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Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians

CAMH, Dr. David Gratzer: Physician and Educator at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Every year physicians and residents encounter a growing number of patients — and a shrinking amount of time to keep up-to-date on new practices or legislation surrounding the field of mental health and addiction.

Now, with the help of Dr. David Gratzer, co-chief of the General Adult Psychiatry & Health Systems Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, you can receive your clinical education on-the-go as he and his guests take these current policies and practices and summarize them for you.

As an educator, Dr. David Gratzer has been recognized by students and peers alike for his ability to take complex topics and present them in a concise and interesting way. He’s been doing this with a variety of articles related to psychiatry since 2012 in his popular blog, Reading of the Week. Now, in this new show, Dr. Gratzer brings his analytical skills on-air and, with the help of other experts, presents them in short, easily digestible, podcasts.

Give him just a few minutes of your time for each episode and come away with strategies and insight on how each topic could affect your practice — and your patients.

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#44
June 24 · 25 min
Suicide prevention with Dr. Mark Sinyor
On this episode, Dr. Gratzer discusses suicide prevention with one of the world’s leading experts in this space, Dr. Mark Sinyor, who is a professor at UofT, a staff psychiatrist at Sunnybrook, and the global lead of Partnerships for Life Initiative with the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).
#43
April 8 · 23 min
A skeptic’s view of psychiatry: An interview with Dr. Joel Paris
What happens to your perspective after five decades in psychiatry—treating tens of thousands of patients, leading major institutions, and authoring dozens of books and papers? Well, if you are Dr. Joel Paris, you might just get a bit skeptical.
#42
February 18 · 30 min
Building a better mental health care system
On this episode of Quick Takes, I spoke with Dr. Paul Kurdyak about how mental health care differs from other areas of the health system—especially when it comes to access, quality of care, and the need for a more structured and accountable approach.
#41
Oct 1, 2025 · 23 min
The wellness industry with Dr. Jonathan Stea
With a few clicks of the mouse, our patients can read what we read – including the latest journals. But they also can access a world of half-truths, misleading claims, and falsehoods. On this episode of Quick Takes, I speak with Dr. Jonathan Stea, a University of Calgary psychologist and a bestselling author, about his research on the wellness industry.
#40
Jul 16, 2025 · 31 min
The semaglutide era? Considering medication-related weight gain
News about semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications is everywhere—and these treatments are increasingly becoming part of our work with mental health patients. To explore how they’re being used, along with their benefits and drawbacks, I'm joined by experts Dr. Mahavir Agarwal, Lisa Schaffer, and Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam.
#39
May 28, 2025 · 14 min
An innovation in perinatal mental healthcare with Daisy Singla
Perinatal depression is common – and yet many women in Canada and other high-income countries don’t receive care. What can be done to help them? Could nonspecialist providers – like nurses, midwives, and doulas – be trained up to deliver psychotherapy effectively? Can telemedicine be used? In this episode of Quick Takes I spoke with Daisy Single, co-lead of the SUMMIT trial which focused on finding answers to these questions.
#38
Mar 26, 2025 · 19 min
Yoga and practice with Dr. Vanika Chawla
In this Quick Takes episode, I speak with Dr. Vanika Chawla, a psychiatrist, a registered yoga teacher, and an assistant professor at Stanford University, about her experience incorporating yoga into her practice.
#37
Jan 22, 2025 · 25 min
Dr. Joss Reimer, CMA President, on living with depression
In this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. David Gratzer sat down with Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association, who openly shares her own experiences with depression, as a doctor and as a patient.
#36
Nov 27, 2024 · 22 min
Exploring the future of education with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam
Join Dr. David Gratzer as he speaks with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, CAMH’s VP of Education and CMO, as they explore the evolving world of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
#35
Sep 25, 2024 · 21 min
Mentorship with Dr. Suzanne Koven
