponge, Fresh Air, Showmanship, Alkaline Breathing

Oct 17, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week are Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald OBE who demonstrates the Cytosponge test which detects throat cancer with a revolutionary pill on a string, Dr Jack Hartnell brings tales of…

1. Sobriety, Touch, Camellia Sinensis, Trust

Oct 10, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week are haptic technology specialist Dr Ally Barrow with the power of touch and a demonstration of virtual reality injections, mental health nurse Ed Freshwater speaks about a…

Pilot: Bubbles, Dancing, Masks, GoodSAM

Oct 03, 2023 28m

Joining Kiri this week are medical historian Dr Lindsey Fitzharris with the story of the pioneering World War I surgeon who transformed wounded soldiers faces, comedian Darren Harriott and his love…

Introducing Best Medicine

Sep 26, 2023 3m

Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Best Medicine have?

Best Medicine has published 20 episodes since September 2023, covering topics in Comedy, Science.

Is Best Medicine still active?

Best Medicine is currently dormant with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 28m.

How do I contact Best Medicine for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Best Medicine, including email and social media links.

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