Were the doctors you know always this weird?

This week on Social Rounds, Tony, Frances Mei, and Ryan take a trip back to childhood and revisit the nerdy obsessions, social disasters, and formative experiences that shaped them long before medicine entered the picture.

From comic book collecting in the 1990s to Pokémon encyclopedic knowledge, musical theater fandom, bug collections, dictionaries at recess, and the painful realities of being the odd kid out, the conversation explores what it means to grow up different—and why that difference can become a strength later in life.

They also discuss people-pleasing, popularity, identity, internet criticism, and why some adults spend decades trying to recover from middle school while others simply learn to embrace being weird.

Plus: Ryan launches a campaign to become Social Rounds' "third chair," Frances Mei reveals her lifelong Pokémon expertise, Tony defends musical theater, and Colin's mustache unexpectedly becomes a topic of public discourse.

In this episode:

• Growing up nerdy in the 90s and 2000s
• Comic books, Pokémon, and musical theater
• Childhood loneliness and social rejection
• People-pleasing vs. individuality
• Why unpopular kids often become unconventional adults
• The psychology of fitting in
• Internet criticism and resilience
• The ongoing saga of Cartography Geoff
• Colin's controversial mustache

Hosted by:

Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat

Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd

Ryan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_art

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

What happens when a surgeon says yes to a random yoga retreat in Mexico and meets the person who will change his life?

In this special (and surprisingly wholesome) episode of Social Rounds, Tony and Frances Mei are joined by Tony's wife, Katie Chin-Quee, a former nurse practitioner turned archaeologist, to share the story of how they met, fell in love, navigated long-distance dating, and built a life together.

From chance encounters and late-night phone calls to board exams, grand gestures, and a second date in the Bahamas, this episode explores what it takes to build a lasting partnership in medicine and beyond.

Along the way, the trio discusses:

• Dating during medical careers
• Long-distance relationships
• Situationships vs. commitment
• Friendship boundaries and relationships
• Why grand gestures still matter
• Marriage, partnership, and putting each other first
• Life after medicine

Whether you're a physician, healthcare professional, or simply someone who loves a good love story, this episode offers an honest look at relationships, vulnerability, and choosing each other.

Social Rounds is the podcast where Frances Mei Hardin and Tony Chin-Quee give their unsolicited opinions on medicine, culture, relationships, and whatever else they happen to find interesting.

Hosted by:

Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat

Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd

Guest: Katie Chin-Quee

Connect with Katie: @indiana.joan

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

A graduating medical student publishes an essay called Medicine Without Merit, arguing that DEI initiatives have undermined fairness, lowered standards, and discriminated against white men in medicine.

Tony and Frances Mei dive into the article, unpacking its claims about merit, admissions, standardized testing, diversity, and representation in healthcare. Along the way, they explore why conversations about "meritocracy" in medicine are often more complicated than they first appear—and what gets missed when individual achievement is separated from larger systems and structures.

They also discuss educational privilege, physician workforce diversity, patient trust, professional accountability, and the difference between experiencing discrimination and understanding it.

Plus: Geoff the cartographer returns as an unexpected source of podcast drama, Instagram etiquette becomes a philosophical debate, and Frances Mei explains why unanswered comments can create alternate realities.

In this episode:

• The "Medicine Without Merit" controversy
• DEI and medical school admissions
• Standardized testing and educational privilege
• Diversity, trust, and patient outcomes
• Meritocracy in medicine
• Professional accountability
• Geoff's growing cult following
• The psychology of being left on read

Hosted by:

Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat

Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective