| KevinMD.com

A call to clinicians: Contrary to what you’ve been taught, use social media

Social Media in Medicine

February 9, 2019

From the beginning of medical school, one of the first things “instructional videos” that we had to watch during orientation was about “social media” and what “not to do.” There began this stigma, and it was frowned upon to use social media if you were a clinician.

There are the obvious things that physicians should not do, such as post private information about patients, show a patient’s face without their permission, …

Why bioethicists fall short of connecting with clinicians

Stephen Scher, JD, PhD

Physician

February 9, 2019

An excerpt from Rethinking Health Care Ethics.

Health professionals have not been well served, or at least not well enough served, by the academic community of bioethicists — the philosophers, theologians, lawyers, and social scientists of various sorts who have come to dominate, worldwide, the diverse fields of health care …

5 things emergency physicians should consider when looking for jobs

Health eCareers

Physician

February 9, 2019

This article is sponsored by Careers by KevinMD.com.

Whether you recently completed your residency as an emergency medicine (EM) physician or are ready to move on from your current position, potential locations for work are undoubtedly a big factor in determining which emergency physician jobs you’re willing to consider.

If you have children, location is especially important, because you want …

MKSAP: 32-year-old man with an intermittent pruritic rash

mksap

Conditions and Diseases

February 9, 2019

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 32-year-old man is evaluated for an intermittent pruritic rash of 8 years’ duration. Medical history is significant for mild persistent asthma. His only medications are an albuterol inhaler and an inhaled glucocorticoid.

On physical examination, vital signs are normal. There is mild xerosis with erythematous plaques on the bilateral …

The personal and professional challenges of women physicians

Nisha Mehta, MD

Physician

February 8, 2019

I’m often asked to write and speak about being a woman physician. I don’t know that any of my male physician colleagues have ever been asked to talk about being a male physician. Many hospital systems have women in medicine groups, and there’s now a National Women Physicians Day. Again, don’t know of the same for male physicians. There’s a part of me that struggles with this, but I …

Digital advances in the medical aid in dying movement

Jennifer Lynn

Social Media in Medicine

February 8, 2019

I am certain that many of you might be familiar with the intelligent, vibrant young lady named Brittany Maynard. Brittany’s story was so compelling to the world that it reached the most outstanding and historic numbers through digital media. Ms. Maynard was only 29, diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and decided that she would end her own life “when the time seemed right.” Maynard was an advocate …

The true cost of being uninsured in America

Michael Weiss, MD

Health Policy

February 8, 2019

In a New York Post article dated January 23, 2019, the author states how Americans without health care insurance hit 13.7 percent. This 2.8 percent increase means an additional seven-million Americans lack health coverage as noted by the Gallup survey period.

This is not far behind the 18 percent recorded just before the Obamacare mandate in 2014.

Everyone is blamed in this article except the culprits. Do you think for one moment …

6 resources on the power of narrative medicine

Jennifer Lycette, MD

Physician

February 8, 2019

When I first turned to writing, I had no knowledge of the field of narrative medicine.

It took four years of medical school, three years of residency, three years of subspecialty fellowship and over a decade in practice before I learned of it. (That’s more than 20 years, for those counting.)

Throughout, I’ve struggled to hold fast to my core belief that the key to patient care is to allow the telling …

A physician leaves her practice and finds beauty in the struggle

Quinn Bensi, MD

Physician

February 8, 2019

My story makes even the hardened among us cringe … but I am not here to tell you that story. My real story begins after.

In order to stand up for my values, I recently walked away from a booming practice. What I had built felt sacred to me, almost miraculous. As a pediatrician, I realize it is no small matter that parents entrust me with the care of their children. …

Twitch, Fortnite, and the emergence of eSports medicine

Lindsey Migliore, DO

Physician

February 8, 2019

Here is a simple question: In terms of social media engagements, who is the most popular athlete in the world?

Super Bowl sensation and apparent immortal Tom Brady? Nope.

Philanthropist Lebron James? Not even close.

International superstar Cristiano Ronaldo? It used to be.

Tyler Blevins.

