Physician

Physicians writing on KevinMD about the life of the profession: the work itself, the exhaustion, what women physicians are paid and asked to carry, the losses the profession has been slow to name, and who decides how physicians work. Five maintained records draw on this archive: Physician burnout: what physicians say, in their own words, Primary care: what physicians say, in their own words, Women in medicine: what women physicians say, in their own words,, Physician suicide: what physicians say, in their own words, and Physicians and administrators: what physicians say about who runs medicine, in their own words.

Sensitivity vs. sensibility in a modern world

Deepak Gupta, MD

Physician

January 3, 2024

There may be a distinction between sensitivity and sensibility; however, these lines often blur and even overlap rapidly. Conducting oneself sensibly both at and outside of work automatically assumes that one’s sensitivity is well-attuned to the present times. Simultaneously, regularly refreshing sensitivity presumably ensures that one always carries oneself sensibly, both at and outside of work. Yet, it’s worth pondering: what is the origin of human common sense? Has our …

Beyond resilience: the urgent call for “soul talk” in medicine

Jacqueline Huntly, MD, MPH

Physician

January 3, 2024

Burnout:

“An erosion of the soul caused by a deterioration of one’s values, dignity, spirit, and will.”
– Christine Maslach (The Truth about Burnout by Maslach and Leiter)

“Shredding of the soul.”
– Rita Nakashima Brock (Director of the Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America)

The word “soul” captures our attention by speaking in a language that bypasses the superficial, connecting directly to our deepest values and thoughts. In the context of burnout …

My escape from physician stress

Hayward Zwerling, MD

Physician

January 1, 2024

Although I had never been diagnosed with anxiety, my career as a physician has always entailed a high degree of stress, and this has had consequences.

The stress of running a solo private medical practice

When I was running my solo private practice, there were always competing demands for my time: Patients waiting to be seen, patients or physicians on the phone waiting to talk to me, staff issues, scheduling problems, dysfunctional …

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My escape from physician stress

Unmasking the profit-driven influence on American health care decisions

Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD

Physician

December 30, 2023

The practice of medicine has been significantly enhanced by advancing technology. However, even with four years of medical school and an MD degree, this only provides the foundation for what is needed to be a good doctor. A critically important skill is the ability to make sound medical decisions.

This is why there is a hierarchy in training that begins after medical school, progressing through internship, residency, fellowship, and eventually leading …

The hidden gem of family medicine: a rural clinic’s triumph

Amy Ellingson, MD

Physician

December 29, 2023

I want to share this good news, but at the same time, I am a bit afraid to let the word get out. Our rural health clinic in Brewster has found a way to keep family medicine alive.

My generation of doctors has experienced incredible changes. The internet revolution is one of them. When I went to medical school in 1995, the internet was slow and clunky and limited in its …

A doctor’s journey through babka and beyond

Scott Selinger, MD

Physician

December 29, 2023

I couldn’t even describe what it meant to be a spiritual person or put words to what spirituality is, yet I would be facilitating a class for MS1s on the importance of and how to take a spiritual history. I was looking for some thinking space; my girls kept telling me I should quit my job as a primary care physician and just bake, and there was something telling me …

Medical professional gaslighting: the lack of psychological safety in medicine

Tracey O'Connell, MD

Physician

December 29, 2023

Toward the end of my third year of medical school, I was 25, newly married, and overwhelmed by responsibility. I hadn’t enjoyed the clinical rotations. The hours and the degree of human suffering were just too much. My husband and I fought about how unavailable I was. I had to complete my 6-week psychiatry rotation 3 hours away from home. I wasn’t sleeping well, so I went to student health …

How to shed old narratives and forge a powerful new identity in 2024

Parastoo Jangouk, MD

Physician

December 28, 2023

Like other business owners and private medical groups, I tend to work more hours towards the end of the year.

December is an endless marathon trying to see more patients, add more procedure hours, and double book the office and endoscopy sessions on the clinic side. On the business side, we are creating more content and marketing our online programs.

Patients have met their deductibles; they need to check their screening colonoscopies …

How religious freedoms impact patient care

Patricia A. Gabow, MD

Physician

December 28, 2023

An excerpt from The Catholic Church and Its Hospitals: A Marriage Made in Heaven?

The ability of Catholic hospitals and physicians to withhold some medically accepted care from patients based on their own religious and moral beliefs is made possible by numerous protections of religious freedoms. However, patients look to their …

The direct care model’s win-win for patients and physicians

Grace Torres-Hodges, DPM, MBA

Physician

December 28, 2023

As I approach 25 years of practicing medicine in the same community where my parents dedicated 50 years to their medical careers, I’ve been privileged to develop lasting relationships with individuals who have entrusted me with their health care. The continuity of care and community connection is exactly how many of us envisioned our medical journeys, and for that, I am so thankful!

I recognize the importance of legacy. The profound …

An approach to conflict resolution: More than one thing can be true

Jill Wener, MD

Physician

December 27, 2023

The past months have unearthed and amplified passionately opposing opinions about international events, in particular regarding Palestine and Israel. In addition to attending protests, calling my representatives, and having conversations with people I know, I’ve been publicly sharing my feelings about Palestine and Israel. While I stand firm in what I believe, my feelings around it are complex: I’m Jewish, and I’m anti-Zionist.

We encounter complex beliefs and feelings, many of …

A Cuba missionary journey: Witnessing faith amidst hardship

William Lynes, MD

Physician

December 27, 2023

I had the honor and privilege of visiting Cuba for a missionary trip this past week. As I ponder that amazing time, I will put my thoughts in this essay.

Cuba is a small, sad country in the Caribbean. While one can see the tropical beauty and its former potential, the country has been ruined by a communist government and an overarching U.S. embargo, whose presence is now unnecessary. The Cuban …

Discover the hidden world of state medical board complaints

Gretchen E. Green, MD

Physician

December 26, 2023

In a world of 24/7 news coverage often highlighting high-verdict medical malpractice cases, few physicians know about thousands of complaints that undergo review by state medical boards each year. Most complaints are filed by patients and/or family members, malpractice payment reports by insurance companies, and actions by other state medical boards. In North Carolina, where I practice, nearly 3,000 complaints were filed in 2021, 1,835 of which were filed …

How can physicians become world-class leaders?

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

December 26, 2023

Following a Congressional hearing into antisemitic harassment on the campuses of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania, there were several changes in leadership at Penn. Jonathan A. Epstein, MD, was named interim dean at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, replacing J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, who became interim university president.

Epstein, 62, is a cardiologist and researcher who trained at Harvard and has been at Penn since 1996, most recently …

Unlocking the power of open-minded conversations

Dr. Simon Craig

Physician

December 26, 2023

An excerpt from From Hurting to Healing: Delivering Love to Medicine and Healthcare.

Before we speak

Many people enter a conversation with preconceived ideas of how it will go. We constantly make assumptions, and our brains often jump to conclusions based on experience, previous interactions with a particular person, our current emotional …

The surprising science of gratitude: How it boosts your well-being

Greg Smith, MD

Physician

December 25, 2023

I have never been a very touchy-feely person. I was trained as a biologist and chemist, then went to medical school where more science on top of science was aimed at me like a gushing firehose. I learned to put science and evidence first and to try in my practice of medicine to use only the therapeutic techniques that had some evidence base. That assured me that my patients would …

Academic career versus private medical practice: a guide to the right decision for you

Samir Kahwash, MD

Physician

December 25, 2023

You are so close to completing your medical training: Congratulations! You worked and studied hard through grade school, college, and medical school. You completed—or are about to complete—residency training or perhaps a subspecialty fellowship. You gained valuable skills and knowledge, but—more importantly—you also grew to realize that your MD (or DO) stands more for “making decisions” than medical doctorate! In brief, you are now close to another finish line, and …

Why clinical pathologists should learn poker theory

Yamac Akgun, MD

Physician

December 24, 2023

Texas poker, also known as Texas hold’em, is one of the most popular variations of poker played around the world. It’s a game of skill and strategy, with a bit of luck thrown in, and understanding the underlying theory can help you improve your game and increase your chances of winning. Poker and clinical pathology may seem like two very different fields, but there are some interesting similarities and differences …

Down with diversity in 2024?

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

December 23, 2023

Since the December 5, 2023, Congressional hearing into antisemitic harassment at Penn, Harvard, and MIT, I was shocked to learn how universities, large and small, public and private, have been hijacked by extreme right-wing leaders connected directly or indirectly to the GOP.

Examples include:

Youngstown State University bypassed the normal search process to select its new president, Republican U.S. Representative Bill Johnson. Johnson has no experience in academia and voted with dozens …

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Down with diversity in 2024?

The hidden costs of “free” medical interpretation

Maria Isabel Angulo, MD

Physician

December 22, 2023

He is a typical patient of our academic primary care internal medicine practice: elderly, frail, and with several complex conditions, including a history of a liver transplant requiring chronic immunosuppression, recurrent venous thrombosis requiring treatment with blood thinners, and type 2 diabetes. But in one very important way, he is different: our doctors don’t speak his language.

It is his fourth visit in the past six months, and, as usual, the …