The world’s most important doctor to millions in the war-torn villages of Sudan (#40 rebroadcast)

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

November 20, 2023

Duration

2h 39m

Channel

Peter Attia MD

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Watch the full episode and view show notes here: https://bit.ly/46kWZja Become a member to receive exclusive content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ To support Tom’s mission and work, please visit: https://africanmissionhealthcare.org/donation/catena/ In this episode, Tom Catena, a missionary physician who runs Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, describes some of his extraordinary work as the only doctor in a remote, war-torn region of Africa. In terms of individual lives saved, you could argue that there is no other person on the front lines doing more than Tom. Additionally, we explore the manner in which the Nuba people die, which is in striking contrast to the ubiquity of chronic disease and self-harm in the West, despite the extreme poverty and unimaginable suffering experienced by the Nuba people. Lastly, we discuss the lessons to be gleaned from the Nuba people, who, despite their suffering, live so harmoniously, happily, and resiliently. We discuss: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:05:15 - Background, medical training, and early days of missionary work in Africa 0:12:30 - Tom arrives at Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, civil war breaks out, and his staff evacuates 0:37:00 - Learning surgery on the job and earning the trust of the community 0:47:45 - The amazing people of Nuba, and why Nuba feels like home to Tom 0:59:45 - NY Times article about Tom’s work, and Tom’s new venture on the board of the Aurora Prize Foundation, raising awareness and funds for other missionaries 1:12:00 - Tom’s mind-blowing ability to deal with chaos while seeing hundreds of patients per day 1:19:45 - The most afraid Tom has ever been, and how he copes with the emotional trauma of his daily experiences 1:30:00 - The basic tools, technologies, and medicines that Tom is lacking that could save many lives 1:35:15 - The logistical challenge of helping Tom’s hospital, and what Tom really needs 1:38:30 - Diseases in the adult population 1:55:45 - Living without possessions, finding meaning, and being a missionary 2:07:15 - Happiness, sense of purpose, and suicide: contrasting the US with Nuba 2:15:15 - Other than donations, is there a way people can help Tom and other similar causes? 2:18:30 - The food in Nuba 2:23:45 - Tom’s annual bout of malaria 2:26:00 - Patients Tom will never forget 2:31:00 - Resources for people wanting to get involved in helping Tom’s work 2:32:00 - Peter tells a story that defines Tom -------- About: The Peter Attia Drive is a deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity, and all that goes into that from physical to cognitive to emotional health. With over 70 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including exercise, nutritional biochemistry, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter Attia is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan. Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGoogle Disclaimer: This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and the materials linked to this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they have, and they should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. I take conflicts of interest very seriously. For all of my disclosures and the companies I invest in or advise, please visit my website where I keep an up-to-date and active list of such companies. For a full list of our registered and unregistered trademarks, trade names, and service marks, please review our Terms of Use: https://peterattiamd.com/terms-of-use/

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Peter Attia

  host

  Physician and host of The Drive podcast.

• Tom Catena

  guest

  American physician known for providing medical care in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Peter Attia MD, featuring Peter Attia and Tom Catena, The world’s most important doctor to millions in the war-torn villages of Sudan (#40 rebroadcast) explores missionary Surgeon Tom Catena Describes Sole-Doctor Life in War-Torn Nuba Mountains Catena explains how he went from a mechanical engineering degree and Navy service to missionary work in Kenya and then to Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains, where he arrived in 2008.

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