The Black Eyed Peas asked, “Where is the love?” and that’s what I wonder, too. As medicine – oops, I’m supposed to say “health care” – has become more and more corporate, what has been slipping away is the love. What do I mean by that? There were specific ways we old docs were trained to care for patients.
Let’s start with bedside manner. We were trained to sit with the …
I recently had an incident involving a long-time patient. This particular encounter proved to be challenging. The patient had chronic pain for years and had already exhausted all conventional treatment options. Ironically, he was otherwise healthy and fit. His recalcitrant condition made him a prime candidate to be treated with a spinal sord stimulator (SCS).
An SCS is an implantable device with two electrode leads connected to a battery-powered pulse generator. …
Debating the role of psychiatric assessments in medical decisions
When my parents were 22, they were two years out of college. My mother was married and commuting from Dallas to graduate school in Houston, on the verge of another cross-country move and a metaphorical world away from her New York City upbringing. My father was the officer running the kitchen on a United States Navy frigate somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, a literal world away from his Brooklyn childhood.
When …
Navigating adulthood in the digital age
You’ve probably had friends and family corner you to look at a rash or talk about medications. With social media exploding about Ozempic, these questions and even curbsides from physicians have boomed. We all want to know more about weight.
As a bariatric surgeon, here are five things every physician should know about weight:
5 things to know about weight from a bariatric surgeon
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Join Banu Symington, a hematology-oncology physician, as she shares her expertise and insights on the topic of out-of-office infusions, discussing patient safety, experience, and the potential impact on cancer care.
Out-of-office infusions in oncology care [PODCAST]
My own hundreds of medical articles floating around in the media today about business education being the rigorous standard for profitable and successful businesses, such as private medical practice business, seem to be unworthy for consideration by the dominant leadership in medical school education.
But when I find myself being sucked into reading deep thoughts uttered by world-renowned business experts such as Dan S. Kennedy, Peter Drucker, Maxwell Maltz, MD, Michael …
The power of business knowledge for medical professionals
Most physicians cite work-life balance as a top priority. Yet there is little clarity on what exactly work-life balance means.
Some prefer the term work-life integration, suggesting that work and personal life should be intertwined. Work-life integration is a common buzzword in managerial circles. However, for most physicians, this way of life is already a reality. Taking calls, working late, and keeping up with CME and recertification already mean that much …
Using the language of art to create work-life balance
In recent years, public attention has been focused on the presence of Fentanyl-laced cocaine. It has overshadowed another new threat just as heinous yet relatively unknown – that of levamisole. Since the turn of the century, the use of levamisole has grown as a “filler” to cut or increase the amount of cocaine sold. Other than for veterinary use, this compound has been largely abandoned by human medicine due to …
Levamisole is good for your dog, but bad for your cocaine
Have you noticed that when you try to make an appointment with your primary care physician, you have to wait much longer these days to be seen? And when you do finally walk into the exam room for the appointment, it seems the countdown clock is already in motion. Have you also noticed that the face you last saw opposite you for your previous check-up is not necessarily the same …
Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care
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Join Stephen Lieberman, a urologist, as we navigate the nuances of prostate care, discussing the evolution of PSA screening, the controversies it has sparked, and the crucial insights that can empower individuals to make informed decisions about …
PSA screening: What you need to know [PODCAST]
The definition of addiction, now called substance use disorder, has varied greatly over time. The first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, from 1952, didn’t include specific diagnostic criteria for this condition. Over the next sixty years, the DSM went through six revisions, with a slow evolution of the terms “substance abuse” and “dependence.” The first was limited to substance use causing social and occupational problems, while the last …
Vague criteria can lead to misdiagnosis and prison
Our increasing maternal mortality rate is gathering attention both nationally and internationally. The U.S. is 33rd among developed nations, and the rate is increasing. Indeed, as Neel Shah notes:
Americans today are 50 percent more likely to die in the period surrounding childbirth than their own mothers.
In 1974, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 9 per 100,000 live births. By 1980, the rate was 8 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. …
U.S. maternal mortality crisis: a deep dive
Gaining insight into the customer’s perspective often occurs when one steps into the customer’s shoes, even if it’s in a different service industry. However, it’s crucial to remember that employees are individuals with their own needs. This brings us to a significant question: Should employees engage in lively and perhaps even boisterous conversations while confined to their workplace, where they might be the only sources of human interaction in an …
Lively communication in the service industry
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Recently, I received a call from an old friend. We had drifted apart over the years, but his purpose in calling wasn’t rooted in a desire to rekindle the embers of yesteryears. No. Rather, it was an explicit inquiry into whether I could assist him in obtaining the elusive elixir of contemporary weight loss. In revealing tones, he shared that the specter of obesity loomed heavily in his family lineage, …
Contemporary weight loss: Unveiling the quest for elusive elixir
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Join Scott Abramson, a neurologist, as he explores the delicate balance between medical efficiency and genuine compassion in the fast-paced world of health care. Discover practical insights and strategies to nurture empathy, enhance patient care, and find …
Balancing efficiency and compassion [PODCAST]
What is working?
I often encounter variations of this question on social media. The response is frequently met with silence or lackluster positivity.
I’ve engaged in conversations with numerous inspirational physicians who have shared their tales of burnout and recovery.
As part of their healing journeys, in addition to their active medical practices, the physicians below have all obtained coaching certifications. These doctors are now even busier than before, but they find fulfillment …
Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories
To compliment and complement the KevinMD article “Why physicians need to write,” by Dr. Louise Aronson, I’ll share why patients, at least this patient, write. I wrote What Patients Want: Anecdotes and Advice because I had been “adrift in a draft, if you get my drift,” in doctors’ offices, and I thought I could share the perspective of the patient in the white paper sack, with health care …
Why patients write: stress relief, self-care, and sharing experiences
One day, you find yourself on the edge, peering into the abyss. Then someone pushes you in. Welcome to the first day as a surgery intern. Few folks outside of medicine fully fathom the rigors a doctor must endure during post-graduate training. From the get-go, we were thrown into the fire, responsible for complicated, sick hospital patients, in what felt like a prolonged boot camp, where ridiculously long hours, horrid …
Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern
The development of COVID-19 vaccines has been an extraordinary scientific achievement in the face of a global health crisis. However, an unfortunate consequence has been the emergence of misinformed claims by non-medical individuals who assert that these vaccines were not appropriately vetted for human use. This essay aims to highlight the fatigue and offensiveness caused by such assertions, considering the extensive research, rigorous testing, and regulatory oversight involved in the …
Misinformed claims and the offensiveness of discrediting COVID-19 vaccine development
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Join us as we delve into the world of Bitcoin investment with Noah Kaufman, an emergency physician and financial planner. Discover the potential benefits and risks of adding Bitcoin to your portfolio, the significance of the upcoming …
Bitcoin’s role in diversified portfolios [PODCAST]
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