Oklahoma Physicians Highlight Family Medicine with ‘Fast Talks’ Podcast

By Aaron Burch

“There’s no such thing as just a family doc. A family doc is a broad, amazing, incredibly accomplished professional,” said Dr. Philip Palmer, ABFM Diplomate of 30 years. “I want to be a voice to help family doctors know that what they do is good and what they do is important.”

In early 2024, Dr. Palmer and his co-host, Dr. Veer Vedala, began a podcast exploring the work of family physicians throughout their home state of Oklahoma. Titled “Fast Talks with Family Docs,” the podcast is an official publication of the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP).

“I’d been thinking about doing a family medicine related podcast,” Dr. Palmer recalled. “I talked to Kari Webber, OAFP’s executive vice president, who said conversations about a podcast came up during a state chapter meeting. She suggested I get in touch with Dr. Vedala as a resource and partner. Together, we started to figure out how to make it happen.”

Dr. Palmer and Dr. Vedala have known each other for many years, first in a mentor-mentee capacity, and now as colleagues and friends. Together, they have shaped “Fast Talks” into a podcast that Oklahoma physicians look forward to being featured on.

“We bring on physician’s who have the spirit of what Oklahoma is,” said Dr. Vedala, ABFM Diplomate of 5 years. “Another goal is to show residents and students the really cool things family doctors are doing. ‘This could be you. This is what your practice style could be in the future.’”

“We’re trying to grasp the character of our state through the podcast,” Dr. Vedala said.

Working together in a short interview format, Dr. Palmer and Dr. Vedala use ‘Fast Talks’ to highlight family physicians who are experts on medically relevant topics. Recent discussions include “Family Medicine’s Role in Underserved Care” and “Pioneering Leadership: Evolving Roles in Health Care.” In just 15 months, more than 30 episodes have been published.

“We want to try and paint all the different nuances of being a family doctor. There is no one picture of Oklahoma family medicine,” Dr. Palmer explained. “Could this [podcast] be something that connects people? Can we showcase all the different ways you can nuance your practice? Just hearing each other’s stories can be very powerful.”

Dr. Palmer and Dr. Vedala intend to pursue those questions over the course of the podcast’s lifetime. It will also be used as an advocacy tool to educate physicians on how their practice may be affected by social changes or legislation.

“Advocacy is key, because some providers don’t have the mental bandwidth to read bills or keep up with everything. But if there’s a 15-minute podcast that lets them know how they can be involved, that’s very powerful,” Dr. Vedala said.

Dr. Palmer agreed, saying, “Advocacy has been one of my passions for a long time. I’ve been very engaged with our state chapter’s lobbyists, understanding the issues, and writing letters to senators and representatives. If I can get some details and distill [legislation] down to key points, now doctors are equipped with knowledge about obstacles for patients receiving care, and they can help our voice be louder to address those issues.”

Although the podcast is still relatively new, both Dr. Palmer and Dr. Vedala are encouraged by the positive engagement seen to this point. More interviews are planned for 2025, and the two physicians are excited to share conversations that could positively impact the specialty.

“I want to connect with my fellow family doctors. I want to be a source of information for residents and students. We want to keep it short, meaningful, and practical,” Dr. Palmer reflected.

Aaron Burch serves as Editorial Content Manager for the American Board of Family Medicine. He has been writing professionally in the health care field since 2014.