The Checkup: Talking Back To Your Doctor

Welcome to the The Checkup. Our sixth episode "Talking Back to Your Doctor," opens with a question: Why do so many of us find it so hellishly hard to speak freely with our doctors? What is it about a white coat that makes even normally assertive people clam up?

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We begin with the dramatic story of Alicair Peltonen, an administrative assistant diagnosed with a rare cancer who had to have a chunk the size of a baseball removed from her thigh. Throughout her medical saga, she found that she often had urgent questions echoing in her mind, but felt too inhibited to voice them. She set out to find out why.

We speak with Dr. Jo Shapiro of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston about what she calls "Conversation Deficit Disorder" among doctors. And we hear from Dr. Annie Brewster, who has special insight into doctor-patient communication because she's both a practicing doctor and a multiple sclerosis patient who decided not to follow her doctor's recommendations about taking a particular medication.

Each episode of the Checkup features a different topic—previous topics included college mental health, sex problems, the Insanity workout and vaccine issues.

This is the closing episode of our first season of The Checkup. Please tell us what you liked and disliked and what you want more of. Like CommonHealth on Facebook or drop a note to podcasts@slate.com.

We'll keep you posted here on all our plans for future podcasts.