Dr. Ian MacNairn is an emergency medicine physician and anthropologist whose career has been shaped by resilience, responsibility, and a deep belief in treating people as kin — not cases.

In 2006, Ian was the victim of a hit-and-run accident that changed the trajectory of his life. Recovery led him into ultra-marathon running, graduate studies, a PhD in anthropology, and eventually into emergency medicine — carrying with him a perspective that blends Western medicine with Indigenous knowledge, cultural humility, and lived experience.

Recently, Ian returned from Gaza, where he provided emergency medical care during a humanitarian crisis. In this episode, we talk about the realities of practicing medicine in a conflict zone, the mental and emotional toll of frontline work, and how endurance — physical and psychological — has shaped the  ...