The deadliest condition in emergency departments deserves a new diagnostic approach

Conditions
October 13, 2024

Today, most emergency departments (EDs) face overcrowding, high patient volumes and a strain on our increasingly limited staff and resources. As a result, the average patient experiences ED wait times of about two-and-a-half hours, with some reaching nearly four hours.

The possibility of sepsis makes these delays even trickier. More than one-third of all in-hospital deaths are attributed to sepsis, making it the Read more…

The growing discrepancy between health care promises and practice

Physician
October 13, 2024

I had a dismal start to the second year of my psychiatric residency, and my subpar performance was noted by many faculty members. One professor approached me and told me to discuss the situation with my psychotherapy supervisor, adding, “Don’t let your supervisor sugarcoat it.” The professor knew that my advisor was an extremely kind and gentle person who would prefer to leave out the details of my performance so …

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How this pediatrician overcame cerebral palsy and discrimination in medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 12, 2024
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We welcome Ron M. Aryel, a pediatrician who shares his powerful journey through medical school and residency as a physician with cerebral palsy. Facing discrimination, ableism, and hostility from colleagues and superiors, Ron …

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Navigating stipend offers: a resident’s question

Finance
October 12, 2024

“I’m in my final year of orthopedic surgery residency and will do a one-year fellowship (I finish July 2026). I’m in the early phases of talking to potential employers, many of which say they could offer a stipend as I finish my training. Do you have any advice on how a stipend should be optimally structured?”

Stipend secrets: Navigating your final year of residency

As you approach the final stretch of your …

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Early retirement may not be the solution to your burnout

Physician
October 12, 2024

I miss my stethoscope—the small black one with the tiny neonatal head. I wore it around my neck constantly while on duty in the NICU and L&D. It served as an outward symbol of my knowledge and experience. Inwardly, it reminded me of all the things I could detect about a baby by simply looking, listening, and gently touching. My little stethoscope was ready in any emergency. It helped me …

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How COVID changed doctor-patient-nurse communication forever [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 11, 2024
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We sit down with Michael J. Grace, attorney and author of The Mumbo Jumbo Fix: A Survival Guide for Effective Doctor-Patient-Nurse Communication. We explore how health care communication has evolved before, during, and …

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Why prayers alone couldn’t save my friend from cancer

Conditions
October 11, 2024

I was raised in the Catholic Church. The solemn, reserved, respectful quiet as the priest whispered out his occasional reverent chants. That’s what I knew. That was the only thing I grew to love of the Catholic faith.

This friend of mine. We met years ago by happenstance. She was a firm believer in God, her husband, her dog, her daughters, and her Christian novels that she read feverishly.

She also loved …

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The health crisis no one’s talking about: Why teens need better health education

Education
October 11, 2024

Many students only learn basic health facts, like how to put a condom on a banana or that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. But when it comes to making real-life health decisions, this scarce knowledge just doesn’t cut it. Shockingly, only 12 percent of American adults have proficient health literacy skills. This gap becomes especially clear in college, where young adults face new independence and make crucial …

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Inside the toxic reality of surgical residency [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 10, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Audra King, a surgery resident, to explore the challenges and toxic environments that medical trainees often face during their residency. From instances of disrespect and workplace bullying to the …

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We can prevent another Apalachee High School, if we have the courage to act

Policy
October 10, 2024

Hearing about the school shooting last week at Apalachee High School in Georgia, I couldn’t imagine the gut-wrenching pain that the victims and the local community felt as yet another mass shooting tore apart families.

The tragedy reminded me that no one is safe from the horror of gun violence. As a pain physician, I’ll never forget hearing one of my patients say, “If I don’t get the pain fixed, I …

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The shocking impact of incivility in health care: Are your team’s behaviors putting patients at risk?

Physician
October 10, 2024

Continuous quality improvement undoubtedly contributes to the ongoing honing of best practices in medicine. This health care-specific parallel of total quality management programs in business helps us daily inch closer to the ultimate goal of eradicating patient harm. Health care professionals familiar with these variation-reducing processes are likely well-versed in the popular Ishikawa fishbone diagram. While the focus is intended to be spread across materials, processes, equipment, and …

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Gaps in the pediatric care of autistic children

Conditions
October 10, 2024

P.K. presents for a medical evaluation to the early intervention program. He is 26 months old. P.K.’s parents self-referred to the early intervention program because of concerns regarding a delay in his development. The mother reports that he is not saying any words and is not following directions. He does not turn to the sound of his name. He appears to be in his own world. When I, the pediatric …

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Physician wellness: stories and solutions [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 9, 2024
YouTube video

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We bring together three passionate advocates for physician wellness: Michael Foti, an internal medicine physician; Tushar Bhagat, a research assistant professor; and Kim Downey, a physical therapist. Join us as they share their …

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When words aren’t enough: the heartbreaking truth about suicide

Conditions
October 9, 2024

They died by suicide—that is the politically correct way to say it. I want to be politically correct, but I am not sure words can dampen the impact. Someone just lost a friend, a son, a partner, a child. Somehow, we believe if we say the words prettily, it takes the sting away—it doesn’t. No matter how you say it, they left the world today, or yesterday, or whatever day …

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Refill your cup to pull yourself back from the ledge

Physician
October 9, 2024

In December 2019, I reached out to the grief counselors at the hospice organization that cared for my mother as she passed. It had been almost a year since her death, and I was running out of time to seek help. I had spent so much energy ensuring my daughters were OK, believing, as I was taught in medical school, that grief just passes. Back then, I learned grief lasted …

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From residency to leadership: the evolution of internal medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 8, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us in this episode as we sit down with Janet A. Jokela, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician. Janet reflects on her transformative residency at Boston City Hospital, where the “city …

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Why your primary care doctor is overwhelmed

Physician
October 8, 2024

Primary health care is the cornerstone of non-emergency medical services, offering essential support to patients and promoting overall wellness. Even individuals in good health benefit from regular visits to their primary care physician (PCP) to sustain their well-being. However, the primary care sector faces numerous challenges today, ranging from increased patient demand to the complexities of modern health care needs. Addressing these challenges is essential to sustaining the effectiveness and …

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How can we make neurosurgery more accessible to future generations?

Education
October 8, 2024

Neurosurgery is an exhilarating and rewarding field that combines cutting-edge technology with the intricate art of surgical precision. Yet, despite its allure, many medical students feel intimidated or uncertain about pursuing this path. As a fourth-year medical student applying to neurosurgery, I have noticed several barriers that could be addressed to make the field more accessible and inclusive for future generations.

One of the primary obstacles is the lack of early …

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How technology is changing dental appointments for patients with intellectual disabilities [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 7, 2024
YouTube video

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We explore the unique challenges faced by patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) during dental appointments. Our guests, Brian Jones, a health care executive, and Tina Saw, a dentist and health care …

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Physicians: What you don’t know about money and practice success will shock you

Physician
October 7, 2024

All physicians understand that the gradual disintegration of private medical practice in our nation is already happening and that our government continues to take complete control of health care and the medical profession by any means possible. Physicians in medical practice (both employed and independent) are reaching a level of intolerable strain imposed by fee restrictions and medical practice mandates, among other challenges.

All of these issues result from one core …

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