Don't Ever Assume: Q&A with Zale Mednick Of The "Preconceived" Podcast

"It occurred to me one day; how much of my life has been dictated by my own values, and how much has been shaped by societal norms and expectations?"
- Zale Mednick, Host of the Preconceived podcast.

Can medications help you get over a breakup? Why are we all so scared of public speaking?
How did tattoos become so popular? Why are men so apprehensive in approaching women to go out on a date?
These are just a few of the burning questions posed and explored by Zale Mednick, host of Preconceived.

Born and raised in Toronto, Mednick is a practicing ophthalmologist who enjoys embarking on as many of life’s adventures as possible. He has travelled extensively, worked as a professional actor and spent four seasons as part of the medical team on CBS hit show Survivor. After years of changing experiences, Zale has come to question the “why” of every major twist and turn. To this end, he launched Preconceived to challenge the status quo.

As a podcast, Preconceived exists to question the current state of affairs. Why are we groomed to accept norms as they are? Are we all destined to go to school, find a stable job, get married, have kids, then enjoy our retirement and older age? Do we hold certain beliefs because we value them, or because someone else told us to?

By challenging the paradigms that shape our world view, we discover what we want and why life is worth living. Yes, agency can be overwhelming. But when we simply ask the question “why”, we are free to take control and live our most authentic lives.

Zale Mednick was kind enough to dedicate his precious time (after all, he's an ophthalmologist and a podcast creator and host) to answer some questions.

Q. First, Zale, why did you start a podcast?

A. I started Preconceived while at a crossroads in my own life. After a decade of medical training, I was in the midst of starting my own ophthalmology practice. While excited by that prospect, it was also a natural moment for me to re-examine other domains of my life more critically. There was a certain part of myself that I felt I’d "gotten away from."

As a child, I was a professional actor, and I’ve always enjoyed public speaking and creative endeavors. I decided that it was important to me that as I formally started my professional career, I simultaneously launch another project to engage my more creative side.

I sat down with a pen and paper and wrote down about ten ideas that had been percolating somewhere in my mind for the prior few years - some more realistic than others! Of the hodgepodge of ideas I put down, I decided that starting a podcast was a good fit. It was a project I could define on my own terms, it would enable me to be curious and creative, and frankly - it seemed feasible and not too overwhelming.

Q. How did you come up with the concept for Preconceived?

A. In many ways, the concept of Preconceived was a natural extension once I decided to start a podcast at all. Part of why I wanted to start a new project was because I didn’t want my career as an ophthalmologist to wholly define me. While practicing medicine is a big part of my life, my life had been so consumed by the field for so long, that I wondered if I’d neglected other aspects of my interests and personality.

For many of us, our career can easily become the centerpiece of our lives without even realizing it. In many regards, there is a natural sequence in life to which many of our lives subscribe: a typical education in our younger years, a college or work experience, a monogamous relationship, having kids, a stable career, and finally this idea of a so-called retirement in our older years when we spend time with our grandkids.

As I segued from my educational years into my professional life, I began to question this "natural" progression. Was I making the choices in my life because they were authentic to who I was, or was I merely following the status quo of what was "expected?" This is what the concept of Preconceived is all about: challenging the preconceptions that shape how we view the world, and the paradigms by which we live our lives. It was the perfect theme for me to explore as I entered a new chapter of my life and faced my own questions regarding my career, romantic relationships, desire to have kids, and the way I viewed the world.

Q. How does your science background help you with your expert guests?

A. That’s a great question, mostly because I’m not sure if I have a good answer! My initial reaction is I’m not sure that my science background does help me, to be honest.

But on further reflection, I think that being a doctor has probably informed the way I converse with guests more than I’ve given credit. A core part of medicine is asking questions to try and find answers. When interacting with patients, I try my best to listen and ‘extract’ their stories from them, so I can get to the root of why they’ve come to see me and how I can help. Sometimes the reason is obvious and all I need to do is listen.

Sometimes it is more subtle, or more complicated to piece together, in which case I need to ask the right questions to get to the core of their story. In many ways, hosting a podcast is the same process. My role is to help guests share their stories and impart their insights to me and the listeners.

Q. I know you're an ophthalmologist. How did you learn about podcasting hosting and podcast production?

A. The first episode of Preconceived is called Jump In, and that’s literally what I did with podcasting. I debated taking courses in hosting, audio editing, podcast production, etc… But then I thought to myself, "Why not just get started and learn along the way?" That’s not typically how I’m used to doing things, but the stakes seemed pretty low. So very out of keeping with my personality, I decided to just "go with the flow."

In terms of podcast production, I really just did what anyone does when learning a new skill nowadays - I used Google and YouTube to guide me in the right directions. I had zero skill set in audio editing or microphones prior to starting the show. I started by buying the least expensive software and technical gear. Once I was able to gain some semblance of comfort with the general process of recording and editing an episode, I upgraded software and equipment as needed. It’s still a work in progress, and I’m by no means an expert, but I’m constantly learning, over three years into the process.

