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How doctors’ words can make or break patient care

Physician

March 4, 2025

Perhaps almost as important as our history-taking, our diagnosis, and our care of patients are the words we use to communicate that history-taking, that diagnosis, and that care.

Scenario one: the not so good

A while ago, I happened to witness a family hospital conference about their dad’s new diagnosis of cancer. There were ten family members present, all very devoted and concerned, though not particularly …

The infamous Corrupted Blood incident: What a World of Warcraft computer game pandemic can teach physicians about public health crises

Neil Anand, MD

Physician

March 4, 2025

In the fall of 2005, an invisible threat swept across the digital computer game World of Warcraft, spreading panic, overwhelming entire cities, and leaving countless players scrambling for answers. It wasn’t a new raid boss or a cunning video game developer-driven event—it was a computer virus. The Corrupted Blood incident, as it came to be known, started as a simple computer bug in a video game dungeon. Within days, it …

Why physicians must uphold their oath in challenging times [PODCAST]

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 3, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, discusses her article, “Doctors, grounded in our oath, must act now more than ever,” reflecting on the physician’s solemn commitment to patient care, integrity, and …

What’s going on with left-sided breast cancer: a curious phenomenon

Thomas Amburn, MD

Conditions

March 3, 2025

In clinical research, chart review is nearly as familiar as daily functions like walking or breathing. My days are full of identifying missing variables, finding them in the electronic medical records, then documenting them in my meticulously organized data sheets. However, during these chart reviews, my mind tries to find a way to break out of autopilot by looking for trends in the data. That’s how I recently noticed the …

Maternal ambivalence: the side of motherhood no one talks about

Margo Lowy, PhD

Conditions

March 3, 2025

An excerpt from Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood.

What is maternal ambivalence?

Motherhood is a messy, loving process, filled with complicated and conflicting feelings that, though it’s hard to admit to, can even include passing moments of hate. The struggle a mother faces as she recognizes troublesome feelings equally allows her to discover new ways to engage with her child. This investigation of the mother within …

Combating cognitive dissonance in medicine

Shuchita Gupta, MD

Physician

March 3, 2025

The definition of cognitive dissonance is a feeling of mental discomfort when one holds contradictory beliefs, attitudes, or values. As physicians navigate the complex waters of medical practice, the core philosophy of patient-centered care often clashes with external pressures imposed by a system that prioritizes profitability. This cognitive dissonance is considered a major factor in physician burnout.

While there are systemic factors that need to be addressed to resolve the growing …

How innovation can reduce disparities in cancer care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 2, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Physician executive Shamar Young discusses his article, “Geographic disparities in advanced cancer care: a call for innovation,” highlighting the uneven access to emerging cancer treatments across different health care systems. Shamar explores …

The truth about FEMA: a lifeline in disaster response

Lucy Bowden

Policy

March 2, 2025

We heard of Hurricane Irma only a handful of days before it smacked straight through 5th Avenue in my hometown. The predicted storm paths sent the hurricane sweeping through Miami—across the coast. When the storm path shifted, it was almost too late for my family to evacuate. Its 180 mph winds and 10–15 foot storm surge were catastrophic, costing the lives of 84 people.

It was the coordinated response of the …

Learning the language of medicine: from student to fluent physician

Paige Kalika, DO

Physician

March 2, 2025

Medicine is a language.

Medicine is many things: an art, a science, a vocation, and a calling. A good way to make a difference, a hard way to make a living. But medicine is also a language.

We learn it the way we learn any language: from the ground up. We start with the fundamentals, the vocabulary of medicine—anatomy, biochemistry, physiology—and work our way up to the sentence level: pharmacology, immunology, neuroscience. …

New dietary guidelines should prioritize plants and healthy beverages

Ronald Quinton, MD

Conditions

March 2, 2025

As both a physician and a certified culinary medicine specialist, I know firsthand how a nutritious diet can prevent and treat diet-related diseases. Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions are becoming increasingly more common. Over and over, the science tells us that a low-fat vegan diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, can help patients suffering from these conditions. Physicians can do our part to help patients use …

How innovative partnerships are reshaping patient safety [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 1, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Physician executive Timothy McDonald discusses his article, “How innovative partnerships are transforming patient safety in health care,” highlighting the role of collaboration in reducing preventable harm. Timothy explores how data sharing within …

The deadly impact of the U.S. anti-abortion funding policy

Analisa Conway and Ashley Gordon

Policy

March 1, 2025

As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of health care not just domestically but around the globe.

On January 24, only four days into his second term, President Trump reinstated “Protecting Life in Global …

The harsh reality of becoming a doctor: a dream turned nightmare

Pamela Buchanan, MD

Physician

March 1, 2025

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was 12 years old. I revered my pediatrician, Dr. Helen Nash, who was a giant in our community. Growing up poor in St. Louis, it was rare to see a Black doctor. Seeing Dr. Nash—owning her own practice, helping people, and commanding deep respect—was inspiring. She was an advocate for health care in the African American community, and whenever she spoke, …

The untold toll of COVID-19: a doctor’s battle to save lives and family

Anonymous

Conditions

March 1, 2025

Hello! Your friendly next-door ID physician here checking in! I haven’t submitted anything here in several years. I’ve been too caught up with my work and family to delve into my creative side. But the very recent news that we will have a new head of human and health services (an individual without formal health care training and who has expressed a rather strong anti-vaccine sentiment in the past) paired …

The uncertain future of general physicians: Is it time to pivot?

Varun Verma, MD

Physician

March 1, 2025

As a board-certified internal medicine physician and hospitalist with over 12 years of experience, I find myself grappling with an unsettling thought: I cannot, in good conscience, encourage medical students with clinical ambitions to pursue any general medicine field.

This may seem like a harsh assessment, but in my opinion, the writing is on the wall for general physicians. While those of us already established in practice are likely to have …

Emergency departments as primary care safety nets [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 28, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Family physician Pamela Buchanan discusses her article, “The ER doctor who became the new PCP.” In this compelling conversation, Pamela explains her transition from emergency medicine back to primary care, driven by …

Spreading hope one card at a time: How small acts of kindness can make a big difference for doctors

Dawn Veselka & Erin Hurley, MD & Kim Downey, PT

Physician

February 28, 2025

As Doctors’ Day on March 30 approaches, we are reminded of the incredible impact physicians have on our lives. But there is something often overlooked—the emotional toll the profession takes. Physicians give so much of themselves, yet their emotional needs often go unrecognized. What if there were a simple, powerful way to remind them that their efforts matter?

Imagine the impact a heartfelt, handwritten note could have on a weary physician.

I …

Chainsaw politics may cut deeply into the fabric of health care

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Policy

February 28, 2025

Federal downsizing, while touted as a means to streamline operations and eliminate bureaucratic waste, has significant and often detrimental consequences for the U.S. health care system. Two documents shed light on this issue from complementary perspectives. The first, a U.S. Office of Management and Budget-Office of Personnel Management (OMB-OPM) memorandum outlines an aggressive workforce optimization initiative designed to reduce federal staffing and cut costs. The …

Residency programs value diversity and inclusivity

Lisa Sieczkowski, MD

Education

February 28, 2025

Residency interview season is wrapping up; applicants and programs are weighing each other’s relative flaws and merits. In about a month, rank lists are due, and then the applicants’ fates are up to the Match. Where they will spend the next three to seven years of their lives, the people with whom they will work 80-plus hours per week, and the culture in which they will be steeped will be …

What if a doctor didn’t wash their hands between patients?

W. Frank Peacock, MD

Physician

February 28, 2025

I’ve been an emergency room doctor for 35 years. I have probably washed my hands over 150,000 times. What the heck? How much is enough? What would happen if I just didn’t wash my hands?

Well, first, the hand-washing police (yes, there is such a thing … they wander around the hospital watching for clinicians who don’t wash their hands) would record that I had committed a violation, and I would …

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