Core IM | Internal Medicine Podcast

#217 Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder: 5 Pearls Segment

Wed, 16 Sep 2026

“It didn’t work.” This episode breaks down practical treatment options (dosing options for naltrexone, acamprosate, topiramate, gabapentin) and counseling pearls to help you meet patients where they are and support their recovery. Also discover blind spots in detox and rehab centers.

🔹Transcript and Show Notes

🔹 Explore ACP’s Substance Use Disorder Education Hub for videos and an AI-powered patient simulation to practice alcohol-use conversations: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/SUDhub

Alcohol Use and Chronic Health Conditions Mini Video Series

01:55 | #1: Naltrexone

12:06 | #2 Acamprosate

16:15 | #3: Topiramate

21:12 | #4: Other meds

29:31 | #5: Detox and rehab blind spots

Tags: CoreIM, Medical Education, Addiction Medicine, Alcohol Withdrawal, Addiction Treatment, GLP-1, pharmacology

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#216 Clinician Grief: At the Beside Segment

Tue, 08 Sep 2026

Have you ever lost a patient and found yourself thinking about them long after the shift ended? This episode explores the grief clinicians can carry after a patient dies, including the losses that aren’t always obvious. We also discuss ways to work through that grief, recognize when it becomes complicated, and lean on your team for support.

🔹Transcript and Shownotes

04:12 | What is Clinician Grief?

10:02 | Types of Losses

10:22 | Loss of a close relationship with a particular patient

12:56 | Loss due to a professional's identification with the pain of family members

13:56 | Loss of one's unmet goals and expectations and one's professional self-image and role

18:47 | Loss related to one's personal system of beliefs and assumptions about life

21:30 | Past unresolved losses or anticipated future losses

23:29 | The death of the self

25:44 | Coping

Tags: CoreIM, Medical Education, Clinician Wellbeing, Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Complicated Grief, Coping With Grief, Medical humanities, medical ethics

#215 Gallbladder & Biliary Testing: 5 Pearls Segment

Tue, 25 Aug 2026

How to choose between RUQ ultrasound, CT, HIDA, MRCP, EUS, and ERCP based on the clinical picture? When should you move from diagnostic imaging to therapeutic ERCP, and what should you know about sphincterotomy, stents, and stone removal? Plus, how to interpret bile duct dilation without jumping straight to obstruction?

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes

02:11 | Pearl 1: Gallbladder Problems Spectrum

07:33 | Pearl 2: Choose Imaging Strategically: Start with RUQUS, Escalate as Needed

14:34 | Pearl 3: Biliary Tree Diagnostics

19:19 | Pearl 4: Invasives that are Diagnostic and Therapeutic

27:06 | Pearl 5: Stenting in ERCP

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, Gallstones, Cholecystitis, Biliary Disease, ERCP, Biliary Imaging

#214 Hyponatremia Management: A Core IM Classic

Wed, 12 Aug 2026

Throwback: Should you really fluid-restrict every patient with SIADH? When can IV fluids make hyponatremia better or worse? Are salt tabs actually doing enough? And what can urine studies tell you before you start treatment? Join us for a practical, physiology-driven approach to hyponatremia management, from fluids and solutes to loop diuretics and identifying the underlying cause.

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🔹Transcript and Shownotes

6:46 | Pearl 1: Key Principles

15:13 | Pearl 2: Fluids in hyponatremia

26: 03 | Pearl 3: Solutes in hyponatremia management

35:49 | Pearl 4: Lasix in hyponatremia management

40:05 | Pearl 5: Etiologies

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, SIADH, Fluid Restriction, Nephrology, Hospital Medicine, Urine Osmolality

#213 Hypertension First-Line Medications Troubleshooting | Bread & Butter Series

Tue, 28 Jul 2026

Why can lower-dose combinations be more effective and better tolerated than maximizing one medication? How to troubleshoot common challenges such as amlodipine edema, gout, electrolyte abnormalities, and the patient who says they cannot tolerate anything? Why ACT (ARBs, Calcium Channel Blockers, Thiazides) is the preferred first-line framework, and how to personalize medication choices based on comorbidities and side effects.

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes

03:00 | Diagnosing Hypertension

04:10 | When to Start Combination Therapy Instead of Monotherapy

07:00 | Choosing First-Line Therapy Using the ACT Framework

13:23 | Why ARBs Are Often Preferred Over ACE Inhibitors

16:02 | Choosing the Right ARB: Candesartan vs Losartan

18:39 | Comparing Potency & Duration Across First-Line Antihypertensives

20:54 | Amlodipine Edema: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

23:54 | Thiazides: Practical Tips, Electrolyte Problems & Class-Killer Side Effects

29:33 | Managing Patients Who 'Can't Tolerate' Blood Pressure Medications

Tags: Hypertension Management, High Blood Pressure, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Core IM