Mentorship can be a rewarding part of a physician’s career. To discuss what makes a good mentor Dr. David Gratzer is joined in this episode by Dr. Suzanne Koven, author of the New England Journal of Medicine article “What is a Mentor?”
Aug 14, 2024 · 22 min
[Quick Takes Essentials] Physician burnout and depression with Dr. Srijan Sen
Welcome back to Quick Takes Essentials our summer series. This essential episode is on the hot topic of burnout. As physicians, we know colleagues who may have experienced it – and we may have personal experience. How do we define burnout and understand this term? What’s being done to help combat it? In this episode, I speak with Dr. Srijan Sen (of the University of Michigan). Please enjoy.
Aug 14, 2024 · 25 min
[Quick Takes Essentials] Chronic homelessness with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos
Welcome back to Quick Takes Essentials our summer series. This essential episode is on homelessness, a profound problem for some – for too many – of our patients. The topic is bleak but my conversation with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos (of the University of Toronto) is upbeat and optimistic. We speak about the challenges of engaging and treating this population, as well as how providers should approach clinical care. Please enjoy.
Aug 14, 2024 · 27 min
[Quick Takes Essentials] ChatGPT and mental health care with Dr. John Torous
Welcome to another episode of Quick Takes Essentials, our summer series. This essential episode focuses on the possible impact of AI on mental health care. I speak with Dr John Torous (of Harvard University), a returning guest. We discuss the potential of AI to make clinical notes more accessible to patients, the potential problems with privacy, and whether or not he likes the term hallucinate (he doesn’t).
Jul 17, 2024 · 36 min
[Quick Takes Essentials] CANMAT depression update with Dr. Raymond Lam
Welcome back to Quick Takes Essentials our summer series. This essential episode was released just this past May and I interviewed first co-author Doctor Raymond Lam of the University of British Columbia on the newly released CANMAT Depression Guidelines update.
Jul 17, 2024 · 16 min
[Quick Takes Essentials] Sleep with Dr. Michael Mak
Welcome back to Quick Takes Essentials our summer series that introduces (or re-introduces) you to episodes from our archives that have focused on important clinical updates and recent big issues in psychiatry. For answers to questions on sleep disorders and the new medications available for physicians to prescribe, have a listen to this episode released in April of 2023 where I interviewed psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Michael Mak.
Jul 17, 2024 · 24 min
[Quick Takes Essentials] Cannabis with Dr. Kevin Hill
Welcome to Quick Takes Essentials our summer series that introduces (or re-introduces) you to episodes from our archives that have focused on important clinical updates and recent big issues in psychiatry. This selection first aired back in May of 2022 and in it I spoke about cannabis use ("Who should be using cannabis? How should we talk to our patients about it?") with Dr. Kevin Hill of Harvard University.
#34
Jun 26, 2024 · 26 min
The past, present, and future of neuromodulation with Dr. Daniel Blumberger
The benefits of ECT of course are well established. So is the stigma. Is that stigma likely to fade with time? Is ECT itself growing less relevant in the age of ketamine and MST? What is the future of neuromodulation? Join Dr. David Gratzer in conversation with Dr. Daniel Blumberger, scientific director of the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, and find out.
#33
May 15, 2024 · 35 min
The new CANMAT depression update with Dr. Raymond Lam
The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) released its first major depression update in eight years. How has depression management changed, and what does it mean for you and your practice? Join Dr. David Gratzer as he speaks to Dr. Raymond Lam, the co-first author and the executive chair of CANMAT and find out.
#32
Feb 28, 2024 · 24 min
Chronic homelessness with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos
Across North America, there are more people who are chronically homeless than ever before. Who are they? What psychiatric problems do they have? How can we help them? Joining Dr. David Gratzer to discuss this topic: Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, a former Physician-in-Chief of CAMH and an internationally recognized expert on chronic homelessness.
#31
Nov 29, 2023 · 27 min
The evolution of medical education with Dr. Ivan Silver
The world of medical education has changed. Textbooks, highlighters, and classrooms are being replaced by AI, sim and e-learning. To talk about the evolution of medical education, Dr. David Gratzer sat down with returning guest Dr. Ivan Silver, former vice president of education at CAMH and vice dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine.

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