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NerdMDs StackBytes
A rapid‑fire audio companion to NerdMDs Substack writing—each episode packs a recent essay, insight, or framework into a 10‑minute listen. Perfect for your coffee break or between meetings, StackBytes delivers:
Top takeaways from the latest Substack @ Rewskidotcom.substack.com
Actionable tips you can apply today in clinical practice, health tech, or productivity
Concise reflections that complement the written piece
When it drops: Between every main podcast interview, so you never miss a fresh StackByte. Tune in, think different—and stay efficient. Subscribing ensures you catch every byte, straight from the page to your ears.
🎧 StackByte Episode Summary (Ep #8 – “How Much of Medicine Is Actually an Algorithm? What technologists miss when they try to systematize care.”)
🎧 StackByte Episode Summary:
In this episode of NerdMDs StackBytes, Dr. Adam Carewe tackles a deceptively simple question: How much of medicine is actually an algorithm? Through sharp reflection and clinical insight, he explores the structured side of medicine—where protocols and decision trees save lives—while powerfully asserting that the heart of care lies in the gray zones algorithms can’t reach. It’s a compelling call to technologists: true innovation in healthcare requires humility, respect for clinical nuance, and partnership with the humans who carry the burden of care.
🔗 Read the full Substack post
🔹 00:00 – Framing the Big Question
Dr. Adam Carewe opens with a provocative inquiry: Is medicine just a set of algorithms? He lays out why this question matters now, especially for those building healthcare technologies. The episode promises to untangle what tech can and can’t replicate in medicine.
🔹 01:52 – Where Algorithms Shine
Dr. Carewe highlights the clinical scenarios where algorithms thrive—emergency settings, sepsis bundles, stroke codes. These tools bring life-saving structure and speed to chaotic moments.
“In emergency medicine and the ICU, algorithms bring order to chaos.”
🔹 04:31 – When the Guidelines Run Out
As the conversation moves into the real-world messiness of medicine, Dr. Carewe underscores how most patients don’t fit cleanly into protocols. This is where clinical judgment, not code, takes the lead.
“Medicine isn’t just executing a flowchart. It’s holding responsibility in uncertainty.”
🔹 07:45 – The Enduring ‘Art’ of Medicine
With historical nods to Hippocrates and Galen, Dr. Carewe reflects on the philosophical and human aspects of medicine—listening, presence, gut instinct, and the courage to act (or not) amid uncertainty.
🔹 10:18 – Why Tech Keeps Missing the Point
Here, Dr. Carewe critiques the common mindset among health tech founders: seeing medicine as a system to be optimized. He warns that without understanding the emotional and ethical labor of clinicians, even the best tools will miss the mark.
“Until you’ve stood at the bedside at 3 a.m., with a crashing patient and no clear guideline, you won’t grasp the weight of what medicine requires.”
🔹 13:02 – The Real Future: Collaboration, Not Replacement
Dr. Carewe concludes with a hopeful challenge: the future of healthcare isn’t in replacing doctors—it’s in building tools that amplify what humans do best. He calls for a tech-clinician partnership rooted in respect and realism.
If you’re a technologist, clinician, or anyone curious about where medicine meets innovation, this episode is essential listening. For the full essay, visit Dr. Carewe’s Substack.
