Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/4c602k2 Bill Frist is a nationally acclaimed heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, and is actively engaged in health policy and education reform. In this episode, Bill takes us through his long and varied career in medicine, politics, and business, which includes establishing the organ transplantation program at Vanderbilt as well as rising from the lowest-ranked member of the U.S. Senate to the Majority Leader in two terms. We discuss some of the most significant moments of his time in the Senate, such as advocating for AIDS prevention programs' funding and addressing complicated issues like stem cell research and the end-of-life issues raised by the Terri Schiavo case. We also hear his first-person account of what happened behind the scenes on September 11, 2001, his frustration with our lack of preparation for the pandemic, and his thoughts about the current state of U.S. politics. Finally, we talk about his current endeavors in health policy and education reform. We discuss: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:40 - Bill’s decision to pursue medicine and do organ transplants 00:12:00 - The miraculous nature of organ transplants: History, Bill’s work, and the most exciting things to come 00:21:45 - Frist’s experience building up the heart transplant program at Vanderbilt 00:29:15 - The famous rivalry between surgeons Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey 00:33:00 - How the medical field can attract bright young people to pursue medicine 00:38:00 - Bill’s decision to leave medicine and run for the US senate 00:47:30 - The value in having scientists and physicians in Congress 00:55:30 - A discussion on whether or not senators should have term limits 01:00:30 - The highly polarized nature of politics, and how we can fix it with empathy 01:05:30 - Bill’s time in the Senate and quick rise to Senate Majority Leader 01:15:15 - The lifesaving impact of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under George W. Bush 01:19:45 - How Bill reversed course on his view of the value and morality of stem cell research 01:30:00 - Complex end-of-life decisions, and Bill’s role in the infamous Terri Schiavo case—a story that captures the conflict among law, morality, and improving technology 01:49:45 - Remembering the events of September 11th from Bill’s perspective in the Senate 01:56:45 - The coronavirus pandemic: Bill’s accurate 2005 prediction, and a discussion about future preparedness 02:06:45 - The divided state of US politics, and how we can come together 02:12:45 - How experience in medicine and politics is shaping Bill’s current endeavors in business, reforming education, palliative care, and more (2:12:45) Show notes page: https://peterattiamd.com/billfrist/ About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 30 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/​ Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/​ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/​ Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB​ Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW​ Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG​ Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts​ Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast​ Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify​ Google Play: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGooglePlay