The lost dream of a small-town doctor
As a child, I was a daydreamer, especially in algebra class. Picture this: my teacher, reminiscent of Droopy Dog but on a heavy dose of barbiturates, droned on from the textbook. And just like that, my mind would escape – soaring out of the window of my quaint Midwestern high school, wandering around the courtyard square.
Back then, several businesses on the square were small physician offices. You could spot white-coated …
Safety on campus, except for Jews: a parent and psychiatrist’s perspective
After watching most of the five-plus hours of the December 5th congressional hearing on the state of antisemitism at three of the U.S.’ top universities – Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and MIT – I’ve concluded that unfortunately, the sound bites replayed in the media are not one-liners taken out of context, but spot-on summations.
As my husband and I prepare for our oldest son to reach a tremendous milestone in less …
From advocacy to early cancer detection
I write widely as a patient advocate and subject matter expert on public policy for the regulation of prescription opioid analgesics in pain medicine.
Like many people younger than myself, I also visit many social media platforms almost daily. I am active on these platforms to share recent health care news and to support hope among people who increasingly struggle to find clinicians and pharmacists who will treat their pain by …
A neurosurgeon’s quest to solve medication nonadherence [PODCAST]
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Join neurosurgeon Katrina Firlik as she delves into the world of health care data and the importance of citing sources. Explore her journey from treating patients to becoming an entrepreneur, and learn about the challenges of addressing …
An eye surgeon’s unexpected finding: a brain tumor diagnosis
In medicine, the sickest patients always seem to come on Friday afternoons. At the end of the week, I’m hoping to move quickly through my last few patients – a small corneal abrasion, a routine follow-up, or a stable glaucoma exam. I’m prepared for a pleasant conversation and some friendly banter about rival football teams playing Saturday morning. But I’m wary. I have been doing this long enough to know …
Humanism in health care: How to address patient harm
I want to preface this story by stating that Sarah has given written authorization to share her story, allowing my colleague and me to transform a challenging experience into a valuable lesson in the inevitability of mistakes and the profound capacity for forgiveness and growth.
Ten years ago, I was approached by a distressed physician and colleague who had unintentionally harmed a patient during the course of an elective colon operation. …
Financial considerations for dual-doctor households
Being in a dual high-income earner household — like a dual-physician or dual-dentist marriage — has unique career and family experiences. And it comes with a ton of financial assumptions.
As with most things, there are some advantages and disadvantages, both real and perceived. While individuals in these households typically enjoy mission-driven companionship, doctors face unique financial challenges during every stage of their careers.
Tax withholdings. When you have two earning spouses, …
Why insurance prefers opioids over non-pharma options [PODCAST]
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Join Amy Baxter, a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine. We’ll delve into the opioid crisis, the misconceptions surrounding pain management, and the barriers that hinder effective pain relief in health care. Amy will share her expertise …
Post-pandemic nursing workforce challenges continue to mount
The nurse and clinician workforce crisis in the United States is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors that include clinical staff burnout, unmanageable workloads, the departure of nurses reaching retirement age, and the pandemic’s lingering impact on health systems. A 2023 study by the American Hospital Association (AHA) found that the U.S. will face a physician shortage of as many as 124,000 by 2034 and will need to hire …
Catastrophic failure of educational leadership can affect medical students
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said he can’t define pornography, but he knows it when he sees it. Stewart might just as well have been talking about leadership—reflecting the difficulty in providing a precise definition of leadership but suggesting that individuals can recognize ineffectual leadership when they encounter it.
The abject failure of three university presidents to answer “yes” to a simple question—whether calls for the genocide of Jews violate …
Unraveling the mysteries of mast cell disorders [PODCAST]
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Join us on as we delve into the world of mast cell disorders, including the lesser-understood mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Our guest, Kara Wada, a board-certified academic adult and pediatric allergy, immunology, and lifestyle medicine physician, …
How to select the right mutual funds for your goals
As the year comes to an end, it’s time to start thinking about investment allocations for 2024. Many of us own mutual funds.