Q. What's the most challenging part of being a podcast host?

A. The most challenging part of being a podcast host is guiding the conversation. That might sound like a strange thing to admit, as that is literally the most important job as the host, but that’s the truth. The thing is - every guest is unique and communicates in a different style. Some guests will tell you their whole story all at once. Other guests will give quick answers and require more prompting from me. I never know what to expect, and I want to allow each guest to answer questions in their own style and be as authentic as possible.

I try not to be too regimented in my approach to an interview. After all, a podcast is supposed to be more of a conversation than an interview. I do think there is value in letting the conversation go where it goes, so to speak. On the same token, though, I do think it’s important not to stray too far from the main theme of the episode. There are certain questions that I consider to be the crux of a particular topic, that I want to make sure I get to in a timely manner so the listener doesn’t lose interest.

It’s all about balance - letting each guest tell their story properly, while not letting the episode ‘get away’ from what it’s really about. For me, it’s always an active process in trying to strike that balance, which keeps me on my toes and is part of the fun of hosting, but is also the most challenging aspect for me.

Q. You've been incredibly prolific with episodes. How do you maintain that schedule?

A. My audience has been incredibly loyal, but I’m constantly aware that there are literally millions of other shows they could turn to if I stop producing both consistent and high-quality content. I try my best to put out weekly episodes so that my audience stays engaged with the show. It can be challenging to keep up with the schedule, but it’s made easier because I really do love recording new episodes with interesting guests.

With my work schedule, it can sometimes be difficult to find the time to schedule podcasts, but I try my best to record on a weekly basis. One thing that helps is recording an episode far in advance of its release. I typically record an episode 6-8 weeks before I publish it, which gives me ample time to edit it, prepare the social media posts for it, etc… If I have a lighter week in the office, I might schedule two recordings that particular week, just to stay ahead of schedule. I guess that’s probably been key for me - trying to stockpile episodes in advance, so in case something unexpected pops up or I get swamped with work, I’ve always got an episode ready to go.

Q. How do you find your expert guests?

A. I typically decide on a topic for an episode before I settle on a guest (though occasionally it’s the other way around).

Once I’ve found a topic that intrigues me, I’ll then look up experts related to that field and email them to see if they’re interested in joining for an episode of the show. Often, the topics are broad such that a number of people could serve as an appropriate guest. In these cases, I might look up a few different experts on YouTube to see if any of them is a particularly captivating speaker who I think would be a good fit for the show, and I choose based on that. The reality is though, in some cases, I might email a handful of people before someone even gets back to me!

Other times, the topics are quite niche, and there’s literally only a few people in the world who have the expertise to be a guest on that particular topic. For example, I ran an episode called Children of Nazis. The only person qualified to speak on this topic was Tania Crasnianski, who wrote a book on the otherwise unexamined topic. If Tania hadn’t agreed to join me for an episode, I simply wouldn’t have been able to do an episode on that topic.

I’ve been incredibly lucky that so many of my guests have been so kind with their time and have agreed to join me on the show, despite their busy schedules and multiple media requests.

Q. One of my favorite episodes was the one on being left-handed. You were well-versed in the book of David Wolman. Perhaps even more so than the author. How do you manage to read so many books by all the experts on your show?

A. Another great question (you have a knack for this!). I like to be as prepared as possible for an episode. If a guest is giving me their time, and my audience is giving me their time, I think it’s my responsibility to do as much research beforehand as possible. This can be time-consuming, but typically these are topics that I’ve chosen to explore because they interest me, so reading the relevant book doesn’t feel so much like a chore as it is enjoyable.

Having said all this, I’m still uncertain as to what the best approach is in preparing for a podcast. When I read a book, it provides me with new insights and different lines of questioning than I would have thought to explore otherwise. But sometimes I wonder whether I come into some interviews a bit ‘over-prepared’. Apparently Larry King used to conduct his interviews with minimal preparation regarding the guest, because he wanted to approach the topic with the same curiosity and naivete as the viewer. Needless to say, Larry King knew what he was doing.

Sometimes when I’ve read the guest’s book, as in David Wolman’s A Left Hand Turn Around The World, I wonder if all the knowledge I’ve already accumulated from the book clouds my ability to ask the more basic questions that the audience is curious about. That episode is a great example; some people really loved it, but I also got feedback from one loyal listener who felt that I referenced the book too much and that it got in the way of my exploring the broader themes at play.

Q. You did two episodes this June called The Other Side: Pro-Gun and The Other Side: Pro-Life. Why do those episodes? What was the listener's feedback?