For those of you now drawing a blank, unable to conjure up a face to fit the name, go ask your kids if they have ever heard …

The secret to making AI work for physicians

Brandon McCutcheon, MD

Health Technology

February 7, 2019

If you are a physician or know a physician or have ever visited one, chances are you have probably heard them complain about technology in health care. More to the point, they are likely to be complaining about the one piece of technology that affects their lives minute-to-minute: the electronic health record (EHR). To get a sense of how central EHRs are to our daily routines, consider that physicians now …

Mainstream medicine needs to play offense

HD, MD

Physician

February 7, 2019

Last summer, I published a post called “Alternative Medicine is Kicking Our Ass.” In it, I focused on one particularly slick alt-thyroid site that has done a masterful job of sowing doubt regarding the advice mainstream physicians give to our patients about the thyroid. Not only that, but the site has called into question our competency as doctors, citing “evidence” that supposedly proves (it doesn’t) we …

What is your passion in medicine?

Stephanie Wellington, MD

Physician

February 7, 2019

We don’t talk much about passion in medicine anymore.

What is your passion for medicine? What was it that sparked your initial desire to pursue this career instead of another? What is the impact you are called to make as a doctor?

I was speaking with a friend who is not in medicine and asked why he picked his chosen field. He is knowledgeable and skilled at many different things. He admitted …

Read more…

What is your passion in medicine?

How to cut avocados: tips from an orthopedic surgeon

Nancy Yen Shipley, MD

Conditions and Diseases

February 7, 2019

Love avocados, but hate cutting them. They are slippery little rascals and are responsible for many nasty hand injuries.

Stab wounds from using knives in the kitchen are not fun but are reported daily. Accidental self-inflicted knife injuries to digits are a common cause of tendon and nerve injury requiring hand surgery.

Many of us do not think about how much you use “your hands for your senses.”

Until you lose that ability …

When this doctor and mom stopped breastfeeding

Lisa Sieczkowski, MD

Physician

February 7, 2019

My husband recently found a bag of breast milk in the freezer as he scrounged for dinner ingredients. This milk was pumped over four years ago for my third baby who turns five next week. Just like I did for her older siblings, I religiously pumped breast milk at work until her first birthday. On the day that she turned one, I stopped lugging my pump bag to work, stopped …

Is locum tenens your dream gig?

Catherine Carroll, MD

Physician

February 7, 2019

Chicken tikka masala, two samosas and a bowl of yellow dal steam on my hotel table. There is no fight over the last samosa — they all belong to me. The room is quiet and peaceful. My pager does not ring. The paper plates do not need washing. No child clamors for my attention. After savoring dinner, the internal debate starts over whether I should work out in the hotel …

Read more…

Is locum tenens your dream gig?

Radiation oncologists aren’t just strangers in the basement

Mudit Chowdhary, MD

Physician

February 6, 2019

“We have a consult for radiation oncology regarding a 60-year-old gentleman with a history of lung cancer and is currently admitted. His oncologist is Dr. Heme Onc.”

As a new radiation oncology resident, I was surprised to hear the consulting physician refer to the patient’s medical oncologist as “his oncologist.” What about the patient’s radiation oncologist? Indeed, I remembered the patient well: he was diagnosed with Stage IIIB non-small cell lung …

What’s the one thing doctors can learn from corporations?

Michael Weiss, MD

Physician

February 6, 2019

In the last few years as documentation demands from insurers have skyrocketed, the buck has been passed straight into the lap of physician’s offices where insurers have saved billions of dollars even as they’ve slashed physician reimbursements by even more.

Is it any wonder our offices are chaotic, patients complain about long waits, insurance issues, referrals, pre-authorizations, and copays? Do we have to do it all? Why? Simply because we were …

Compassion, respect, and camaraderie are keys to fight physician depression

Audris Bol, MD

Physician

February 6, 2019

My story starts like most individuals who enter into medical training. I had the dream that being a physician was my life calling to bring physical healing to others. While I did gain medical knowledge and skills, I also unintentionally developed a jaded mentality. I was quickly introduced to the reality of medical culture in which public embarrassment from “pimping” (a series of difficult intentionally unanswerable questions posed to medical …

How to say “no” to kids

Jennifer Trachtenberg, MD

Physician

February 6, 2019

Do you feel like you’re always saying “no” to your child and not getting the response from them that you are looking for? Do you end up repeating yourself over and over, so frustrated you begin to yell or just given in to your toddler’s demands? Unfortunately, I hear this way too often from moms, so I wanted to give some tips on the art of saying “no” that will …

Read more…

How to say “no” to kids

Most Popular

Past Week

Past 6 Months

Recent Posts

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Most Popular

Past Week

Past 6 Months

Recent Posts