High listeners, I'm Jake Weber.

And today I want to tell you a story about a doctor,

a doctor who realized how much power he really has over his patients.

So gather round and listen close.

Most people don't realize how much power a doctor really has.

You show up at our office, fill out forms with your most personal information.

You address your social security number, sexual history,

you even trust us with your blood.

And yet, throughout my career, my whole life has always felt powerless.

I had lived in Ukraine for most of my life, starting to be a doctor.

I came to New York City in the summer of 2001.

I have to finish my school in my home country and receiving a job.

It's my uncle's urology practice in Brighton Beach.

My husband told he was the king of Brighton Beach urology,

and that sounded very impressive.

But when I arrived at Brighton Beach, I thought, no, this cannot be America.

This place is more backward than Moscow in at least 30 years behind Odessa.

My uncle's office served a community.

Best described as angry babushka ladies and geriatric mobster men.

The staff, even worse.

I was afraid of all of them.

I thought I'd only help him for a short time and then start a practice of my own someplace nice.

...