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In this episode, we delve into a fascinating yet often overlooked medical phenomenon—near-death experiences (NDEs)—with John C. Hagan III, an ophthalmologist and expert on the subject. Despite being reported by as many as …
Imagine waking up one day with a white patch somewhere on your body. It’s not painful or itchy, but over time it grows and changes, with more patches appearing almost daily. In a short space of time, these patches have fundamentally altered the appearance of your skin and your interface with the world. This is the reality for over 1.5 million Americans living with vitiligo.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that …
As health care predictive algorithms, including the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP), expand their reach beyond traditional enforcement of health care regulations, the concept of a social credit score has emerged as a powerful but controversial tool. Like predictive policing, social credit scores use an individual’s behaviors, online activity, and social interactions to assess their perceived trustworthiness and risk to society and are used as fodder for the prosecution of …
An excerpt from The Medical Improv Toolkit: 10 Simple Activities to Promote Safe Care, Healthy Workplaces, & Rewarding Careers!
“Were there none who were discontented with what they have,
the world would never reach anything better.”
~Florence Nightingale
The expectation for dedicating time to playful activities can seem like a waste of time, especially with relentless clinical priorities and limited resources. In order to justify the time needed to proceed with this work, …
There’s a patient who comes to see me every week. Every time we part ways, I say, “OK, Susan (name changed)! See you in a month!” But inevitably, she’ll call on a morning when she knows I’m in the office, and my staff will fit her in. She likes to tell me about what she did with her granddaughter that week. She doesn’t have anything terribly wrong with her; she …
An excerpt from Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life.
The way that different foods (for example, fats), are talked about in the public and online isn’t always scientifically correct. People can have very strong opinions about food, but this doesn’t mean that these opinions are accurate. It is important to eat foods you enjoy, but some foods are more nutrient dense than others. Eating a variety of foods is …
I am 31, and my dad turned 54 this year. He had me when he was just 23 years old. I was born in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, and he came from a small village in Punjab.
He is a self-made man who struggled all his life to give his children a better future. No one from our village ever went to school. He was the first to get …
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We speak with Heather Luing, a psychiatrist specializing in treatment-resistant depression. As depression rates in the U.S. have tripled over the last year, we explore why traditional treatments may not work for everyone …
Although Medicare for all seems to have gotten buried by politicians who label it as “socialistic,” it’s still an important idea that could be feasible if we approached it from a fresh perspective.
As patients, we may reflexively see Medicare for all as a panacea that would effectively remove most of our concerns about how to pay for our health care. But on the other hand, we may not realize the …
An excerpt from 21st Century Schizoid Health Care: Essays and Reflections to Keep You Sane on Your Medical Travels.
Over a decade ago, a landmark ten-year study by the MacArthur Foundation shattered the stereotypes of aging as a process of slow, genetically determined decline. Researchers found that 70 percent of physical aging and about 50 percent of mental aging are determined by lifestyle and the choices we make every day. …
In medical school, we are taught that the well-being of the patient is our highest priority. This principle is central to our training, constantly reinforced through lectures, simulations, and clinical experiences. However, this notion was challenged in an unexpected way when I found myself caring for an incarcerated patient.
The start of the interaction was unsettling. As I approached the patient’s room, I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. Should I …
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We’re joined by Wael Saasouh, an anesthesiologist; Lisa Scardina, a health care executive; and Kim Downey, a physician advocate and physical therapist, to discuss the urgent need to restore human connections in health …
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“Administrative harm is destroying American medicine” is the title of a provocative article published in the July 13, 2024, issue of KevinMD by Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA. He references business entrepreneur and billionaire Michael B. Kim, who said: “Leadership without ethics is a body without a soul.” As examples of administrative harms, Dr. Lazarus cites “unrealistic staffing models, burdensome regulations, out-of-touch administrators, lack of frank feedback to leaders, and …
Living with celiac disease can be a profound challenge, not just for those diagnosed but also for their friends and family. A strict gluten-free lifestyle is essential, and providing thoughtful, informed support can significantly improve the quality of life for someone with celiac disease. September 13 is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day, and as gastroenterologists, we want to share how you can be a source of strength and comfort in …
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Join us for an enlightening conversation with Joseph Lanctot, a nurse practitioner, as he explores the significance of professional identity in healthcare. Joseph shares his personal experiences of being mislabelled as a doctor …
I am a person—a person with hopes, dreams, fears, and a favorite color. I am just like anyone else, trying to find my place in this world. Yet you only see me as a nuisance. I am always in your way, you say. I am an idiot. My existence is like a personal insult to you—and you never miss a chance to show it.
I was once a bright-eyed child full …
I introduce myself to the patients as a nurse practitioner (NP), but they still call me a doctor. Even worse, some of the staff refer to me as “doctor.” I imagine they do so out of respect, but no matter how many times I correct them, the erroneous title lives on. The reason I ask not to be called doctor is not because I have not earned my doctorate nor …
The COVID-19 pandemic was war, and I served in a foxhole. I survived, in part, by drowning my sorrow in song—music I abused as if it were drugs. I heard “Spaceman” by Nick Jonas today while driving to the hospital, and, at the peak of the chorus, dopamine surged in my brain, making me queasy. My neck hair stood up, and I went clammy. This was not a monstrous rush …
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