Let academic physicians recover more of their clinical revenue. Here’s why.

Physician
February 2, 2018

I spent considerable time after college working in academic labs being indoctrinated with the theory that publication is the currency of academic value and that researchers should always want to have their work printed in the journal most cited by other journals. You are supposed to be impressed when somebody claims that he or she is from a highly ranked university or institution, as these well-regarded institutions are synonymous with high achievement.

That all changed for me during residency when I met …

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On mountains and miscarriage: a physician’s story of loss

Physician
February 2, 2018

I feel the mountain in my bones. The methodical plodding of feet over uneven terrain, a meditation, the grace of a single forward path, with no decisions, no guilt or what-ifs, no fear. Just forward movement, forward momentum. I hear Mary Oliver’s words at my core: “I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention … how to be idle and blessed.” It’s taken …

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Segregation in the medical school classroom

Education
January 31, 2018

“Are you a left-sider or a right-sider?” my classmate asked with a puzzled look during an end-of-the-year dinner among first-year medical students. I was confused. He repeated himself then answered. “Do you sit on the left or the right side in class … that’s right; you sit on the right.” He then mentioned that everyone present was a “right-sider.” Nearly everyone was white.

For the past 18 months, we sat in …

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It’s important to proactively manage your resident progress. Here’s how.

Physician
January 31, 2018

Physician training is an extremely high stakes business, not only for the patients that will be under the care of the eventual independent, fully-trained, board-certified doctor, but for the trainee herself. The financial and time costs of the entire training process are enormous. To become derailed from the board certification path can have significant and permanent career consequences. With so much at stake, what does a resident do when she …

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It’s time to debunk the myth that doctors’ dollars come easily

Physician
January 31, 2018

A few months ago, I hired a contractor for a home improvement project.  He didn’t know that I was a physician at the time, and we came to a mutually agreeable price.

Fast forward a few weeks, when we realized that we needed an extra, seemingly small, addition to our project.  By this point, we’d gotten to talking, and he’d learned that my husband and I were both physicians.

To my surprise, …

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Top 5 questions doctors should ask during a job interview

Physician
January 31, 2018

Have you ever come out of an interview feeling like you spent an hour (or more) talking about yourself but learning absolutely nothing about your potential employer? I certainly have.

Sure, interviews are a chance for potential employers to see if you are a good fit, but after way too many one-sided interviews, I came to a realization. Interviews are also the best way to find out if this medical institution …

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Insurance companies manipulate the doctor-patient relationship for financial gain

Physician
January 29, 2018

I am pediatrician who has been practicing for almost twenty years. During my career, I have been employed by two different free-standing children’s hospitals, a non-profit community-based health center, and now I own my own practice. In every setting, I have had to generate coding and billing for my work even when my salary was independent of that billing.

There is no other profession that would dutifully learn the “rules” of …

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Stop opioid addiction where it starts: in the hospital

Conditions
January 29, 2018

Doctors at some of the largest U.S. hospital chains admit they went overboard with opioids to make people as pain-free as possible, and now they shoulder part of the blame for the nation’s opioid crisis. In an effort to be part of the cure, they’ve begun to issue an uncomfortable warning to patients: You’re going to feel some pain.

Even for people who’ve never struggled with drug abuse, studies …

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A physician’s guide to life insurance

Finance
January 29, 2018

Life insurance is one of the key foundations of a good financial plan. In this article, we will discuss the basics of life insurance.

Why life insurance?

While you might feel invincible and 100% healthy, as physicians we all know patients or colleagues who were diagnosed with terminal cancer or died suddenly because of an accident or health condition.

If someone is dependent on your income (usually your spouse or children), then life …

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What inspires this medical student

Education
January 28, 2018

Someone who I care about deeply messaged me today: “I think I’m done with surgery.”

This person, a surgeon, feels like his potential is elsewhere. There are more opportunities, different challenges, and fulfilling experiences in other places and he is ready to explore.

I told him that he inspires me.

But I am in medical school. So how could someone leaving the medical field be inspiring to me?

Because inspiration does not come from a job description or a fancy …

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Is private college and medical school worth it? One physician’s story.

Finance
January 27, 2018

College

I went to a fairly expensive college, George Washington University. I think at the time (1998) it actually was one of the, if not the most expensive schools. Why did I decide to go there? Well, my brother was attending the school and living in Washington, DC seemed amazing to a suburban boy from Tennessee. Sure, I had gotten into University of Tennessee with a scholarship, but adventure won over …

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Studying to be a doctor, while living as a patient

Education
January 26, 2018
YouTube video

Walking up to the admissions desk I knew the routine. I stretched out my arm for my hospital band. A name, a number, and a doctor were what defined me during my many hospital stays. It was simple; my brain was too large for my skull. Brain surgery after brain surgery has occupied my life for many years, all while I have been studying to become a doctor.

I …

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My husband was dying. I was being ignored.

Conditions
January 25, 2018

It was a long December.

A few years ago, my husband of 37 years got his death sentence: recurrence of liver cancer with mets to his lungs and lymph nodes.

He had a “Whipple” — a surgical procedure for pancreatic cancer — on Dec 24, 2015, and the surgeon discovered liver cancer too. So it was a 16-hour surgery. We were told he might die on the table.

His eyes haunted me as …

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What exactly does an emergency physician do?

Physician
January 25, 2018

I am an emergency medicine physician.

I save lives.

As an ER physician, my job is frequently misunderstood. A common question that patients ask is, “What specialty are you hoping to go into?” The misconception is that emergency rooms are staffed by cardiologists, internists, etc., who are trying to make extra income. That’s likely not the case anymore. Some also believe that we can take the place of their family doctor. Or …

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10 steps to keep physicians sane

Physician
January 24, 2018

These are tumultuous times for practicing physicians. The health care landscape is changing at breathtaking pace and less and less of our time is spent doing what we were actually trained to do: taking care of patients. I absolutely love the patient care part of my job, do everything possible to always remember why I went to medical school in the first place, and maintain focus on the aspects of …

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The dangers of being always connected

Physician
January 23, 2018

The ad is compelling.

A surfer rides a blue wave, seen from below in crystal clear reflection. The Apple Watch on his left arm cuts through the surf, elegant, sparkling ripples trailing behind. Suddenly, it breaks the surface, and the screen lights up, announcing an incoming call.

Let’s face it, shall we? We are always connected. We are always wired in. We are always on.

We have become a world of interconnected people, …

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If you are a practicing physician, you need rest

Physician
January 23, 2018

“It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation, which gives happiness.”
– Thomas Jefferson

If you are a practicing physician, you need rest.

Why do I say this? Because you have gone through an enculturation process which focuses on hyperactivity and super high-level achievement. In training programs and in practice, admitting that you are tired or needing a rest break is a sign of weakness and is discouraged, to say the …

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A physician suicide: covered up with a tarp and silence

Physician
January 22, 2018

Another young doctor recently jumped to her death in New York City. She landed at the entrance of the building where she lived.

Within less than an hour, I received the following emails about her. All published with permission.

Hello Pamela, I am not a doctor, but a mother of 3 and a wife of a resident physician. Tonight I watched AGAIN the police …

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You can’t separate mind and body in medicine

Physician
January 22, 2018

According to the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians, well over half of patient visits to primary care physicians are for mental health issues. So, as part of my book, I Have Been Talking with Your Doctor: Fifty doctors talk about the healthcare crisis and the doctor-patient relationship, I asked about mental health.

None of the doctor interviewees disagreed with the important role that …

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