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In this episode, we sit down with guest Wendy Schofer, a pediatrician, to discuss the current state of childhood obesity and the need for a change in approach. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of children …
Moving beyond weight-centered approaches in childhood obesity [PODCAST]
My story began in the early morning of November 17, 2021, and resulted in a re-birthing of who I am and what I’m becoming. I had a massive stroke that caused paralysis of my right side and left me unable to speak. I was life-flighted to the hospital where I work, and suddenly, I became the patient, not the caregiver. I received thrombolytics, then went to the neuro-interventional suite, where …
From stroke to strength: one person’s story of overcoming challenges
An excerpt from Fifty Years a Doctor: The Journey of Sickness and Health, Four Plagues and the Pandemic.
I went to medical school for four years.
I was a medical intern for one year and a surgical resident for one year. And finally, an otolaryngology resident for three years.
My medical license permits …
What does an ENT doctor know about childbirth?
According to the Office of the Surgeon General, only about 12 percent of the U.S. population has suitable health literacy skills. Health literacy is the repertoire of knowledge we fall back on to comprehend medication instructions, understand our risks for certain diseases, and make decisions regarding our own well-being. Wading through a convoluted medical system like the United States is difficult even for those fortunate enough to have access to …
Unlocking the power of graphic medicine: the key to improving health literacy
As a healthy 30-year-old intern with an infant, I never expected to land in the ICU on a random Thursday at 10 a.m. As I prepared to start my first precepted thoracentesis at the VA, I suddenly began to experience double vision. Assuming it to be a weird manifestation of anxiety, I politely stepped out to try to gather myself. I ran some cold water and splashed it on my …
The ICU experience that changed a young doctor’s perspective forever
I am asking my fellow medical professionals to give a sincere show of hands: How many of you are terrified of your fate should you become the patient?
The prospect of navigating the medical system as a patient should strike fear in your heart, especially if you cannot advocate for yourself (although the system will also make that next to impossible).
The current medical/hospital system of care in the United States has …
Breaking down the broken medical system: a physician’s eye-opening experience with patient neglect
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In this episode, we’re talking about how to stand out from the crowd in a competitive job market for physicians. Our guests, Aaron Morgenstein, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, and Claire Unis, a pediatrician, will discuss how to …
From CV to career: How to enhance your medical portfolio [PODCAST]
Virtue and self-sacrifice were supposed to be my protection. As a first-generation immigrant, the necessity of hard work had long been ingrained like a birthmark. I never questioned the belief if I overworked and overprepared, I would fulfill my responsibilities, be accepted, and become worthy of happiness. By the time I finished medical training, I had checked off the first two boxes, but worthiness? Fulfillment?
I never considered asking those questions …
Finding emotional presence in a dehumanizing system: a physician’s journey
Timmy’s eyes were rolling side to side in his head as his limp body did not respond to his mother’s calling. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted to the ICU. The 4-year-old ate one of his mother’s cannabis-infused, rainbow-sherbet-flavored gummies and ended up with marijuana poisoning and in a coma. There is no antidote to THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis, so Timmy had to wait and detoxify …
Candy weed: no protection for marijuana child poisoning
“The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.”
– William Osler
I hear a voice in the still of the night when all the sounds of the world have been hushed. It should be a time of peace and rest for me, but instead, concerns and fears rise to the surface. Who …
Voices unheard: the plight of patients and clinicians in the health care system
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease killed 314,186 women in 2021. This means that approximately one out of every five female deaths was due to heart disease, with the worst mortality burden on African American women.
It is abundantly clear that we are not where we need to be in terms of …
Saving lives, one heart at a time: the fight against women’s heart disease
An excerpt from The Mumbo Jumbo Fix: A Survival Guide for Effective Doctor-Patient-Nurse Communication.
When advertising agencies launch a new ad campaign, one of their popular strategies is the testimonial. As consumers, we see testimonials all the time in both print and electronic …
Building trust with patients: the power of credibility, trustworthiness, and likeability
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In this episode, we’re joined by Emmanuel K. Konstantakos, an orthopedic surgeon, and Jeff Morris, an attorney and CEO of the American Board of Physician Specialties. They discuss the ongoing debate about physician board certifications and the …
Certified, but denied: the impact of board certification on patient care [PODCAST]
In the latest issue of Clinical Endocrinology News, I found an interesting article reporting a proposal to change the name of a hormone. The rationale for the proposed change was “patient safety.”
In 2009, a patient with known panhypopituitarism was admitted to a U.K. hospital for elective surgery. Diagnosis included panhypopituitarism with diabetes insipidus. The patient developed hypernatremia and volume depletion, tragically leading to pronounced hypotension and death.
The author attributes this …
The hormone nomenclature debate: Is a name change the key to patient safety?
As we spend February reflecting on Black Americans’ history, humanity, and contributions, let’s also consider how to improve the systems and structures that impact Black lives moving forward.
We can start with health care. Retention and recruitment are challenging, especially for nurses from underrepresented groups in nursing, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
As a Black, Chicago-based nursing researcher, I see first-hand the changes needed to make …
Nursing for change: Prioritizing Black nurses’ health and well-being
I have been fortunate in my forty-five-year medical career never to have been sued for the care I delivered to a patient. I attribute this, in part, to being a family physician and having ongoing relationships with my patients and, in part, to being willing to admit to my mistakes if I make them and things turn out badly. I see how gut-wrenching going to court is for doctors so …
A tale of medical malpractice, the legal system, and a fight for justice
Our modern existence is a state of perpetual disconnection.
Earbuds in. Staring down at our screens. Avoiding eye contact.
Disconnected from each other and ourselves, we go about our lives in adult parallel play.
Numbing any hint of uncomfortable feelings with more Netflix or scrolling.
The social, political, and health consequences of this existence have accelerated over the last three years. As a result, the physician-patient relationship is more fractured than ever. Physicians are …
Healing clinician-associated trauma: a call for connection
It used to be easy. You didn’t worry about your health care or how to pay for it. You had a family physician who cared for you in the office and the hospital. They coordinated every aspect of your care, including working with consultants. And after discharge, they would resume caring for you knowing what had occurred firsthand. That was then.
This is now.
Patients rarely see their primary care physician in …
The rise of direct pay: a solution to the fragmented, impersonal and costly medical system
It’s the day of my last case presentation for my neurology rotation. Hearing the subway doors shut, I run up the stairs just in time to see them close. Breathless, I walk to the center of the platform. Noting the next train isn’t coming for another seven minutes, I groan in frustration and pull out my notes to spend the time to prepare.
I see a woman approaching me from the …
The power of advocacy: a medical student’s journey to helping an uninsured immigrant
The new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for childhood obesity have shifted from a “watchful waiting” method to “early and aggressive treatment.” Coverage of the guidelines in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and other reputable news outlets have readily accepted this new depiction of childhood obesity as a disorder in need of immediate, aggressive intervention and has given little or no attention to what …
The middle road to childhood obesity treatment: Empowering kids with healthy habits
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