Informed Dissent
Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald
Show overview
Informed Dissent launched in 2025 and has put out 56 episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 40 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 57 min and 58 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Health & Fitness show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 4 days ago, with 18 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald.
From the publisher
America Out Loud Network © – The intersection of healthcare and politics. Useful, credible information about your health and alternative methods to keep your body and mind healthy.
Latest Episodes
View all 56 episodesHow soursop may support cardiovascular health
The missing link between food, fuel, and performance
Overcoming Tourette’s syndrome to help others with their mind, body, and spiritual walk
AI in healthcare needs curiosity and judgment
Promise kept: The journey of Dr. Stefan Bean
Flatlining on the field of battle, Major Ed Pulido lives to tell his story
The psychology of killing and its hidden costs
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Jeff and Mark interview Lt. Col. Dave Grossman on the psychological cost of killing, the realities faced by military and law enforcement, and strategies to prevent school shootings. He also warns about the risks of cell phones in schools and their impact on safety, behavior, and emergency response systems...
Inside TMJ disorders and sleep apnea with Dr. Shirazi
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Jeff and Mark speak with Dr. David Shirazi about TMJ disorders, craniofacial pain, and sleep apnea. He explains causes, diagnosis, and treatment options, including oral appliances as alternatives to CPAP, while sharing practical insights on oral health, sleep hygiene, and the impact of lifestyle choices on overall well-being...
The case for striking Iran and the rise of antisemitism
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Jeff and Mark discuss Mark’s recent article supporting and explaining the justification for President Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s military and government infrastructure. The article drew both support and criticism, including a shocking number of anti-Semitic attacks directed at Mark. Jeff and Mark explore the...
How smartphones are reshaping childhood and attention
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Notifications and endless scrolling reshape attention, parenting, and community life. Children trade play and conversation for screens while adults surrender focus to devices. Reclaiming presence—through limits on smartphones, turning off notifications, and prioritizing real human interaction—offers a path toward healthier minds, stronger families, and more resilient...
The state of psychoanalysis today
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Dr. Evans-Puglise explores the evolving role of psychoanalysis in a rapidly changing culture, examining artificial intelligence in therapy, the enduring importance of human connection, and how psychoanalytic insight shapes modern coaching to help individuals uncover patterns, grow emotionally, and live with greater purpose...
Rising country artist Macie Rae on music and inspiration
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Jeff and Mark sit down with rising country artist Macie Rae, a 15-year-old singer-songwriter blending country, pop, and rock into a fresh California sound. She shares her musical inspirations, performances from California to Nashville, and her mission to inspire listeners through heartfelt songs and upcoming original releases this coming summer...
Turning trauma into wisdom with intuitive guide Janet Reid
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Intuitive guide Janet Reid shares how profound trauma becomes a gateway to wisdom, healing, and self-discovery. Through survival, spiritual awakening, and heartfelt service, she helps others reconnect with inner strength, trust intuition, and remember they are not broken but already whole and capable of beginning again...
When private speech becomes public execution
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – We witness the collapse of privacy, civility, and medical ethics as private speech is turned into public punishment. Media mobs destroy lives while institutions abandon evidence-based medicine. We defend the moral line between words and crimes, resist ideological medicine, and insist physicians protect the vulnerable with reason and restraint...
When medicine loses trust, patients and society suffer
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Trust in medicine and public institutions is unraveling as bureaucracy, money, and ideology replace evidence and transparency. From board certification to pharmaceutical influence and informed consent, patients pay the price. Rebuilding trust requires honesty, accountability, and restoring cultural balance that allows families, children, and society to thrive...
Nashville-bound, join Jeff, Mark & Malcolm in celebrating 250 years of America
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Jeff and Mark speak with the founder of America Out Loud. Malcolm Out Loud tells his story about his early career in advertising and marketing, and how he found his way out of corporate America to start America Out Loud podcasting and broadcasting, with the founding principle of honoring free speech...
Daniel Puder challenges you towards your vision & purpose in life
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – I was out to dinner one night with a friend, and I was approached by TMZ and asked what I thought of the kids who were being bullied and committing suicide. I ended up giving my personal email address out on national television and said that if you are being bullied, email me and I will come to your school! Little did I know that I would...
The new year is a convenient excuse to change
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Invest in relationships. Reach out to estranged loved ones if safe to do so. Forgive. Ask forgiveness. Life is too short to live in permanent grievance. Give generously. Serve others, and you will find perspective. Set a faith or spiritual goal, even if it is a simple daily reflection. Write your goals down and share them. Finally, be kind to...
Talking baseball with former Major Leaguer Greg Pryor
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – We set aside health care and politics for a festive Christmas and New Year conversation with former Major Leaguer and author Greg Pryor. He recounts an unlikely rise from undrafted teen to 10 MLB seasons and a 1985 champion with the Kansas City Royals. Pryor previews stories from *The Day the Yankees Made Me Shave*, packed with legends, games, and laughs...
Despite 2020’s medical crises, vaccine mandates persist in California
Informed Dissent with Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald – Vaccine mandates continue across California despite the medical crises of recent years. Alix Mayer of the Free Now Foundation leads efforts to challenge mandates, expand exemptions, and defend medical freedom. Through legal action, public advocacy, and community programs, the organization works to protect parental rights and push state leaders toward voluntary...