A. These kinds of episodes are tough. In recording these episodes, I don’t want to be insensitive to those affected by the overturn of Roe V. Wade, or by gun violence in the United States. In fact, the timing of the Pro-Life episode was completely coincidental; I released it days before news came out that the Supreme Court was planning on repealing Roe V. Wade.

While controversial, these episodes in many ways symbolize what the podcast is all about. In regards to abortion, I consider myself pro-choice. And growing up in Canada, I’d never really understood the adamancy of many on the Right who staunchly support gun rights. But recording these episodes, I learned an awful lot about a perspective I would have never considered. There is a tendency to paint certain groups with a broad brush, to see issues as black-and-white. But the truth is, someone considered pro-gun might be just as passionate about ending gun violence as someone who thinks guns should be more tightly regulated; they just have a different view on what will ultimately get us to reduced gun violence. And not everyone who is ‘pro-life’ is a bigot; while we might disagree with their stance, some (not all) people who are ‘pro-life’ have reasons that they view as rational.

The best way to approach controversial issues in society is to have an actual open-minded conversation. Too often we are afraid to even broach that conversation, in fear that acknowledgement of the other side is the same as acquiescence to the other side. In reality, our views will be sharpened, more fact-based, and more nuanced, if we at least sit down and have a conversation to understand the other side, even if we strongly oppose it.

Q. You've been producing episodes since early 2019. What have you learned about podcasting since you started?

A. It’s really hard to gain an audience!! There is so much content out there - be it podcasts, YouTube videos, audiobooks, tv shows, etc… - that it’s incredibly hard to gain new followers. And I get it … I’m also overwhelmed by content overload in my own life!

All that is to say, I’m so grateful to my loyal listeners, many of whom have been following the show for several years now. I feel very lucky that people take precious time out of their days to listen to the episodes I’ve worked so hard on producing.

Q. You've done episodes on topics that range from transgender athletic competitiveness to Human Sacrifice and from Birth Order to Breaking the Disney Spell. How do you choose topics for your podcast?

A. You know, I used to worry that I’d run out of topics. Thankfully, I’ve been able to put that concern to bed. There are constantly new topics being brought to my mind, whether through my own daily encounters, interesting articles I come across, or suggestions from listeners.

There are three main buckets of episodes I keep in mind as I select topics for the show. The first is in relation to our major life choices - the types of romantic relationships we choose, having kids, career paths, and other decisions that determine the overarching trajectories of our lives. The second is in relation to controversial topics to which we may have been indoctrinated to certain opinions - like the Pro-Gun and Pro-Life episodes you alluded to, and strippers and the sex industry. And the third type of episode relates to the seemingly mundane topics in our lives that many of us wouldn’t even consider worthy of an opinion - circumcision, pets, and the ‘made-up’ concept of money.

Q. Final question: You launched Preconceived to challenge the status quo. To encourage listeners to think differently. How are we doing at that as a society?

A. I wouldn’t presume to feign a grasp on the current state of society. But at risk of not answering your question, I’ll give the annoying answer of ‘it depends’.

Echo chambers and social media have made it easier than ever to not think differently, and to just follow the status quo. I’ve been discouraged at times by the response to certain episodes I’ve recorded. I posted the episode regarding Transgender Athletes with Joanna Harper on our YouTube channel. I thought Joanna spoke very articulately and presented a balanced viewpoint on what many consider to be a controversial topic. Some of the comments to the video were hateful and rude to Joanna, and it was clear that those writing the comments hadn’t even listened to the episode; they just saw the subject line and started typing away.

I don’t want to sound preachy, because I’m a far cry from perfect when it comes to shedding my own preconceptions. But my two cents is this: I think one of the biggest problems in society is that we don’t listen enough. People are often so set in expressing their opinions, that it feels like they aren’t hearing what is being said to them. When observing conversations, whether on the news or in our own lives, it can feel like people aren’t really listening, but just waiting for their turn to interject with what they think.

I do, however, believe that many people are tired of echo chambers and of conforming to the popular opinion just because it’s convenient. For all the stubbornness out there, I do think there are so many people who do want to listen, have honest conversations, and expand their horizons.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful questions and your interest in Preconceived. I’m so grateful for your interest.

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Dr. Zale Mednick's podcast Preconceived is incontrovertible proof that podcasting is a medium that still offers a pathway to success and fulfilling a dream for the "Average Joe, Joan, and Them."

I would bet a lot of money on FanDuel or DraftKings that Zale Mednick can "out-host" most established podcast hosts. Mednick is a terrific interviewer, researches his topic like Aaron Rodgers throws TD passes, and handles his episode topics with objectivity, balance and insight. And, he's from Canada.

Check out the Preconceived podcast.You may never assume again.

 

Dr. Zale Mednick, Ophthalmologist and Host and Creator of the Preconceived podcast.