The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced the launch of a new podcast series for physicians, residents and medical students. "AMA Doc Talk" is a lively, informative, conversation between physicians, ethicists, patients and academics, focused on relevant topics in medicine and packaged for quick consumption.

Season One, a six-episode run, focuses on the difficult discussions with patients that many physicians face as part of daily practice. The new podcast series features physicians' eye-opening encounters with patients and their real-world solutions and insights. Listeners will hear from peers who have struggled to comfort the sick or dying and agonized over word choice, and they can leave the podcast better equipped to handle even the most challenging conversation.

"In TV and in movies, doctors always seem to strike just the right tone in the most trying situation. But in real life, when it comes to telling a patient she is dying or that he has dangerous misconceptions about vaccines or antibiotics, delivering news delicately is not as simple as reading a script," said AMA President David O. Barbe, M.D. "The AMA understands that these conversations are one of the many unique challenges facing physicians, and we are hopeful that this podcast series will help them feel better prepared when the moment comes."

The first season of "AMA Doc Talk" is hosted by Rajesh S. Mangrulkar, M.D., associate dean for medical student education at the University of Michigan Medical School. At Michigan, Dr. Mangrulkar leads the curriculum, student affairs and admissions units for the medical school.

The first two episodes of "AMA Doc Talk" were released today, and a new episode will be released each Tuesday for each of the next four weeks. Episodes are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information, visit https://www.ama-assn.org/ama-doc-talk-podcast-series