Jul 21, 2026
In this episode of Voices of Otolaryngology, Tali Lando, MD, a pediatric otolaryngologist at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center and author of Breathless: Surgical Tales from the Brink (and Back), joins host Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA, for a candid conversation about writing honestly about medicine. Dr. Lando discusses the 16-case medical memoir's structure, built around both the technical arc of surgery and its personal aftermath, and how surviving Stage IIIC breast cancer as a practicing surgeon shaped her first book, Hell and Back. She covers the HIPAA and confidentiality questions that come with writing about real patients, the mentors and editors who helped her find the confidence to publish, and why she believes storytelling belongs alongside clinical skill as a tool for teaching the next generation of otolaryngologists.
Dr. Lando's book: https://amzn.to/4f4ZaxG