Healthcare Econ 101 - Ep. 2: Show Me the Money (RVUs & DRGs)
Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast
Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast
4.8 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2026
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever wonder why a complex gallbladder surgery only nets the surgeon about $350, while the hospital collects thousands? In this episode, Dr. Christopher Childers and Dr. Nina Clark pull back the curtain on how the money actually flows in medicine. From the birth of the RVU to the "Two Midnight Rule," we’re breaking down the math behind your paycheck.
Next Step: Ready to make sure you're actually getting credit for the work you do? Join us for Episode 3, where we dive into the "Black Box" of Coding and Billing.
***Fellowship Application Link: https://forms.gle/QSUrR2GWHDZ1MmWC6
Sponsor Disclaimer: Visit goremedical.com/btkpod to learn more about GORE® SYNECOR Biomaterial, including supporting references and disclaimers for the presented content. Refer to Instructions for Use at eifu.goremedical.com for a complete description of all applicable indications, warnings, precautions and contraindications for the markets where this product is available. Rx only
Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.
If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://behindtheknife.org/listen
Behind the Knife Premium:
General Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/general-surgery-oral-board-review
Trauma Surgery Video Atlas: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/trauma-surgery-video-atlas
Dominate Surgery: A High-Yield Guide to Your Surgery Clerkship: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/dominate-surgery-a-high-yield-guide-to-your-surgery-clerkship
Dominate Surgery for APPs: A High-Yield Guide to Your Surgery Rotation: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/dominate-surgery-for-apps-a-high-yield-guide-to-your-surgery-rotation
Vascular Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/vascular-surgery-oral-board-audio-review
Colorectal Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/colorectal-surgery-oral-board-audio-review
Surgical Oncology Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/surgical-oncology-oral-board-audio-review
Cardiothoracic Oral Board Review Course: https://behindtheknife.org/premium/cardiothoracic-surgery-oral-board-audio-review
Download our App:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/behind-the-knife/id1672420049
Android/Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.btk.app&hl=en_US
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Behind the Night, the Surgery Podcast, relevant and engaging content, to join the Behind the Knife team as a surgical education fellow. |
| 0:28.8 | We're looking for enterprising surgical residents to take the bull by the horns and build something new and exciting. |
| 0:35.5 | Fellows will benefit from ample support from the Behind the Knife team, |
| 0:38.9 | including the use of our digital education platform, and access to all of our resources like |
| 0:43.7 | illustrators, video editing, AI tools, social media, and more. Get your name out there and build |
| 0:50.1 | your CV by being part of the number one surgery education platform in the world. We're offering a |
| 0:56.2 | two-year fellowship starting July 26 and ending in June 28. Only residents beginning their two-year |
| 1:03.0 | academic development time will be considered. Check out the show notes for more information, |
| 1:07.5 | including the application link. All applications are due on April 20th. Again, |
| 1:13.0 | all applications are due by April 20th. Now, get out there and dominate the day. |
| 1:19.6 | Hey, everybody, and welcome back to our mini series on healthcare finance. I am joined once again by |
| 1:24.4 | Dr. Christopher Childers, who's a surgical oncologist at the University |
| 1:27.8 | of Washington and a self-reclaimed health care finance nerd. |
| 1:31.7 | This is Nina Clark from the University of Washington as well, one of the chief residents |
| 1:35.3 | back working with behind the knife. |
| 1:37.5 | In our first episode, we covered a ton of ground. |
| 1:39.8 | We talked about terminology. |
| 1:41.3 | We talked about insurance. |
| 1:42.6 | And we even made Dr. Childers address the question |
| 1:44.9 | of why health care is so expensive in this country. This episode, we're going to dive into |
| 1:49.8 | how physicians and hospitals get paid. And while I think most of us have realized that we could |
| 1:54.4 | have probably made more money in less time by going into a completely different career path, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

