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Medical heroes of October 7: the story of Dr. Amit Frenkel and Soroka Hospital staff

Physician

August 2, 2024

An excerpt from Battles in White: October 7 attack: The story of the medical, nursing, and rescue teams.

Dr. Amit Frenkel is an intensive care physician at Soroka Hospital. He is married and a father of three, his wife is a psychiatrist, and his eldest son is a soldier serving in the south of the country. The family lives in Meitar, a small pastoral settlement a fifteen-minute drive from Soroka. In times of …

Inside Out 2: How new emotions mirror medical student struggles

Emil Chuck, PhD

Education

August 2, 2024

The 2024 summer blockbuster film Inside Out 2 explores the complex emotions that first hit teenagers during puberty. Briefly, the five original emotions (from the first movie in 2015) that define the behavior of childhood Riley – Joy, Anger, Fear, Sadness, and Disgust – meet new emotions that allow Riley to grow further toward young adulthood. Unfortunately, the new emotions – Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui – threaten …

Surviving medical madness: a mother’s harrowing tale [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 1, 2024

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Join us as we speak with Laura Buchman, a patient advocate and author of NERVE: Surviving Medical Madness. Laura shares her harrowing personal experiences with the medical system, including the overwhelming shock of …

Physicians’ access to maximum potential in medical practice has vanished

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Physician

August 1, 2024

Practicing physicians have been extremely lucky over the last century to have survived financially in the health care system to the degree that they have today. Judging from my 25 years of medical practice research and 40 years of clinical medical practice experience, I have been watching the self-disintegration of most physicians’ value to the profession.

Your personal values become hostage to the Medical-Industrial Complex or Medical Deep State. Just the …

Private equity’s takeover of health care: a patient’s nightmare

Joseph Lanctot, FNP-C

Policy

August 1, 2024

As private equity (PE) plays a larger role in health care, we likely have a patient-centric image of who these individuals are and what these institutions do. But what does health care look like to PE, and what does health care do from their perch? While attending a housewarming party of an acquaintance who works in PE and specializes in GI clinic acquisitions, these questions were answered, and it was …

Quiet firing in medicine: my journey from burnout to freedom

Shawn McGargill, MD

Physician

August 1, 2024

As I sit in this dark room in an empty house in solitude, I still wonder how I got here.

I have been the subject of quiet firing that resulted in my mental and social health suffering. It soured my work relationships, consumed my day, made me an angry person to everyone, including my family, and gave me anxiety. It culminated in exactly what the system wanted: me leaving. It was …

How knowledgeable patients face suspicion in medical care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 31, 2024

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Join us as we delve into the experiences of patients with long-term complex conditions who are often met with disapproval or suspicion by medical professionals for being knowledgeable about their own health. Our …

Privacy protection after death: an ongoing dilemma

Deepak Gupta, MD

Physician

July 31, 2024

Privacy protection does not cease to exist at death, as privacy laws protect information until 50 years post-mortem. So, why does the protected information of public figures often find its way into the public domain long before this embargoed period elapses, sometimes almost immediately after death?

Firstly, the primary question is: What defines a public figure? Some individuals are public figures long before their deaths, while others become public figures at …

Why meaningful patient connections matter in medicine

Paul Pender, MD

Physician

July 31, 2024

Connecting with another human being in a meaningful way allows a physician to practice the art and the science of medicine. Showing you care helps to gain trust, and helping to alleviate pain and suffering establishes a bond. When you give of yourself on behalf of your patient, as a caregiver you share something not many people get to experience—compassion-driven skill. Choosing a career in health care is most often …

In-office cardiac CT scanners transform heart care in rural Mississippi

Mandar R. Jagtap, DO

Conditions

July 31, 2024

Mississippi holds a troubling distinction when it comes to heart health: Over a third of all deaths in the state are attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD), making it the leading cause of death. The state also grapples with one of the highest adult obesity rates in the United States, with nearly 40 percent of adults considered to be obese. The alarming statistics highlight the urgent …

End-of-life issues in dementia care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 30, 2024

