Physician

Taking charge of your future by taking charge of medical malpractice suits

Physician

July 5, 2023

Attention all doctors: You can be dismissed from a medical malpractice lawsuit and, at the same time, save 30% on the cost of your medical malpractice premiums per year.

Just as no physician is immune from a complication, none are immune from a resulting malpractice lawsuit. As of now, you stand a 5% chance each year of a medical malpractice lawsuit that has a 70% chance of being frivolous. A 70% …

Unveiling the ever-evolving truth: a transformative journey beyond boundaries

Osmund Agbo, MD

Physician

July 3, 2023

Not too long ago, I found myself immersed in a profoundly thought-provoking encounter that ignited a cascade of reflections on the intricate interplay between truth, faith, and the essence of what we hold dear as our ultimate truth.

It was a casual evening spent with a group of friends, a mix of familiar faces, and some new acquaintances. Our host, a genuinely compassionate man, had inadvertently sparked an impassioned conversation on …

Triathlete defies odds, qualifies for world championship after grueling half Ironman race

Dinesh Arab, MD

Physician

July 3, 2023

Rick Taylor was swimming the race of his life. The Virginia half-Ironman (70.3 miles) was underway, and Rick swam the 1.2-mile course in the Carvin Cove Reservoir in 30 minutes and 43 seconds, coming out of the water first in his age group at a blistering pace of 1 minute and 35 seconds per 100 m (1.36/100 m). What was more incredible was that his heart rate through that effort …

Unmasking physician burnout: a survivor’s story and solutions for a healthy medical profession

William Lynes, MD

Physician

July 3, 2023

I am a physician, a urologist, but what most people don’t know about me is that I am a survivor of mental illness, physician burnout, and multiple suicide attempts. Today, I write about the condition of the medical profession, its problem with burnout, and its solutions.

I began practicing general urology in 1987. My subsequent life as a physician can be divided into two very different eras. In the first era, …

Inspiring lessons from WWII veterans and the intensity of the medical field

Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH

Physician

July 2, 2023

On some of my night rotations during intern year, I found myself watching WWII documentaries and movies. The patients at the VA medical center had stuck with me with their stories and their attitudes. My experiences at the VA motivated me to learn more about my patients’ lives, who had served our country. As I watched some of these movies, I noticed parallels between my life and those of the …

Key factors for complete, easy, and fair payments

Deepak Gupta, MD

Physician

July 2, 2023

Both privileged and marginalized payers should reflect on the completeness, difficulty, and straightforwardness of procedures, processes, and payments.

When it comes to procedures that are reimbursed at reduced rates due to their incomplete nature, it is important to consider the reasons behind the failure to complete them. Were the factors patient-related, provider-related, or related to the location? Were there issues with the preparation for the procedures themselves? Furthermore, if the failure …

How direct primary care saved my career and my life

Andrea Wadley, MD

Physician

July 2, 2023

In late 2017, I was standing in the hallway between two different departments in a hospital where I was rounding on a particularly busy day. As a hospitalist, I was very familiar with this facility and where to go in order to find a moment of peace away from the hustle and bustle of my workday.

As I held the stack of rounding sheets in my hand, I had a fleeting …

Unveiling the emotional toll: a resident physician’s journey through pediatric loss

Shouli Tung, MD

Physician

July 1, 2023

We take care of the living, and remember those who passed, what they taught us, and how they touched us.” These were some of the words my parents said to me after I called them, sobbing in tears, that my patient had passed away. She was only eight years old. To most of her doctors, she was the patient with retinoblastoma that had metastasized to her liver, causing her to …

Let’s rethink letters of recommendation

Heather Furnas, MD

Physician

July 1, 2023

Letters of recommendation help open gates to university admissions, jobs, and scholarships. Now that more colleges are ditching SAT/ACT requirements and medical schools are grading pass/fail, these letters will likely rise in importance. As a decision-maker myself, I rely on a letter writer’s personal judgment in vouching for (or not mentioning) an applicant’s work ethic, experience, and character.

At least I did—until the subject of one of my own letters …

Read more…

Let’s rethink letters of recommendation

Embracing compassion: a physician’s journey in overcoming prejudice

Tyler Jorgensen, MD

Physician

July 1, 2023

During my fellowship in palliative medicine, I have learned the value of home visits. I learn more about my patients’ lives in two minutes of seeing their homes than I could in a lifetime of clinic visits. During home visits, I get to pet dogs, touch quilts, study photos, and admire charming heirlooms that would fetch only a few dollars in a garage sale, but that in these homes are …

The role of competition in health care: a complex interplay

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Physician

June 30, 2023

In the dynamic field of health care, physicians hold a vital role. Their invaluable contribution as life-savers, pain alleviators, and guides towards healthier living necessitates continuous learning and improvement. A potential catalyst for such progress is friendly competition among physicians. This concept isn’t about outdoing each other for a prize but striving for better patient outcomes, refining medical practices, and nurturing a culture of excellence.

A study by the National Bureau …

Medical ethics: Navigating ambiguity, honesty, and patient well-being in health care

John F. McGeehan, MD

Physician

June 30, 2023

I love medical ethics, and I am fortunate to be able to spend a substantial portion of my professional life working within this growing field. I recently demonstrated that when medical students engage in debates involving bioethics, it improves their tolerance for ambiguity. Medical school, and the years leading up to it, focus mostly on multiple-choice tests – with one correct answer. Licensing exams do the same. The young physician …

The transformative power of kindness: Uplifting individuals, strengthening communities, and inspiring global change

Zahid Awan, MD

Physician

June 30, 2023

Kindness is a quality of being considerate, compassionate, and generous towards others. It is a virtue that has always been valued throughout human history and remains an essential quality for creating a harmonious and compassionate society. In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, kindness holds even greater significance. It has the power to transform lives, build stronger communities, and foster understanding and empathy among people.

In a society where stress, anxiety, and …

From four clicks to burnout: How tiny stressors pushed me to the edge

Darrell E. White, MD

Physician

June 29, 2023

Four clicks. That’s all it took. Four additional clicks were added to the process of putting in a post-op order after surgery, arriving without any warning or explanation. Eleven seconds of additional work on top of the tripling of the time taken to complete paperwork my way out of the operating room, necessitated by the advent of EMR. That’s all it took. Why? Why did we have to add this …

Burnout and compassion fatigue: chronic workplace stress and emotional withdrawal

Sarah Samaan, MD

Physician

June 29, 2023

Over the past five years, the term “burnout” has become closely associated with the health care field. It has reached the point where more than 60 percent of surveyed physicians reported experiencing burnout in 2021, indicating that it has become an epidemic within our profession.

It’s important to understand that burnout is not a personal flaw or a psychological disorder; rather, it is a response to chronic stress in the workplace. …

Unveiling the profound lessons: Remarkable stories of life’s fragility and resilience

Osmund Agbo, MD

Physician

June 29, 2023

Allow me to share with you two remarkable stories that unfolded before my very eyes in the course of this past week. The lessons learned resonate deeply within my soul, and it is my hope that they will awaken your true essence.

It was June 3rd, a busy Saturday prior to Memorial Day. The atmosphere at home brimmed with excitement as we celebrated my wife’s birthday. After a nice family dinner, …

The heartbreaking reality of a nurse’s struggle: a father’s tale

Anonymous

Physician

June 28, 2023

I love two nurses. One of them is my son, and the other is someone very close to me. She’ll have her own article.

My son has just finished his seventh 12-hour ICU shift. He’s wiped out, devastated, and shell-shocked. Let me introduce him to you before sharing his pain.

The kid was always enthusiastic about medicine. He wanted to be a physician more than anything. Maybe it runs in the family; …

Overcoming limiting beliefs in a culture of growth

Alexandra Kharazi, MD

Physician

June 27, 2023

Limiting beliefs are thoughts that often hold us back from achieving a desired outcome. An example of this is internalizing negative criticism received. Instead of being an opportunity for growth, the dark side of criticism is that it can make us believe we are not talented enough, innovative enough, or qualified enough. That we are not enough. Often, this depends on how and when it is delivered.

According to the National …

Unlocking the secrets of medical practice success

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Physician

June 27, 2023

“The cause of man’s problem is a lack of knowledge. It does not stem from a shortage of information but rather from the rejection of information.”
– Hosea 4:6

This event in medical history is one such lesson that describes the blinding of physicians to the realities of open-mindedness and the destructive potential that results from ignoring factual truth.

If it weren’t for the persistence and medical ingenuity of an early 1800s medical …

From physician to survivor: My inspiring journey through burnout, mental illness, and triumph

William Lynes, MD

Physician

June 26, 2023

I am a physician, specifically a urologist. However, what most people do not know about me is that I am a survivor of multiple suicide attempts. My essay attempts to tell my personal story—a story of burnout, mental illness, and suicide—and to discuss the shame that accompanied these experiences.

I completed my urologic residency in 1987 at Stanford University and began practicing with the Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in …

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