Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Dr. Death

Hello again!

Time for another review -- not like my voice really matters on these types of things, but why not, right?

In this post I will talk about another podcast addiction that I have developed.


D R.  D E A T H


Of course-the background on this podcast from Wondery Podcasts website:

We’re at our most vulnerable when we go to our doctors. We trust the person at the other end of that scalpel. We trust the hospital. We trust the system. Dr. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. But soon his patients started to experience complications. And all they had to protect them was a system ill equipped to stop the madness. From Wondery, the network behind the hit podcast Dirty John, DR. DEATH is about a medical system that failed to protect these patients at every possible turn. Reported and hosted by Laura Beil.
Dr. Duntsch, a straight A student all throughout medical school, somehow starts to mess up with surgeries... and I mean MESS UP BAD.

This amazing podcast tells how a doctor is asked to help out with one of Dr. Duntsch's surgeries when he is unavailable and that's when Dr. Duntsch is discovered. A routine surgery that any trained medical staff could do, goes horribly wrong. But why? 

  • Straight A's
  • Confident in his abilities
  • Raved about and recommended on his website


These are all things people want to hear when considering major surgery. 
Dr. Duntsch fit the bill.

*queue erie silence here*

Until his patients start having major complications and start dying.

The reason this podcast is so wonderful is because it goes through the horrifying things that happened during his surgeries. 

Now I understand how that sounds weird, saying wonderful and horrific in the same sentence, but it's because this podcast draws you in. You NEED and WANT to know what happens and how he messes it up. It's wonderful in that aspect. Completely horrible in the aspect of people's lives are ruined because of this man and his carelessness. 

The podcast not only talks about Dr. Duntsch a.k.a. Dr. Death, but it focuses on the health system and specifically hospitals and their procedures. The hospital that employed Dr. Duntsch instead of getting his license revoked when things mysteriously started going wrong, they let him go. To move onto another hospital and make the same mistakes and kill more innocent lives. 

The host, Laura Beil, does such a good job with her research and trying to get down to the bottom of why the hospital didn't try harder to get Dr. Death's license revoked. 

The problem with the system is that, a neurosurgeon - a straight A neurosurgeon might I add, is in high demand. It would have costed the hospital so much money to try to get rid of Dr. Duntsch. So instead, they ignored the problem and allowed his horrific acts to continue. 

This podcast is one for the books..? One for the ear? I'm not quite sure if that phrase would remain the same for a podcast, but oh well.  :) 

Give it a listen and let me know what you think. 

K.

Bye. 




Saturday, October 13, 2018

Wrongful Conviction

Hey guys!

Long time no talk. This semester, I'm taking some communication classes and for one of my assignments I need to have an ongoing social media project. So I've decided to bring the good ol' blog back to do some reviews on things that I've really enjoyed.

The lucky topic of this post is my favorite podcast right now. *cue dramatic music here*


Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom


Here's a little blurb on their website explaining the podcast:

"Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom is a podcast about tragedy, triumph, unequal justice and actual innocence. Based on the files of the lawyers who freed them. Wrongful Conviction features interviews with men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit - some of them had even been sentenced to death. These are their stories."
If that doesn't tie you in...I won't say you have problems, but you might.

Jokes.

I'm super busy and focused at work...no really, I am! I love music and am grateful I have the opportunity to put my headphones in and jam while doing my work, but the monotony of music all day every day can only last so long.

So there I began my journey to find the perfect podcast.

Through my own searching, I came across this one on Spotify and immediately was hooked as I love a good murder mystery. I listened to the same podcast FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY! You can't blame me. I wanted to understand every detail and seriously, it's just THAT GOOD.

What's catching about these podcasts is that they are told in first person. These insane happenings are being told by the ones who lived them.

A few words of caution: some episodes I'll give you the "viewers discretion" sign.

Some episodes have pretty intense language and the guests on each episode share some very dark stories along with the injustices that happened to them.

What gives us the light at the end of the tunnel, you ask? These innocent people are freed and some even lived to tell the tale.

How do these people get out?

It's called the Innocence Project.

The Innocence Project has been around for 25 years. Here are some of the things they've accomplished within that time:

350 DNA exonerations to date.
50 states with access to post-conviction DNA testing
25 states that record interrogations to date
20 states with improved eyewitness procedures to date.

That is so amazing. After already spending years in prison, some of the people telling their stories are finally given a second hearing. Although this is good news, sometimes it takes many years for the falsely accused to actually get a second hearing. For instance, it took one man 8 years to get his second trial after already spending over 10 years in jail. Think of that wasted time!

Take a second and think about your life for the past 8 years. Think about the things you've accomplished, the things you've done or maybe haven't done. Now imagine being innocent and spending 8 years in a prison cell for a crime you didn't commit. Now think about that same scenario but for 15 years...25 years...Now add on the poor image society has given you, all as a result of being wrongly convicted.

PEOPLE LIVE THIS!

I could go on and on about how wonderful they are and get into specifics of stories, but I would hate to spoil it for the rest of you.

SO. What are you waiting for? Click the links below to start your new addiction.

You're welcome.


Wrongful Conviction Podcast
http://www.revolverpodcasts.com/shows/wrongful-conviction-with-jason-flom/

Innocence Project
https://www.innocenceproject.org/



Until next time,

Aubs