Dr. Death | S1: Dr. Duntsch
5.0/5
Critic Rating
Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Which begs the question: who - or what - is that system meant to protect? Reported and hosted by Laura Beil.
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Gregg Stockdale • The Podcast Geek • Dec 10, 2023
"(Seasons 1-4) What happens when your surgeon isn't who he says he is? Dr. Death exposes unbelievable and extreme cases of medical malpractice."
Score: 4.9
Aja Romano • Vox • Dec 7, 2020
"...gripping storytelling and an unforgettable close-up look at systemic failure. Dr. Death’s portrait of Duntsch works because Beil never stops reminding you how ordinary Duntsch’s brand of arrogant incompetence is, nor of the systems that allowed him to flourish."
Score: 5
Justine Goode • Vanity Fair • Oct 30, 2020
"After listening, it’s hard to say which is more disturbing—Duntsch’s stomach-churning acts of malpractice, or the way American health care system aided and abetted him, and continually failed to protect his victims. …"
Score: 5
Joshua Dudley • Forbes • Dec 31, 2018
"...increasingly bizarre true crime story.My jaw dropped in horror as the blame for this awful behavior was shifted and his crimes... train-wreck you won't be able to turn away from. "
Score: 5
Jake Greenberg • PodcastReview.org • Nov 9, 2018
"In its spectacular first several episodes, which report on the many botched surgeries Duntsch embarked on, Dr. Death is genuinely horrifying. Two weeks after the finish of its official season, Dr. Death looks like a phenomenon. The world-building in Dr. Death comes naturally, forgoing portraits of Dallas the town or its residents. The show is smart enough to launch into the straight reporting, letting the terrible drama of the case take priority over style."
