Lights, camera, action!
You get a call from your hospital’s public relations office asking you to speak to the local news. Even though this isn’t your first time, your heart is pounding, with a mix of nerves and excitement. You start doubting whether you have anything valuable to say about the topic, even though, yes – you went through many years of medical school and residency before this moment. You are …
It is no secret that physicians spend countless hours studying a wide variety of disease processes and treatments. We all know that sub-optimal dietary choices and habits can lead to chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. The burden of these diseases is rising astronomically. According to the USDA 2015-2020 guidelines, in 2008, the medical cost related to the chronic disease of obesity was estimated to be …
Let me begin by extending my gratitude to all physicians who have served our country during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. During this trying time, your dedication and service have given a sense of stability and confidence in our health care systems at a time filled with so much uncertainty and turmoil.
As a member of the “Baby Boomer” generation, I’ve seen my fair share of physicians over the years. …
Throughout my time in medical school, residency, and now as a practicing physician, I have noticed physicians’ changing face. When applying for medical school, I remember choosing a medium-grey pantsuit to match my medium-brown hair to wear for my interview, paired with a simple necklace and conservative makeup. Nothing too flashy, as even choosing grey instead of black and a pantsuit instead of a skirt would stand out and be …
It’s this simple: The medical school admissions system is bloated and reinforces implicit and systemic biases leading to further social inequity.
Medical schools across the country are going through thousands of applications and making literal life-changing choices for these students. Introducing randomization into the admission process would simplify and address the built-in issues in this process.
Admissions tests do not determine the quality of a doctor’s …
I am very happy to hear that the CDC decided to prioritize health care workers and long-term care residents to be the first to receive the vaccine for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is very personal to me as a health care worker and a daughter.
My mom was admitted to an assisted living/personal care home as the lockdown was hitting this past March.
Her health had been declining since September of 2019 …
I came from Malaysia dreaming of completing my residency in the U.S. and becoming a nephrologist. Luckily, I interviewed for programs before COVID-19 shook the world, and I began my residency at Yale University Bridgeport Hospital in June 2020.
Having just reached my target score for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) after graduating from UCSI University in Malaysia, I empathize with current students struggling to study for their USMLE. …
An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey.
The German Baron Karl Friedrich Von Munchausen (1720-1797) was famous for his tall tales. Returning from the war, he described himself riding on a cannonball and even reaching the moon. Stories were compiled …
For applicants seeking to match into a competitive specialty, it can be challenging. In fact, it’s not uncommon for programs to receive over 100 applications for a single residency position. To sort through that many applications, many programs use filters. One type of filter is a USMLE “cut-off” score: applicants who don’t score above a certain minimum won’t be considered further.
That’s why, for applicants with lower-than-average USMLE scores, my advice …
In the U.S. and worldwide, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 are surging. The health care workforce is overworked, and increasingly, more people appear to be experiencing mask fatigue. In the midst of this, there is exciting news. A few weeks ago, initial promising results from two phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trials were released. The vaccines reportedly showed 90 to 95 percent efficacy, exceeding expectations, and providing much-needed optimism.
Vaccines are …
There were recently many news articles and coverage exalting a physician for working 250 straight days during COVID. 250 days, that’s nearly 8 1/2 months without a day off.
While this physician displays dedication and caring, I don’t think we should celebrate this as an achievement. The truth is he’s working every day all day for one of two reasons. Either there is no one else, and he’s a victim of …
So there’s this 60-year-old African American physician, and she is fed up. She’s working at a local hospital because she wants to sleep in her own bed rather than continue the life of a locum tenens. After a weekend call where she’s on her 29th hour in the OR in two days with only three hours of sleep, she refuses to do another case. “I’m tired,” She says, “I’m sleepy. …
This article is sponsored by Doc2Doc Lending. Find out more about personal loans for physicians from Doc2Doc Lending.
For the vast majority of us doctors, a career in …
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There’s nothing like the holidays and a new year around the corner to remind us that 2020 is almost over. This year let’s try to take nothing for granted. Especially since millions of Americans will soon sit down to a holiday meal with one or more loved ones missing. Those empty chairs are a reminder of what we have endured this year. Whether it be loved ones who are sick, …
For most of us, medical training through all the pains of medical school and residency is often bearable when we fantasize about life on the other side of all of this. Life as an attending physician, when the sky suddenly turns all rainbow, when the money starts to fall from those skies — we’re finally our own bosses, and then we’re supposed to live happily ever after. The reality, however, …
The first thing my husband said when I told him about MBA school was, “the NBA has a school?” It didn’t help that we first had our conversation about MBA school during the NBA playoffs but really – NBA school? I quickly overcame this moronic start to the conversation by saying “M” as in Michael Jordan – MBA school. He got it from there and every day since. And every …
Over and over again, I find myself repeating the same words to myself as I watch the sunset over the Sacramento River on my dreary commute back from my job in clinical research: hope over fear.
It was with hope that 2020 began—a catalyst year in which we had the wind at our backs and the promise of a better future just over the horizon. 2020 promised the inevitability of change, …
I enter the hospital to work again. I must work as I have three small children and a husband presently out of work because of COVID. He is “non-essential.”
A violinist is playing at the employee entrance. I know they do this to lift our spirits. But it’s a slow, sad string that reminds me of the titanic. And yes, every day I clock in, I feel as if it’s a …
A quick preview of any journal will note a plethora of physician jobs spanning the country. Many of these jobs offer a partnership track and promote a democratic philosophy.
As someone who has worked on both sides of the equation, I wanted to share a few thoughts. You may not agree with all, but here they are, nonetheless.
First, consider your long-range plan. While it’s exciting to contemplate a first job while …
I am a critical care and emergency medicine physician, I have had COVID-19 infection twice, and I’m tired.
My first infection was early on in the pandemic. I had to place a Blakemore tube in a young man who was going to die from his massive bleeding from cirrhosis. I didn’t know then that the patient was positive for COVID, as he didn’t have any “typical” symptoms. I placed the tube …
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