How I Doctor

Mark Cuban is a business mogul, the “Shark” every entrepreneur wants to make a deal with, the former owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and, most recently, an online pharmacy CEO. In 2022, Mark co-founded Cost Plus Drugs with the goal of lowering prescription drug prices. The direct-to-consumer company makes generic drugs affordable by cutting pharmacy benefit managers out of the distribution chain. But, once Mark starts talking about tackling the pharmaceutical market, you get the sense he has his sights set on an even bigger goal: reforming the healthcare system at large. 

Offcall co-founder Graham Walker recently got the chance to interview Mark on How I Doctor, a podcast that explores the lives and careers of physicians who are practicing medicine differently. Mark, of course, is not a physician. But, as Graham notes, “I'm talking to him because I think he actually gives a damn about healthcare, and more importantly, he's doing something about it.”

Mark pulls no punches in this episode, and frames American healthcare as a David- and Goliath-style fight between good and bad actors.

Physicians are on the good team: “I happen to be a fan of people who save lives and make other people feel better, you know? Call me crazy.”

Who’s on the bad team? Anyone trying to game the system and extract money from it for their own benefit — insurance companies, hospitals, private equity firms, and others. “In healthcare, that $4.9 trillion wherever anybody can arbitrage whatever they can out of the system, that's exactly what they are going to do.”

With clarity of conviction and a hard-charging spirit, Mark shares his vision for how to fix healthcare. 

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For a full transcript of this episode click HERE

Find all episodes of How I Doctor at offcall.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite podcast player at https://episodes.fm/1767429315.

In this episode, Graham and Mark discuss:

04:26 Expanding Medical School Enrollment

09:33 Insurance Plan Designs

16:27  Insurance Company Tactics

20:45 Negotiation Loopholes and Legal Tangles

28:04 Healthcare Spending 

34:53 Transparency and Trust Drive Growth

43:37 Unfair Broker Fees 

49:53 Profitability in Specialized Medical Services

55:08 Future of AI-Assisted Healthcare

Dr. Elisabeth Potter is a plastic surgeon and practice owner in Austin, Texas, who specializes in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. In January, Elisabeth made waves on social media when she posted a video about UnitedHealthcare calling her during surgery, pulling her out of the OR to explain why her patient — who was already under anesthesia — needed to stay in the hospital overnight. 

In this episode of How I Doctor, Offcall co-founder Dr. Graham Walker talks with Elisabeth about dealing with absurd coverage requirements, calling out insurance companies for undermining patient care, and being the “face of medicine” in today’s climate. Elisabeth also discusses the most rewarding and difficult aspects of running her own practice, opens up about her viral video, and shares how she’s using social media to educate patients and push for policy changes.

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For a full transcript of this episode click HERE

Find all episodes of How I Doctor at offcall.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite podcast player at https://episodes.fm/1767429315.

In this episode, Graham and Elisabeth discuss:

03:15 Why Insurance Companies Are Getting Away with Abusing Doctors

08:42 Going Viral After Speaking Out About Insurance Harassment

2:20 The Challenges of Running an Independent Practice

7:05 How Social Media Is Giving Doctors a Voice

23:40 Balancing Patient Care with Advocacy

28:55 Lessons Learned from Taking on UnitedHealthcare

• 32:15 The Power of Speaking Up and Inspiring Others to Advocate

Dr. Michael Jerkins is a meds-peds physician and the co-founder of Panacea Financial, a financial services company for doctors. After being rejected for multiple loans during residency, Michael realized that traditional banks were failing doctors as customers. So, he created a bank that understands the unique financial struggles and goals of the medical community. 

In this episode of How I Doctor, Offcall co-founder Dr. Graham Walker talks with Michael about why doctors need their own bank and how Panacea has evolved since its launch to meet the needs of physicians (and eventually other clinician groups). They also explore why more doctors are looking for ways to practice medicine on their own terms, and discuss numerous other aspects of doctors’ financial lives.

🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!

For a full transcript of this episode click HERE

Find all episodes of How I Doctor at offcall.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite podcast player at https://episodes.fm/1767429315.

In this episode, Graham and Michael discuss:

05:01 Peer Lending Solution for Loan Challenges

13:06 Medical Practice Financing Challenges

16:24 Financial Challenges for Med Students

19:55 Medicare's Evolving Role with Dentistry

24:19 Doctors' Dilemma: Medicine vs. Tech

Dr. Simon Chang is a hospitalist and the CEO and co-founder of eNavvi, an online pharmacy platform. Since finishing his residency in 2022, Simon has been a part-time physician, splitting his time between clinical care and entrepreneurship. 

On this episode of How I Doctor, Offcall co-founder Dr. Graham Walker talks with Simon about building a career in medicine and a pharma-tech company at the same time, interacting with other physicians as both angel investors and product users, and partnering with like-minded companies including Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs. Simon explains why he set his entrepreneurial sights on prescription drugs and how eNavvi helps remove pricing-transparency barriers created by PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers). He also makes a convincing case that physicians are especially well-equipped to solve the most complex and stubborn problems in healthcare.

🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!

For a full transcript of this episode click HERE

Find all episodes of How I Doctor at offcall.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite podcast player at https://episodes.fm/1767429315.

Dr. Emily Silverman is a practicing internist and the founder of The Nocturnists, a groundbreaking podcast that amplifies the raw, deeply human stories of healthcare workers. 

In this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker sits down with Dr. Silverman to discuss her personal experience with burnout, the systemic flaws in medicine that drive physician exhaustion, and how storytelling can serve as a powerful tool for healing and connection. She shares how her own journey — from back-to-back 20-hour shifts in residency leading to a devastating health crisis — sparked her passion for rethinking medical culture and supporting fellow physicians through creative expression.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Reality of Physician Burnout – Emily recounts the moment she realized the system that trains doctors to heal was, ironically, making her sick.
• How Medical Training Stifles Creativity – Why doctors often feel they’ve “lost a piece of themselves” during training and how to reclaim personal expression.
• The Power of Storytelling in Medicine – How The Nocturnists became a movement for processing the emotional weight of medicine.
• Structural Issues in Healthcare – The impact of corporate consolidation, private equity, and systemic burnout on physician well-being.
• Supporting Women in Medicine – Dr. Silverman discusses maternity leave, childcare challenges, and the gender pay gap in healthcare.
• Career Advice for New Physicians – Why embracing diverse career paths can lead to greater fulfillment and impact.

🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!

For a full transcript of this episode click HERE

Find all episodes of How I Doctor at offcall.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite podcast player at https://episodes.fm/1767429315.