What happens when burnout, trauma, and “just getting through the week” collide with alcohol culture in medicine?

In this episode of Social Rounds, Frances Mei Hardin and Tony Chin-Quee sit down with writer, comedian, and sobriety facilitator Joel Walkowski to unpack a question most physicians never ask out loud: Do we all need an intervention?

From “forgetting juice” in residency to the normalization of heavy drinking, this conversation dives into how environment shapes behavior—and how easy it is to rationalize habits that might be quietly costing more than they give.

Joel shares a candid look at addiction, recovery, and the psychology behind behavior change, including why high-performing professionals are especially good at talking themselves out of a problem.

This episode covers:

• Why drinking is so normalized in medical training
• The line between “recreational” and problematic use
• How environment accelerates addiction patterns
• The concept of a personal “cost-benefit analysis”
• Why physicians struggle to recognize their own red flags
• Actionable ways to reassess habits without blowing up your life

If you’ve ever thought, “This is just what everyone does”—this one’s for you.

Hosted by:

Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat

Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd

Guest: Joel Walkowski

Connect with Joel: @joelwalkowski

Find his book, Honolulu Blues, available for pre-order now: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Honolulu-Blues/Joel-Walkowski/9781637749043

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective