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5 situations when you should get a second opinion

Physician

October 10, 2020

A second opinion can be a powerful tool. It can help lower your risk of experiencing a medical error or misdiagnosis, allow you to explore all treatment options and their benefits and risks, connect you with physicians who have experience and success treating people with your diagnosis, and provide peace of that mind that your diagnosis and treatment plan are appropriate.

Research from the Mayo Clinic highlights the value of second …

Why socialized health care is not right for America

Mary Tipton, MD

Policy

October 9, 2020

I have been a doctor for twenty years, but I’m also a patient. We are all patients. This summer, my previously mild heart rhythm problem got a lot worse. By July, I was having frequent episodes of heart rates four times normal, causing me to almost lose consciousness. It was dangerous and scary. I consulted with a highly specialized doctor to fix this for good. He threaded four wires …

Put nutrition counseling in primary care

Melinda Mesmer, MD

Conditions

October 8, 2020

The United Nations designated 2016 to 2025 the “Decade of Action on Nutrition” in recognition of the growing importance of food and diet as it relates to all aspects of human health. We’re almost halfway through, and we’re not making the progress we need to.

A comprehensive study of scientific evidence for global diet goals and sustainability, the EAT-Lancet Commission Summary Report, stated, “Read more…

Put nutrition counseling in primary care

How blessed was I to witness this true love story

StorytellERdoc, MD

Physician

October 8, 2020

The little things?

The little moments?

They aren’t little …

I noticed the two of them shortly after I arrived for my shift. I was standing at the counter, immersed in a chart, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw them walk out of their treatment room. Together.

Slowly, they walked into the hallway, looking first to their left and then to their right, wondering which way to go. One of …

Doctors are killing themselves, and who is taking notice?

Courtney Markham-Abedi, MD

Conditions

October 7, 2020

I am a psychiatrist. My field has been marred with human rights violations and treatments that though well-meaning, did not yield the results that were intended. I have always been at the watch and helm of speaking out when I see gaps and places where my colleagues and I are called to do better. I have been treating patients for over 15 years now. I have remained silent …

A medical student’s story of racism and bias

Akosua Y. Oppong

Education

October 6, 2020

I am a third-year medical student at what I believe to be the most diverse medical school in the country. Every year our entering class is made up of at least 20 percent of students who identify as underrepresented in medicine. Beyond that, we make it very clear that if fighting against health and social inequities is not a thread of the very fabric of who you are, this may …

The role of physician assistants during the pandemic

Leah Yoke, PA-C

Conditions

October 5, 2020

As the world battles COVID-19, summer has turned to autumn, and a new chill is in the air. With this change, even in a pandemic, comes the flu season. As a physician assistant (PA), one concern for my patients’ health is the possibility that many will forgo routine health checks or other preventative care because they are avoiding medical settings. When it comes to flu vaccinations, I am especially concerned.

In …

Rapid changes to AOA inclusion are inequitable

Jose-Marc Techner

Education

October 5, 2020

The social unrest that has erupted in the wake of the George Floyd murder has prompted many U.S. professional organizations, including those dedicated to medical education, to make changes to advance racial and socioeconomic equity. Right now, a fierce debate rages among medical students over how the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AOA) nominates and inducts fourth-year medical students. An example of this debate is reflected in the new …

President Trump received dexamethasone and had 2 episodes of low oxygen saturation levels

Molly Walker

Conditions

October 4, 2020

President Trump was administered dexamethasone therapy for COVID-19 treatment, and had two episodes of low oxygen saturation levels that required supplemental oxygen, said doctors at Walter Reed Medical Center at a press conference on Sunday.

“In response to transient low oxygen levels, we did initiate dexamethasone therapy [and] our plan is to continue that for the time being,” …

A love letter to the physician with depression

Rebecca W. Lauderdale, MD

Physician

October 4, 2020

We’ve never met, but I’ll bet you could use some encouragement right about now. This has been a tough year. Maybe for you, like me, depression feels like an old song that keeps getting played and stuck in your head over and over through the years. Or maybe this is the first time you’re experiencing the weight of it in your body, the diminishing physical and emotional energy, the infuriating …

The Trump health update that raises more questions

Molly Walker

Conditions

October 3, 2020

A brief press conference at Walter Reed Medical Center on Saturday sought to provide answers, but may only have raised more questions about President Trump’s clinical status since his COVID-19 diagnosis.

The main point of contention between White House physician Sean Conley, DO, and reporters was if the president ever received supplemental oxygen. Conley said the president’s last oxygen …

Infertility as a physician: the gift of perspective

Kate Hoppock, DO

Conditions

October 3, 2020

As physicians, we know all too well how life can change in an instant. How tomorrow is never promised. This knowledge can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it is also a gift.

Because we know how precious life is.

I am a physician—but I am also a patient. An infertility patient, for whom each passing year can feel like a lost opportunity.

Because my eggs don’t have the perspective. They don’t see the privilege. …

How to (almost) never have a bad shift

Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD

Physician

October 3, 2020

Walking through the sliding glass doors at 10:55 p.m. on a Monday, I found myself wondering if it would be a good shift or a bad shift. In emergency medicine, a “good shift” has to strike many delicate balances. It can’t be too busy, but it also can’t be too Q-Word-That-Must-Not-Be-Named. It should have some high acuity patients, but not so many that care becomes unmanageable. The staff and residents …

Read more…

How to (almost) never have a bad shift

The business of women’s health: an economic burden with simple solutions

Jessica Pearce, DO

Physician

October 1, 2020

We have been discussing the importance of women’s health for decades without significant advancement for the issues at hand.

I propose a new perspective on the topic that focuses on the financial health of a business. As physicians, we do not even consider the full extent to which women’s health can impact our own business. The two aspects of business to be considered in this situation involve evaluating the cost of …

Doctors make bad entrepreneurs

Pranay Parikh, MD

Finance

September 29, 2020

Doctors make bad entrepreneurs. I know I told you they make great entrepreneurs. But there are always exceptions. There are a couple of reasons why:

They are all perfectionists
They often haven’t learned skills outside of medicine
They don’t have any time for anything outside of medicine

Perfection stagnation

Our GPAs had …

Read more…

Doctors make bad entrepreneurs

9 things I learned when I signed up for public service loan forgiveness

Altelisha Taylor, MD, MPH

Finance

September 29, 2020

As someone who graduated from medical school with six-figure student loan debt, I’ve looked into several different loan forgiveness programs that will help repay what I owe. One of the most popular loan forgiveness programs is Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Through PSLF doctors can get hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans forgiven, tax-free. Although this seems great, when I attempted to …

Where’s Waldo: Finding what’s important in the medical record

Hans Duvefelt, MD

Physician

September 29, 2020

I did a peer review once of an office note about an elderly man with a low-grade fever. The past medical history was all there, several prior laboratory and imaging tests were imported, and there was a long narrative section that blended active medical problems and ongoing specialist relationships. There was also a lengthy review of systems under its own heading.

In an over ten-page long printout, the final diagnosis was …

Does your doctor’s age matter?

Sneha Shah, MD

Physician

September 28, 2020

If I had $100 for every time I walked into a patient’s room, introduced myself as the doctor, and was immediately asked, “Hey, how old are you?” I might be able to retire right now — at the age of 28. Of course, I am exaggerating, and yet this question echoes for my baby-faced colleagues and me constantly.

Whether it’s simple curiosity or blatant reverse-ageism, I find this question erodes trust …

Read more…

Does your doctor’s age matter?

13 tips for medical students starting their clinical rotations

Netana Markovitz

Education

September 28, 2020

Each year, medical students across the country prepare to start the long-anticipated core clinical rotations. Suddenly, we’re thrust into a world of constant adaptation and evaluation, with many highs and many lows.

As I finish up the year and new students get ready to start, I’ve been asked time and time again for my advice. I decided to aggregate my key takeaways from the year, and what I wish I had …

Dopamine fasting, debunked by a psychiatrist

Steven Reidbord, MD

Conditions

September 27, 2020

Taking a break from technology is a fine idea, but we don’t need a pseudoscientific new name for it: dopamine fasting. Launched with viral Silicon Valley memes, online reports, and articles in the New York Times and elsewhere, dopamine fasting is now a thing. Basically, the idea is to temporarily deprive oneself of the usual stimulations of life — largely …

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