Why Pigs? And Other Ethical Nightmares

This week on Social Rounds, Tony Chin-Quee and Joan Chan ask the big question: should we really be growing pigs to fix our busted organs? With the FDA officially saying “yep, let’s try it,” xenotransplantation is suddenly more than a Black Mirror plotline. We break down the science, the squeamish factor, and why pigs got the short straw instead of, say, goats or raccoons.

But that’s not all, because medicine isn’t just about kidneys and CRISPR. We also get into the all-too-real problem of doctors forgetting that patients are, in fact, people. Spoiler: dignity matters as much as dialysis.

It’s part science, part roast, part therapy session. Grab your stethoscope and your sense of humor - things are about to get weird.

Hosted by:

Tony Chin-Quee: https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/tony-chin-quee-md

Joan Chan: https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/joan-chan-md

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/08/health/pig-kidney-transplant-human-trial-fda

https://nypost.com/2025/09/04/us-news/california-healthcare-staff-fired-after-posting-dehumanizing-tiktok-mocking-patients-in-exam-room/