This is a story of headlines and the power they wield for good and evil (apologies for the melodrama). Words matter, and I, for one, am frustrated with the words in headlines often doing more harm than good.
I am a family doctor whose passion in life is preventing disease. I don’t want to see my patients suffering from diabetes or heart failure, nor from a contagious disease that is preventable …
As I stood there, my mentor, Dr. S, spoke in his gentle, wise voice, “Congratulations! You have been selected as the hospital’s new nocturnist.” The news hit me like a wave of disbelief, and a surge of emotions rushed through me. The competition for this position had been intense, leaving me uncertain about my chances. But now, at this moment, all those doubts were swept away. A whirlwind of feelings …
As an emergency physician, I’m a strong proponent of living wills, POLST forms, and discussing uncomfortable topics with your loved ones. Even making decisions about your child being an organ donor, if, Heaven forbid, something happened. You never know when the “last time” might be.
A recent case I had served as a reminder of this. The patient and their spouse came to the hospital for what was supposed to be …
When I was six years old, I made a public declaration that I would become a singing doctor. I knew I wanted to be a doctor, influenced by my pediatrician, and I also loved singing. So, at that time, it made perfect sense to me that I should be able to do both when I grew up. I had a vivid vision of singing to children while taking care of …
When I was an OB/GYN intern, I made the mistake of admitting that I was able to get a short nap during my night shift. I was immediately met with comments that made it clear that rest during downtime was not something to be proud of. I felt so ashamed that once I became an attending, I was always afraid to admit when I had a relatively “easy” call shift …
Over a million intelligent American physicians are walking around in the medical practice environment today, patting themselves on the back while believing they have reached their ultimate success in medical practice. They have absolutely no idea that they have never come close to their optimal potential. It’s a tragedy that has been disregarded yet tolerated by medical school scholars and administrators for at least the last century.
What every physician should …
Emotional intelligence (EI) represents an essential suite of abilities that dictate our capacity to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others. This skill set significantly influences our decision-making process, conflict resolution abilities, empathy towards others, and how we handle stress. EI plays a fundamental role in entrepreneurship and forms the bedrock of successful leadership, effective team dynamics, and robust client relationships.
Pioneered by psychologist Daniel Goleman, …
I was doing laundry last week when my engagement ring snagged on a shirt. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the four prongs holding the diamond in place was sticking up and on the verge of breaking.
Quickly, I took off the ring and placed it in a safe spot, relieved that it hadn’t accidentally gone down the drain.
Shortly after, a …
An excerpt from Mindful MD: 6 Ways Mindfulness Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout.
For Mira, the inner chatter started when her alarm buzzed at 5:15 a.m.—and it was anything but calm and friendly. When she didn’t get out of bed to exercise: I’m such a slug. Why …
You are called by the bedside nurse that your patient arrived on the floor from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). The nurse tells you that the patient was delirious and agitated after anesthesia, pulled out their IVs, and was sedated by the PACU team. They are …
It is challenging to open a medical journal in any specialty without coming across an article on burnout. These articles present statistics, trends, and various causes in detail. Some even propose sensible solutions such as flexible scheduling, peer support, delegation of clerical work, and an increased focus on personal well-being activities as steps in the right direction.
I have previously emphasized that “the absence of burnout does not equal wellness,” …
Although the global pandemic is officially over, it has left a permanent mark on the health care landscape, reshaping the dynamics of hospitals in the United States. While staffing crises often dominate the headlines, health care institutions face an underlying financial crisis that remains largely underreported.
In 2022, a startling 50% of all U.S. hospitals concluded the year with a negative margin. Due to factors like elective surgical …
An office visit with a health care professional can seem like a race against time and money. With rising co-pays and shorter appointments, arriving prepared for a health care appointment will maximize the likelihood of addressing as many concerns as possible and developing a personalized treatment plan. Below are the ways you can prepare for your upcoming dermatologist appointment.
Keep track of your scheduled appointments and arrive early.
Know the day and …
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I walked into my local improvisational comedy theater a few years ago and started taking classes to escape burnout and have some fun. It was so freaking difficult. Here I was, a frazzled, tightly-wound mid-career pediatrician, surrounded by all these creative, quirky folks from all walks of life who were just so funny. I kept hearing, “We don’t want to hear you on stage, Wendy,” meaning they wanted me to …
A recent essay on this blog, “Navigating the complexity of ‘first do no harm’ in modern medicine,” provided an excellent review of this principle. However, as is so often the case, it misattributed the statement to the Hippocratic Oath.
Certainly, this does contain elements of this sentiment, more fully expressed in another work of Hippocrates called “Of the Epidemics.” But the term does not originate with this Greek physician.
Scholars have …
Losing a loved one is an experience that leaves an indelible mark on your soul. It changes your world, shaking the foundations of what you once thought stable, leaving you to navigate an ocean of grief. For me, this was my reality when I lost someone dear to me. During my journey, I found solace and guidance in the themes of enduring love, nostalgia, resilience, and hope, beautifully depicted in …
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In organizational leadership, the adage “less is more” often rings accurate, particularly regarding team size. Small teams, with their inherent communication advantages, often outperform larger ones. This phenomenon, communication complexity, is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in team success. In this article, we will explore the concept of communication complexity, its application in health care leadership, and how it influences various team structures such as grand rounds, regular teaching …
If we look around and spend time in nature or just walk outside, we realize everything has a season. The trees, the flowers, the weeds—they all change during the seasons. Flowers don’t constantly bloom; trees show their beautiful display of colors on their leaves, shed them, and grow a new set of beautiful leaves each year. There is constant change. As famously said by Heraclitus, “The only thing constant is …
“We fear that CPS is going to take them away,” the mother of my patient chokes with tears. My patient on the inpatient pediatric wards looks at me with guarded eyes. I can still see the markings on their neck where they tried to strangle themselves. They were intubated in the pediatric ICU. This transgender patient and their family have gone through a living hell only to come out again …
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In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, professionals often face immense pressure to portray strength, competence, and unwavering resilience. However, beneath the surface, many individuals silently battle their own mental health challenges. According to CDC, more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness.
One of the most difficult hurdles to overcome is the fear of admitting our struggles to others. In this compassionate article, …
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