
Medic Mindset
Ginger Locke · Medic Mindset
Show overview
Medic Mindset has been publishing since 2016, and across the 10 years since has built a catalogue of 75 episodes. That works out to roughly 60 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a roughly quarterly cadence, with the show now in its 6th season.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 35 min and 1h 1m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. The publisher flags most episodes as explicit, so expect adult themes or strong language throughout. It is catalogued as a EN-language Health & Fitness show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 3 months ago, with 2 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2019, with 15 episodes published.
From the publisher
Created in 2016, Medic Mindset is hosted by EMS Educator, Ginger Locke. She is an Associate Professor of EMS Professions at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas. The podcast started as a resource for her paramedic students as they transitioned to the field. She interviews paramedics, EMS medical directors & EMS educators in long, intimate format. She thoughtfully asks her guests to open up about their mindset, routines, mistakes, thought-processes, and lessons hard-learned. Dr. Maia Dorsett is the Medical Director for Medic Mindset and reviews all clinical content for accuracy according to the most current evidence. While clinical topics are in the show, none of the content should be used as clinical operating guidelines for listeners' practices. Interesting in connecting? Ginger is always looking to hear from listeners: [email protected] Show notes at medicmindset.com
Latest Episodes
View all 75 episodesMike Taigman on AI
Mike Taigman and Ginger Locke explore the impact AI will have on EMS, education, jobs, art, the environment, and Zoom calls. Topics Discussed: How Mike uses AI in education What AI means for how we learn Clinical applications for AI The impact on the environment The phenomenon of using ChatGPT as a therapist Prompt engineers AI usage ethics What Mike did when he joined a virtual meeting with 9 chat bots. Shownotes at medicmindset.com *Medic Mindset is 100% human made. No AI tools used in any part of the production.*
Our Leaders' Group Chat
EGuests: Drs. Chetan Kharod, Phil Moy and J.R. Pickett Their podcast: STAT Leadership Podcast Topics: Leaders they admire When leaders should follow Written communication tactics Building an EMS system from scratch Culture change Leadership lessons from the Gladiator and Band of Brothers Show notes

Thinking: Vomiting
Guest: Dr. Maia Dorsett CE for this episode Show Notes

The Critical Pediatric - A Prodigy EMS Collab
This episode is an open-access recording of educational content from a Prodigy EMS course which reviews a case of an undifferentiated critical pediatric patient. Prodigy's Director of Critical Care, Shane O'Donnell interviews Dr. Matthew Harris. You are requested to transfer an intubated two-year-old. Thoughts go racing through your mind before the dispatcher finishes reading the information. What diseases can I expect? How do I ventilate this child? What medications should I prepare? To watch the video of the interview and receive CE, visit Prodigy EMS. Show Notes Contact Ginger: [email protected]

