Once again, we are tucked into the secret beach hut studio with Podcasting Veteran, James Martell. Kimberly couldn’t make it this week, probably out swimming with the turtles, but fear not. James has, as his special guest, Dr. Ryan Gray, founder and host of The Premed Years Podcast. Dr. Gray will tell James what inspired him to start his podcast, the secret to his incredible consistency and where he finds guests.

Obviously, Dr. Gray had had a full career before starting a podcast business. He graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Exercise and Sports Sciences before receiving his M.D. from New York Medical College. He then had a career as a Flight Surgeon in the United States Air Force. Talk about aiming high!

Responding to a Need

Dr. Gray didn’t decide on starting a podcast business because he was bored. As a father and full time physician, he has plenty to do. But he was inspired by one of his favorite activities – listening to podcasts! And he’d noticed a need…

About 60,000 students apply to medical school every year. Only 44% are accepted. It could be that the ones who make the cut (surgeon joke!) are the best qualified. But it could also be the case that excellent students, who would make excellent physicians, get bogged down in the extremely complex application process.

When Dr. Gray looked for resources online, the biggest site he found was a forum. The predominate attitude on the forum was cutthroat and competitive, not helpful and supportive. So Dr. Gray started The Premed Years Podcast.

While he recognizes podcasting as a reliable source for new clients (he offers interview coaching, editing for personal statements and one on one application prep assistance), Dr. Gray didn’t start his podcast as part of a business strategy. He just found that podcasting was a more fun way to create content.

What’s Up, Doc? Conversation vs. Interview

Starting a podcast business, Dr. Gray knew he would need to have interesting, relevant guests on his show. But he did not want to do an interview show. Instead, Dr. Gray invites his guests to have an open-ended conversation. Nothing scripted. Surprises welcome.

And who are those guests? Many of them are the people who can be most helpful to students wanting to get into medical school – like Deans of the Admissions Committee, or Premed Advisors. However, Dr. Gray also really enjoys hearing from people who have been successful in the process, like Jessica, a young woman he interviewed after she was accepted into ten (yes, ten!) different medical schools.

The Big Challenge

As one might guess, one of the hardest things for Dr. Ryan is finding the time to put his show together. He and James discuss strategies for keeping motivated and for getting the job done even when you’re not in the mood.

Drop the Stethoscope and Put on Your Headphones

Listen to this inspiring episode to hear:

• Dr. Gray’s personal story of starting a podcast business
• The key to consistency – never missing a show in 169 consecutive Wednesdays
• Innovative ways to solicit listener feedback
• The importance of a collaborative community

Resources:

If you’re thinking of staring a podcast business, be sure to check out the resources offered with every episode of Podcasting Mastery. This week we have:

• Podcast of the Week – The Premed Years Podcast
• Tool of the Week – Meet Edgar
• Report of the Week- Twelve Core Elements of a No-Fail Podcast

The post #017 | The Non-interview Show – Nothing Scripted and Surprises Welcome with Dr. Ryan Gray of The Premed Years Podcast! appeared first on Podcasting Mastery.