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A medical student, Janet Constance Coleman-Belin, discusses her KevinMD article “The hidden cost of medical training: debt, depression, and despair.” Janet explores the challenges of medical education, including exorbitant debt, mental health …
Debt and despair: Navigating medical training challenges [PODCAST]
Introduction
Long COVID has emerged as a silent health crisis, lingering long after the acute phase of the pandemic has faded. For countless lives, the battle with COVID-19 did not end with recovery from the virus. Instead, it transformed into an enduring struggle with debilitating symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep disorder, PTSD, cognitive dysfunction, and post-COVID fatigue. This psychiatric landscape demands more than incremental solutions; it calls for bold, transformative approaches …
When I was a general surgery intern, I was doing my very early morning pre-rounds on a frail female patient in her late 70s with significant cardio- and peripheral vascular disease. She’d been in the hospital for weeks and wasted away to no more than 85-90 pounds. She was not able to get out of bed unassisted. I don’t even remember why she was in the hospital, but what I …
Why doctors must talk about death: the truth about CPR and end-of-life care
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In this episode, psychiatrist Chika Oriuwa discusses her KevinMD article, “How a psychiatrist rebuilt trust with a patient in crisis.” She also reflects on her book Unlike the Rest: A Doctor’s Story, …
How empathy transformed a psychiatrist-patient encounter [PODCAST]
As health care providers working in long-term care (LTC), we’ve seen firsthand how antipsychotic medications are prescribed to residents, and why. Antipsychotics are often used to help manage behaviors such as agitation and aggression in older adults living with dementia. They may be helpful for some patients, but antipsychotics can do more harm than good for many, especially when used long-term.
Now a new report has highlighted this as a …
Antipsychotic use has been rising in long-term care homes, but we can do something about it
As a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, the field medical director for type 1 diabetes immunology (T1D) at Sanofi, and someone who was diagnosed with T1D as a child, it’s fair to say that much of my life has revolved around the disease.
I could recite the risk factors for T1D in my sleep; I’ve seen first-hand the perils of an unexpected T1D diagnosis—including diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA); I’m keenly aware that those with …
Improving type 1 diabetes screening awareness among women is critical. Here’s why.
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Arnold Eiser, an internal medicine physician and author, discusses his KevinMD article, “What Chadwick Boseman’s death reveals about cancer prevention and risk factors,” examining how environmental toxins and systemic health inequities shaped …
Chadwick Boseman’s cancer battle reveals urgent need for personalized screenings [PODCAST]
Medical malpractice is a subject about which I am passionate. I am an obstetrician-gynecologist; I have been sued five times (one case ends in a mistrial, two in settlements of convenience, and two are dismissed with prejudice); I paid over $1 million in medical malpractice premiums over a career, and I abandoned my specialty because of threats of medical malpractice. These are reasons enough to be passionate.
There are 85,000 medical …
When it comes to medical malpractice lawsuits, forewarned is forearmed
It was like being struck by lightning during the chorus, the recognition that Paul Simon was singing directly to me. “Medicine is magical, and magical is art,” he sang, and I turned up the radio, convinced that I was supposed to hear these lyrics—a tender moment in which I was vulnerable to possibility. The hair on my neck stood up and warmth washed over me, the telltale signs that this …
Why creativity in medicine can inspire the next generation of doctors
On August 8, 2024, the CDC updated its selected practice recommendations for contraception for the first time since 2016. This revision emphasized the importance of discussing pain management options with patients undergoing intrauterine device (IUD) placement. Although the steps involved in IUD insertion are widely recognized as painful, this update marked the first time the CDC recommended tailoring pain management strategies based on open conversations with patients.
Despite the well-known discomfort …
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Muhamad Aly Rifai shares his journey as an early advocate for telepsychiatry, highlighting its role in addressing the U.S. mental health crisis and providing access to care in underserved areas. He delves into …
Telepsychiatry’s role in a post-pandemic world: challenges and triumphs [PODCAST]
It seems unlikely that Paramount Studios released Gladiator Part 2 immediately after the presidential election to diffuse political rancor. They didn’t intend to provide a cathartic release for the nation’s pent-up frustrations. The goal wasn’t to help remove the hissing American tea kettle from such a divisive political flame.
Hollywood made the film to entertain us and make some money in the process. The studio probably released it during the holiday …
Here’s what the NFL could learn from ancient Rome and the gladiators
Congress passed the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996. This federal regulation was aimed at maintaining the privacy of medical records while ensuring the smooth flow of medical information pertinent to patient care. Penalties assessed for violations of the HIPAA Act mostly involve financial penalties (between $25,000 per violation up to $100,000 per violation). Congress also included criminal penalties for violations of HIPAA rules enacted under 42 …
The criminal enforcement of HIPAA
For students, medical school is more than just an educational opportunity: it’s a major stage of life that can evoke profound self-reflection. Between classes, clinical experiences, and interactions with classmates, one of these reflections may be the following: Do I really have what it takes to be here?
This is known as imposter syndrome, a phenomenon whereby a person’s perception of their merits or skills doesn’t match their actual accomplishments, leading …
The weight of the white coat: imposter syndrome among medical students
The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services raises concerns about the potential impact on public health policy. As hearings on his candidacy take place, it is important for senators to consider how his views and public statements have influenced physicians, children, and the broader health care system.
Kennedy has been a prominent figure in the discussion around vaccines, often promoting claims that contradict established …
As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces confirmation, a look at his vaccine stance
A tweet on “X” (formerly known as “Twitter”), dated Jan. 2, 2024, and attributed to Elon Musk stated:
“… heavy use of C-sections allows for a larger brain, as brain size has historically been limited by birth canal diameter.”
For some reason, this statement was recently circulating on social media, even though it is a year old. I first came across the statement in a Facebook group for physicians, where a colleague …
Why doctors must fight health misinformation on social media
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Janet A. Jokela discusses the profound impact of artificial intelligence in health care, exploring how AI is reshaping clinical decision-making, reducing physician burnout, and strengthening the patient-physician bond. She highlights the potential of …
How artificial intelligence is transforming medicine [PODCAST]
As a physician and health care leader, I initially declined to comment on the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. I felt that speculating about the shooter’s intent would only sensationalize a terrible act.
Regardless of the circumstances, vigilante violence has no place in a free and just society.
But now, more than a month later, I feel compelled to address one aspect of the story that has been widely misunderstood: the …
The emotional toll of a broken health care system
Artificial intelligence (AI) advances are ushering in a new era of health care innovation, and small language models (SLMs) deployed on edge devices are leading the charge. Unlike large-scale AI systems, SLMs are lightweight, efficient, and capable of operating on localized devices such as smartphones, wearables, and IoT sensors. By combining the power of edge computing with the adaptability of SLMs, health care professionals can benefit from real-time, cost-effective solutions …
Small language models and edge technology: Transforming health care delivery
An excerpt from Med Spa Mayhem: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Secrets of the Aesthetics Industry.
Over the last 20 years, the medical aesthetics industry has grown from infancy to a $20 billion industry. Botox was approved for cosmetic use in 2003, giving birth to a new Wild West of medicine. It may have started in the offices of plastic surgeons and dermatologists, but now there are med …
Medspa madness: How illegal practices are putting patients in peril
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