I never wanted to be a formal concierge doctor. Most of us are familiar with those plans that make physicians limit their patient panel to several hundred patients, and each one of them agrees to pay several thousand dollars for the privilege of access to their physician at all times. Sure, after over 30 years of practice in the same community, having a smaller patient panel, dedicating more time to …
We are all concierge doctors now
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We delve into the future of health care with Scott Ellner, a general surgeon. Join us as we explore how AI and machine learning are transforming preventive medicine, addressing the looming physician shortage, …
A doctor’s digital twin [PODCAST]
Patients, as the primary stakeholders in their own well-being, are increasingly showing a profound interest in holistic approaches to cancer care that extend beyond traditional medical treatments. Growing evidence supports this interest, showing that some whole-person and integrative approaches can improve quality of life and survival outcomes. Oncologists’ attitudes are shifting in the same direction, though with less urgency than our patients’.
We recently conducted parallel surveys of oncologists …
Science supports it and patients want it: Bringing whole-person care to cancer treatment
On August 8, 2023, DEA agents shut down the Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy in the Southern District of West Virginia. Their crime? Having filled more than 2,000 prescriptions for Subutex over more than two years “in the face of obvious red flags of drug abuse and diversion,” according to the U.S. Attorney for that district. I guess someone needs to explain to the government what the heck Subutex is prescribed …
DEA shuts down pharmacy for fulfilling addiction treatment prescriptions
American health care faces persistent issues with consolidation, workforce shortages, integration of new technologies, and unrelenting economic pressure. In 2023, technologies such as clinical decision support (CDS) and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools continued to emerge rapidly, offering both promise and risk. Meanwhile, even as long-standing care and business models are upended, the ripple effects of COVID-19 continue. Physician …
Harnessing U.S. health care’s resources to navigate the next decade
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Join us as we delve into the evolving landscape of health professional admissions processes, focusing on the use of situational judgment tests (SJTs) like Casper and PREview. Our guest, Emil Chuck, a health …
Situational judgment tests in health care admissions [PODCAST]
Why aren’t we physicians kinder to ourselves? Why aren’t we kinder to our colleagues? Why aren’t we kinder to our patients? I tend to think the answer to all of the above questions is a disrespect many of us have for what we consider being human.
For some reason, many of us in health care associate our humanity only with what holds us back from being our best. In fact, there …
Reclaiming humanity in health care
I’m sure you can picture it. You’re sitting in an exam room wearing a paper gown, waiting for your health care provider to walk in the room. There are a few colorful posters on the wall about flu season, health screenings, and a discount prescription program available to patients. But all you can think about is the conversation you’re about to have. Will they bring it up? Will you ask? …
Empowering patients to discuss sexual health
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Join us for an insightful podcast episode featuring Sonali Mantoo, a critical care physician, as she shares her personal journey through long COVID. From her experience on the pandemic frontlines to navigating the …
A critical care physician’s journey through long COVID [PODCAST]
I’ve been honored and privileged to have had recent conversations with two courageous women: Betsy Gall and Pamela Marie Hobby.
Pamela met a medical resident who changed the course of her life on October 28, 2019, and Betsy’s life was forever changed exactly one month later, on November 28, 2019.
Betsy wrote a book to share her family’s story. The title grabbed Pamela immediately, as it aligned with what she was building …
Voices for physician mental health
Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into health care transforms patient care, making it more personalized, efficient, and accessible. Two groundbreaking technologies, the Humane Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1, exemplify this shift. By enhancing communication, ensuring data security, and improving administrative and clinical operations, these devices promise a future where technology and human expertise merge to foster a patient-centered health care system. Here’s an in-depth look at how these innovations are …
How AI is revolutionizing patient care: Exploring the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1
Making a bed seems to be a lost art these days, an unassuming ritual. I have memories of my mother draping, folding, laying, and spreading sheets as they danced in her open-air bedroom. My grandmother passed on the technique to her. From my observations of other families, this practice varies from generation to generation. In a way, making a bed symbolizes life’s journey, where the layers of sheets represent rich …
The making of a bed: a timeless ritual passed through generations
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Join Sara Pastoor, a family physician, who brings her expertise to the table as we explore the significant impact of EHRs on physicians’ well-being and the urgent need for change. We’ll discuss recent …
EHRs and physician well-being [PODCAST]
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A patient presents to the emergency room of a major local hospital with ulcers on the heels of both feet. The patient is more than 40 years old, smokes, and has hypertension but is not a diabetic.
It is determined that the patient has peripheral artery disease. The patient is admitted to Dr. X’s service. Dr. X is a vascular surgeon with a special interest in endovascular devices for peripheral artery …
A hypothetical case of medical malpractice. This can be you.
In our journey as physicians, the traditional narrative often presents a seemingly binary decision: you must choose between seeking employment within a hospital or health care institution or venturing into the challenges of establishing a private practice. However, this oversimplified dichotomy fails to capture the evolving landscape of health care entrepreneurship, particularly the emergence of a third, less conventional path – that of the single-member professional micro-corporation.
The myth of the …
Dismantling the mythical dichotomy of physician career options
As physicians, we are trained to dissect symptoms and to hunt for a diagnosis. But my own journey with Sjogren’s, like my patients’, wasn’t a textbook case. It was a puzzle with pieces scattered over decades, ignored or dismissed at each turn, including by myself.
There’s the college student, fearing the agony a simple meal might bring, never dreaming of asking why. The med student, convinced of an impending heart attack, …
From doctor to patient: my Sjogren’s journey and a challenge to colleagues
An excerpt from Winter’s End: Dementia and Dying Well.
Are there really fates worse than death? Like most people, Dan Winter was uncertain. That is until he visited his father at a memory care unit in Lawrence, Kansas.
Dan’s father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 70. Winton “Wint” Allen Winter Sr. survived for 13 years, spending his final days in …
Alzheimer’s agony: a son’s vow to never endure
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Join emergency physicians Resa E. Lewiss and Adaira Landry as they discuss workplace violence in health care settings. With their expertise and insights, they discuss strategies for cultivating psychological safety, intervening effectively in …
Workplace violence in health care [PODCAST]
In writing and teaching about physician careers, I’ve explored themes like job satisfaction, burnout, professional development, and well-being. A recurring phrase that arises in conversations, at conferences, and in online forums is the so-called “rat race” of medical practice.
“I need to find a way out of this rat race.”
“This rat race wasn’t what I signed up for when I chose medicine.”
“I’m tired of the rat race and need to find …
How to escape the “rat race” in your medical career
“Creativity is intelligence having fun!”
George Scialabba shared a variation of this quote in a 1984 Harvard Magazine article, though it is often attributed to Albert Einstein.
National Creativity Day is coming up on May 30th. What does that have to do with being a doctor? Everything!
Dr. Amy-Jo Farrow in the U.K. and Dr. Charity Hix in the U.S. speak to the importance of nurturing creativity in our lives. The demands and …
Revitalize your medical practice: Embrace creativity!
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