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Join us as we welcome psychiatrist Lewis Cohen to discuss his book, Winter’s End: Dementia and Dying Well. In this episode, we explore the ethical dilemmas, legal challenges, and emotional impacts surrounding life-shortening …

Telltale hearts: Navigating modern medicine’s human element

Dean-David Schillinger, MD

Tech

July 30, 2024

The potential advances that AI will bring to medicine boggle the mind and portend massive changes, the likes of which we have not experienced since the advent of modern surgical techniques, the development of image-based diagnostic methods, and the discovery of effective medications. As a primary care doctor who has worked at San Francisco General Hospital for over 30 years, and as someone who has worked through the epidemics of …

The sham peer review: a hidden contributor to the doctor shortage

Tracey O'Connell, MD

Physician

July 30, 2024

Imagine you’ve worked in a clinical environment for an extended period. You might be a resident or fellow getting ready to graduate, an attending who has been operating for years, or a full-fledged partner in private practice. As your morning alarm sounds, you check your email and see: “Informal Meeting–Mandatory.” The content of the email is vague, but it seems you’re being asked to meet with several colleagues in your …

Why you need allergen component tests to support your allergy diagnosis

Niti Chokshi, MD and Gary Falcetano, PA

Conditions

July 30, 2024

Almost 1 in 3 U.S. adults and more than 1 in 4 U.S. children reported having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy in 2021. That’s more than 100 million people and rates are rising. While many people experience relatively mild symptoms, for others, living with an allergy can be debilitating, with symptoms being severe and, in the worst cases, even fatal.

Therefore, it is essential to ensure …

Are Ozempic patients on a slow-moving runaway train?

Michael Kirsch, MD

Meds

July 30, 2024

Have you ever heard of a drug called Ozempic? Just kidding. As we all know, this medicine and numerous related drugs are the rage. It is classified as a GLP-1 drug. The percentage of my patients who are taking these drugs is steadily rising. Of course, initially, Ozempic’s purpose was in diabetic management. Once it was discovered that weight loss was a “side-effect,” a new therapeutic mission was discovered. Indeed, …

AI in health care: Improve outcomes with effective prompt engineering [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 29, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We are joined by Fady Chamoun, an internal medicine physician, to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care. We delve into the art of prompt engineering and its six …

How physicians can find true happiness beyond wealth

W. Ben Utley, CFP

Finance

July 29, 2024

Most physicians step into their careers already burdened with over $200,000 in student debt, no assets to speak of, and a nagging feeling that they’re way behind. If you’re the primary breadwinner in your family, this pressure can be even more intense. Interestingly, most doctors didn’t pursue medicine for the paycheck. But once that MD is proudly displayed after their name, they are thrust into a relentless sprint to catch …

21st century schizoid health care: the unseen crisis of our system

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

July 29, 2024

“21st Century Schizoid Man” is a 1969 antiwar song by the prog rock band King Crimson. It appeared as the lead cut on their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. “Schizoid Man” is considered an epic, described by Rolling Stone as “a seven-and-a-half-minute statement of purpose: rock power, jazz spontaneity, and classical precision harnessed in the service of a common aim.”

Schizoid personality disorder is much …

Prescribing data and efficiency: Harnessing technology to alleviate the physician shortage in the U.S.

Patrick Hunt, MD, MBA

Policy

July 29, 2024

Amidst the pressing challenges confronting the health care landscape in the United States, the physician shortage stands out as a critical issue demanding innovative solutions. The Association of American Medical College’s latest report projects that the nation’s physician shortage could reach up to 86,000 by 2036. Burnout, which was further exacerbated by the pandemic, a large portion of physicians nearing retirement, limited medical school enrollment, and population growth …

Diverse data redefines heart disease prevention strategies

Charles Dinerstein, MD, MBA

Conditions

July 29, 2024

In 2013, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) created a “risk calculator” to estimate the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and guide patient-centered medical therapy for prevention strategies, like starting statins. However, concerns arose that the pooled cohort equations (PCEs) overestimate risk and do not reflect the current diverse U.S. population, particularly underrepresenting Asian and Hispanic adults.

In 2023, AHA’s Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Scientific Advisory …