Home Podcasts Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians
Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians

Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians

CAMH, Dr. David Gratzer: Physician and Educator at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 59 Episodes Jun 24, 2026

This podcast from CAMH helps physicians and residents stay current on mental health and addiction practices and legislation. Host Dr. David Gratzer, co-chief of the General Adult Psychiatry & Health Systems Division, summarizes complex topics with expert guests in short, easily digestible episodes. Designed for clinical education on the go, each episode offers practical strategies and insight that can affect medical practice and patient care.

Episodes

Suicide prevention with Dr. Mark Sinyor
Suicide prevention with Dr. Mark Sinyor Jun 24, 2026 00:25:01 “You don't actually need billions of dollars to prevent suicide. You just need really good coordination.” Suicide prevention has come a long way since the SAD PERSONS acronym many of us learned in medical school. As research continues to evolve, how can we keep up—and thoughtfully incorporate newer considerations like media influence, pesticide availability, and even artificial intelligence? On th
A skeptic’s view of psychiatry: An interview with Dr. Joel Paris
A skeptic’s view of psychiatry: An interview with Dr. Joel Paris Apr 8, 2026 00:23:25 “Over time, my perspective on psychiatry has changed in the direction of greater skepticism." What happens to your perspective after five decades in psychiatry—treating tens of thousands of patients, leading major institutions, and authoring dozens of books and papers? On this episode of Quick Takes, I find out as I sit down with Dr. Joel Paris, former editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of Ps
Building a better mental health care system
Building a better mental health care system Feb 18, 2026 00:30:27 “Good systems just work. They don't need to be navigated.”On this episode of Quick Takes, I spoke with Dr. Paul Kurdyak about how mental health care differs from other areas of the health system—especially when it comes to access, quality of care, and the need for a more structured and accountable approach.Key takeaways from this episode:our mental health care system lacks coherence and accessther
The wellness industry with Dr. Jonathan Stea
The wellness industry with Dr. Jonathan Stea Oct 1, 2025 00:23:52 “The beating heart of the wellness industry is pseudoscience.”With a few clicks of the mouse, our patients can read what we read – including the latest journals. But they also can access a world of half-truths, misleading claims, and falsehoods. On this episode of Quick Takes, I speak with Dr. Jonathan Stea, a University of Calgary psychologist and a bestselling author, about his research on the w
The semaglutide era? Considering medication-related weight gain
The semaglutide era? Considering medication-related weight gain Jul 16, 2025 00:31:45 “Imagine a world where you have all the effects of antipsychotics, but none of the side effects.”Celebrities use them; politicians discuss them; our patients ask about them. Are semaglutide and sister drugs game changers for those with mental health problems who struggle with obesity? To explore the opportunities and challenges of these new medications, on this episode of Quick Takes, I speak with
An innovation in perinatal mental healthcare with Daisy Singla
An innovation in perinatal mental healthcare with Daisy Singla May 28, 2025 00:14:41 “It’s one of the largest psychotherapy trials in the world.”When we hear “innovations in mental healthcare,” we tend to think about apps or wearables. In today’s episode of Quick Takes – part of our series on innovation – I speak with Daisy Singla, a senior scientist at CAMH and our first womenmind™ scientist. Singla talks about her recent study that expanded access to psychotherapy for perinatal
Yoga and practice with Dr. Vanika Chawla
Yoga and practice with Dr. Vanika Chawla Mar 26, 2025 00:19:32 “Does depression care include the downward dog?”Mindfulness, acupuncture, yoga. These were all once considered alternative treatments – favoured by some patients but lacking in evidence. Times have changed. Mindfulness, for instance, is a psychotherapy mentioned in the depression guidelines. What about yoga?In today’s Quick Takes episode, I speak with Dr. Vanika Chawla, a psychiatrist, a registere
Dr. Joss Reimer, CMA President, on living with depression
Dr. Joss Reimer, CMA President, on living with depression Jan 22, 2025 00:25:09 “We all need help sometimes.”As doctors, we often shy away from discussing our health, especially our mental health — even with our own physicians. That’s unfortunate as doctors have a higher suicide rate than the general population, yet fears of vulnerability, judgment, and stigma keep many of us silent. In this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. Gratzer sat down with Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the C
Exploring the future of education with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam
Exploring the future of education with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam Nov 27, 2024 00:22:11 “It took a pandemic to get us to realise that we could do so much online.”When it comes to medical education, much has changed over the years—including its name. What was once known as Continuing Medical Education (CME) is now referred to as Continuing Professional Development (CPD). But the changes go far beyond a rebranding. After all, the sheer volume of journal articles available today is stag
Mentorship with Dr. Suzanne Koven
Mentorship with Dr. Suzanne Koven Sep 25, 2024 00:21:53 “What is a mentor? Four words. One big question.”What do you look for in a mentor? What qualities should you consider? And, more importantly, what exactly is a mentor?To help answer these questions and discuss the role mentors play in the careers of physicians Dr. David Gratzer is joined by Dr. Suzanne Koven, a Harvard-affiliated physician and Writer-in-Residence at Massachusetts General, whose ar
[Quick Takes Essentials] Physician burnout and depression with Dr. Srijan Sen
[Quick Takes Essentials] Physician burnout and depression with Dr. Srijan Sen Aug 14, 2024 00:22:35 Welcome to another episode of Quick Takes Essentials, our summer series. This essential episode first aired in 2023 and is on the perpetually hot-topic of burnout. Could the old concept of a doctor’s lounge be a new way of helping to address burnout?With 182 studies yielding 142 different definitions of burnout, is burnout, in fact, depression?Here I speak with Dr. Srijan Sen (of the University of
[Quick Takes Essentials] Chronic homelessness with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos
[Quick Takes Essentials] Chronic homelessness with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos Aug 14, 2024 00:25:30 Welcome to another episode of Quick Takes Essentials, our summer series. On this episode, released this past February, I sat down with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos (of the University of Toronto) and former Physician-in-Chief of CAMH to discuss why, across North America, there are more people who are chronically homeless than ever before.  Dr.  Stergiopoulos is an internationally recognized expert on ch

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