But how do we select the right ones for our goals?
Investing in mutual funds is a common strategy for physicians seeking diversification and professional management of their portfolios. However, with a vast array of mutual funds available, selecting the right ones can be a daunting task. To make …
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America’s pain management nightmare: How the DEA shaped the opioid epidemic
First, it’s essential to understand that your prosecution doesn’t define you as a person. Most likely, the DEA never bothered to speak with you before deciding to arrest and prosecute you. Even if they did, the decision to prosecute you had been made long before any conversation took place. Your prosecution is the result of a long and strategic process, one in which the very notions of truth and justice …
The middleman dilemma in health care
Imagine this scenario.
You’re negotiating the sale of your widget. Despite your earnest efforts, you hit a deadlock. The buyer, after consulting an expert on “fair market value” for widget prices, firmly states they won’t purchase your widget for $5.
In a new tactic, you turn away from the customer, shed your white coat, don a pair of Groucho Marx glasses, and pivot back.
“I’m the CEO of WidgetCorp. Ten bucks, take it …
Tips for success as a plastic surgeon [PODCAST]
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Why write? Physicians share their stories of healing through writing.
I’ve read countless articles, posts, blogs, and books over the past year and a half, written by physicians, and I’ve learned an incredible amount!
Every physician’s voice is special, distinct, and remarkable.
Why write? Write for yourself. Many articles, including at least one study by the American Psychological Association, speak to writing as being a powerful tool for stress relief and healing.
Some physicians write as part of a gratitude practice, some write …
A complex patient interviews a retired physician
Dr. James (Jim) Whitlock, a neurologist, and Ann McColl met at a writers’ workshop in Maine in 2022 and discovered a shared interest: patients with complex conditions and their journeys in the medical system. Dr. Whitlock’s practice focused on the rehabilitation of individuals with severe traumatic brain injuries. Attorney McColl had been a patient with a debilitating spinal condition and was ultimately helped by a neurosurgeon. A year after her …
Navigating life’s crossroads: Change, accept, or leave [PODCAST]
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Join Deepti Gandhi, a family physician. We delve into the powerful mantra of “change, accept, or leave” and explore real-life scenarios where individuals are faced with this choice. Discover practical strategies, personal stories, and expert insights to …
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A doctor struggles to provide mental health care in Appalachia
As a West Virginia primary care doctor, I frequently—read: daily—find myself in uncomfortable situations. A few recent events, however, are out of the ordinary, even by the standards to which I am accustomed. Though unique to Martinsburg, WV, I expect similar themes in myriad offices across American health care. If your job resembles mine, I wonder if you feel as lost as I am, though I’m not sure where we …
Past Week
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What’s driving medical students away from primary care?
-
A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how
-
Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check
-
The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?
-
A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?
-
The hidden cost of delaying back surgery
-
Past 6 Months
-
What’s driving medical students away from primary care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
Recent Posts
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Why great patient outcomes don’t protect female doctors from burnout [PODCAST]
-
Why ADHD in women is finally getting the attention it deserves
-
How a $75 million jet brought down America’s boldest doctor
-
Why ruling out sepsis in emergency departments can be lifesaving
-
The hidden cost of delaying back surgery
-
Precision and personalization: Charting the future of cancer care [PODCAST]
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Past Week
-
What’s driving medical students away from primary care?
-
A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how
-
Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check
-
The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?
-
A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?
-
The hidden cost of delaying back surgery
-
Past 6 Months
-
What’s driving medical students away from primary care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
Recent Posts
-
Why great patient outcomes don’t protect female doctors from burnout [PODCAST]
-
Why ADHD in women is finally getting the attention it deserves
-
How a $75 million jet brought down America’s boldest doctor
-
Why ruling out sepsis in emergency departments can be lifesaving
-
The hidden cost of delaying back surgery
-
Precision and personalization: Charting the future of cancer care [PODCAST]
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