By Merin C. MacDonald | Date published: July 1, 2024
Ryann Quinn and Ryan Holstead Explore Major Tumor Sites in Educational Podcast
Ryann Quinn, MD, and Ryan Holstead, MD, assistant professors of medicine and physicians in the Division of Hematology/Oncology have many things in common. They are both oncologists, they began their careers at UMass Chan Medical School/UMass Memorial Health at the same time, they are married, and perhaps most obviously, they share the same first name. Now, they have added popular podcast co-hosts to their list.
While they were completing their residency and fellowships, Drs. Quinn and Holstead discovered they could not find a hematology/oncology podcast aimed at trainees. Podcasts existed for experts in the field, but there was little to nothing appropriate for an introductory audience. Throughout their time apart during training, they often spent an hour or more on the phone talking about various oncology topics and realized that the issues they were discussing could be valuable to share with a larger audience.
In April 2022, Drs. Quinn and Holstead officially launched their educational podcast Talking about Tumors with Ryann and Ryan and have since recorded about 40 episodes, where they focus their discussions on major tumor sites. They anticipate that they will complete these discussions over the next six months.
Dr. Holstead noted that their podcast has gained momentum and their reach is widening, commenting, “We've had more people picking up lately, with about 30% of our listeners being international.” They also presented a poster, “Global interest in podcasts designed for medical oncology trainees,” at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in the late spring.
Beyond completing their tumor site series, in future podcasts, Drs. Quinn and Holstead are hoping to interview allied specialists and are also interested in speaking with families who would be willing to join their discussions.
Tune into Talking about Tumors with Ryann and Ryan on any of the major podcast streaming services or visit their website: www.talkingabouttumors.com.