Start where you stand.
Dr. Faroukh Mehkri walks us through a mindset reframe for the undifferentiated crashing patient. He theorizes that the pervasive language of "stay and play" versus "load and go" has conditioned and narrowed our thinking. Dr. Mehkri describes the evidence-based, predictable and preventable pattern of patients going into cardiac arrest in the early phase of a call when the patient has been physically moved to the ambulance too early. He says there's still a place for the "load and go" mindset but that there are also many occasions with the very sick patient where it would be more appropriate to start with a mindset of "stay and stabilize" before patient movement. Wherever you find your critical crashing patient, start where you stand and stabilize them there. https://medicmindset.com Instagram Contact Ginger: [email protected]
Kangaroos, Simulation & Cardiac Arrest
Alex (Sandy) MacQuarrie, PhD and Paramedic, reflects on his move from Canada to Australia, principles of simulation in medical education & his personal experience with cardiac arrest. Show notes at medicmindset.com Connect with Ginger: [email protected] Connect with Sandy: https://edgehumanperformancegroup.au
Thinking: Rapid A-fib
Dr. Casey Patrick, EM physician & EMS medical director at Montgomery County Hospital District (Texas), joins Ginger to discuss how he thinks during calls when the patient presents with rapid atrial fibrillation. Is the rapid A-fib the primary cause or a secondary result of another critical condition like sepsis, PE, DKA, hypovolemia, etc? Want CE for listening? Here's how.
The Art of Precepting with Keith Velaski
"Some people love doing crosswords or Sudoku. I love finding my learner's cheat code. I love figuring out what really works for this person versus the previous people that I had. It's an opportunity for me to exercise my creativity." - Keith Velaski This episode delves into the art of precepting in EMS. The episode features insights from Keith Velaski, a seasoned flight nurse with extensive experience in various clinical and transport settings. The discussion emphasizes effective preceptor-learner relationships, educational strategies, and essential traits for successful precepting. CE for selected episodes Instagram Medic Mindset Love, Ginger
Following J.R.
He's the White Tiger. Dr. J.R. Pickett. Or simply J.R. His teams follow him and in this episode he gives away some of the secrets of his leadership philosophies: How he gets buy-in from his team. What he understands about millenials. How he balances decisiveness with tactical patience. Why conflict is essential for successful teams. What he learned during COVID. Instagram Twitter Facebook
The Weatherman
Paramedic, Taylor Kellogg (@kello011 on Twitter) joins us. This episode is a chance to take a break from clinical learning and listen to the story of a medic who has a passion for meteorology. Wildland fires in Southern California, a thunderstorm on a goat ranch, tornadoes while on shift, flooding that brought him eye-to-eye with a snake knocking on the station door & winter storms in Central Texas. He marvels at the good & the ugly that natural disasters provoke in humanity and how extreme weather makes us vulnerable in a way that connects us. Show notes at medicmindset.com Follow Medic Mindset on: Twitter & Instagram
Death Notification Choreography
Dr. Maia Dorsett joins us again! You may remember her from the Thinking: Lift Assist episode. This time she shares what she knows about the process of death notification. It's a passion-topic for her because she knows how important these conversations are for the loved ones of patients who have died... and for us. She frames a death notification as a procedure that can be taught, learned and practiced. NAEMSP Article Bite #33: Is Death Notification Training associated with decreased burnout among EMS professionals This YouTube video was made by the Monroe-Livingston EMS Region at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in anticipation of the rise of out-of-hospital death. Paper outlining The GRIEV_ING algorithm in the Prehospital Emergency Care journal.
Sirens In His Voice
EKevin Hazzard reads 2 chapters from his latest book, American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became American's First Paramedics. Freedom House EMS is EMS' origin story. It was almost erased until Kevin Hazzard meticulously researched the story so it can sit in the forefront of our our collective consciousness. His first book, 1000 Naked Strangers, was recommended by Nyssa Hattaway in this Medic Mindset episode as the one book she'd give to a new paramedic.
5 Days with Hazzard
EKevin Hazzard reflects on a TV show based on a book called "5 Days at Memorial" by Sheri Fink. In this story, the characters are faced with impossible challenges inside a hospital in the days after Hurricane Katrina. There are so many parallels between what they experienced and what out of hospital paramedics are presented every day. The first time I heard Kevin's voice was in 2016 when he was a guest on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. They were discussing his book "1000 Naked Strangers" where he recounts memories from working for Grady EMS in Atlanta for over a decade. I was struck by this quote during that interview: "There are a lot of situations where it's just not practical to wait for it to be completely safe and you gotta just try to weigh the odds." With that quote, I knew he'd be a guest well-matched for Medic Mindset where we understand the grey in which decisions are made in EMS everyday. Shownotes at medicmindset.com
Getting to the Black with David Fifer
EHow do we find our way out of this? Initial education, recruitment and retention in EMS are all in crisis. Paramedic and EMS educator, David Fifer proposes an educational pathway for paramedics in this keynote lecture at the 2022 National Association of EMS Educators' Annual Symposium. Days before delivering this keynote talk, David was working with a crew to hoist people out of disastrous flooding in Kentucky. He called on those in attendance to offer financial support through this site if possible. This episode was made possible through the collaboration of some of the best in EMS education: Prodigy EMS, NAEMSE and EKU's David Fifer
Double Date: Kris & Sara
EI don't have favorite episodes but if I did, this would be one of them. With my girlfriend Cassi by my side, I caught up with Kris and Sara Kaull at a conference. It's the first ever double-date on Medic Mindset! Cassi & Kris are both paramedics. Sara and I have the perspective of the significant-other to a paramedic. We swap stories and Cassi and Kris offer up ideas about what medics need from their spouses/partners. This episode is really a gift to the family members of medics. Take a listen and if it resonates with you, consider having your loved-ones listen. Maybe it will spark good conversation about what you need when you get home from shift or how best to connect with you while on shift. Kris and Sara were absolute gold. During a busy conference, where they were both speakers, they took the time to hide away with us in our hotel room for recording. The conversation was so special to me because conferences can be full of small talk, but this was different: we put away our phones and had a rich meaningful conversation that I hope you enjoy!
Pediatric Pain
This is a special cross-post with the brand new pediatric podcast from NAEMSP: The Pediatric EMS Podcast created by Drs. Joelle Donofrio-Odmann and Dr. Joseph Finney. Dr. Donofrio-Odmann has been a guest on the show previously in Thinking: Pediatric Respiratory. Other guests in this episode are Drs. Maia Dorsett, Jeff Jarvis and Jeremiah Escajeda They've created these show notes. While you are there subscribe to their podcast which is sure to be a hit. CE for this epsiode
I have your back.
EThese two guests are partners: a flight medic and a flight nurse. They dig into their relationship in a way that will make the listener think about their own role as a partner. We also have a chance to hear the flight medic reflect on a near-miss with a medication error, what he wished he had learned more about in paramedic school, why he isn't a firefighter and a wide range of other topics. The listener will quickly hear what I heard: These two partners are the perfect yin-yang. She's spirited and animated. He's calm and steady. Together, they have each others' backs. EKU: go.eku.edu/medic
Thinking: Abdominal Pain
Get CE for listening to this episode at prodigyems.com White Tiger, Dr. JR Pickett is back! Previously, he has talked to us about Syncope and Shortness of Breath. This time it's all about abdominal pain. He emphasizes the history and physical exam and includes a few ultrasound nuggets. What's the difference between a thoracic aortic dissection and an abdominal aortic aneurysm? Why is abdominal pain so concerning in geriatric patients? How can you adjust your physical exam techniques to gain the trust of pediatric patients? And why does White Tiger only cry one tear when he has appendicitis? Show notes Medic Mindset on Instagram
Finding Feedback
Ginger Locke speaks to the topic of Feedback. In this recording from University of Washington's Grand Rounds, she explains that paramedics are not getting enough feedback. She outlines theories for why it is scare, what we can do about it, and how feedback might look in the future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/gingerlockeATX Show notes: https://medicmindset.com/2022/02/08/finding-feedback-uwash-great-rounds-notes/?preview_id=4159&preview_nonce=c7a34bca9e&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=4170
Where is Natalie Zink?
ENatalie is a paramedic and friend. We recorded this while she was working for Grady EMS and trying to get into medical school in 2019. Check out this pre-pandemic time capsule episode and find out where she is now. Follow Natalie on Twitter. Show notes.