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We explore the groundbreaking efforts to advance autism research through postmortem brain tissue donation with David G. Amaral, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Learn how brain donation provides unique insights into the …
How postmortem brain research is changing autism science [PODCAST]
A former ICU nurse and close friend told me tonight that she wanted to start the new year on a positive note. I nodded, trying to absorb her optimism, but deep down, it felt like an impossible belief to hold onto.
Earlier in the evening, I finished watching Selena: The Series on Netflix. Tears streamed down my face, not just for Selena but for all those whose greatness was taken too …
How a nurse’s journey through trauma inspires hope and kindness
Sweden is being touted as an example of a successful fight against COVID-19 without imposing strict social isolation measures. While it is true that Sweden was one of the few countries that did not impose severe lockdown protocols and procedures, how did Sweden fare regarding various COVID-19 outcomes?
First of all, it is not true that Sweden took a totally relaxed approach to COVID-19 by keeping all establishments open throughout …
Sweden’s controversial COVID-19 strategy: lessons from higher mortality rates
Doctors are worried, and rightly so. Recent rapid strides in artificial intelligence threaten to remove the need for doctors to a significant extent. There is an oft-discussed scenario that in the next two to three years, well-trained nurses or other mid-level providers, assisted by artificial intelligence, will be adequate to provide most medical care. So, are we going to see widespread unemployment among medical professionals?
The answer is complex. A recent …
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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jordan Grumet, internal medicine physician and host of the Earn & Invest Podcast, as we explore insights from his groundbreaking book, The Purpose Code: How to …
How to find your purpose in a joyful way [PODCAST]
As a speech-language pathologist, I’ve dedicated my career to helping people find their voices—sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. Whether I’m working with children struggling to develop language, adults recovering from strokes or traumatic brain injuries, or older adults managing degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, the goal is always the same: to connect, to communicate, and to live fully. Communication is fundamental to being human. Yet, when it’s lost, regaining it becomes a …
After 30 years of practice and expertise in family medicine, with two specialties—one in Romania in general and preventive medicine for four years, and another in family medicine with Michigan State University for three years—I had my first forced vacation. Three weeks ago, I had a total hip replacement, which went excellently. I’m in great shape, but staying home 24/7 is something new. I discovered that the day feels much …
The heart of family medicine: a doctor’s journey of compassion and care
As a health care writer and patient advocate for over 27 years, I have interacted with thousands of patients who experience chronic severe pain, caregivers who support struggling family members, and clinicians who treat painful conditions. Depression and anxiety are very common in these patients and may significantly complicate treatment. Untreated depression – or under-treated pain – can cause increases in healing times, suicidal ideation, and Read more…
How a systems approach can revolutionize pain and depression treatment
Individual states in the United States can significantly shape key health care areas through policy.
In early 2024, a KKF analysis indicated that Americans collectively held around $220 billion in medical debt.
North Carolina has one of the highest percentages of adults facing medical debt, at 13.4 percent. On July 1, 2024, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) …
States have the power to influence health care
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We dive into the critical issue of physician burnout and the challenges facing primary care providers with family physician Santina Wheat. Discover practical strategies for reclaiming joy in medicine, setting boundaries, and rediscovering …
How to set boundaries and rediscover purpose in health care [PODCAST]
Nothing is more of an insult than suggesting that the 1.2 million very intelligent practicing physicians in our nation, whom we trust to keep us healthy, have never come up with a revolutionary cure for what has now become health care and physician crises. Who knows better about the actual practice of medicine and the multiple problems and challenges they face daily than physicians themselves?
The mental function of due diligence …
What if the solution for physicians’ struggles was right in their faces, yet remains unrecognized?
I still remember the day I opened my acceptance letter to medical school. It felt surreal—a rush of excitement and pride that had me packing my bags months before classes began. As a kid, I was always a dreamer. My dolls weren’t just toys; they were part of elaborate stories where every character had a purpose and a world of possibilities ahead of them. Medicine represented the ultimate story—a chance …
Finding your “why”: lessons for future medical students
My father wanted me to get an MBA from the Harvard Business School, but I wanted to be a doctor, so I am more attuned to the MBA’s excellence in many areas but differences in ethical principles from medicine. Nowhere does maximizing returns for stockholders or returns for nonprofits also include the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence for our patients. But this principle is foundational in medicine and has been …
The clash between MBA ethics and the Hippocratic tradition in medicine
My mom won’t be home that weekend
Since it was a Sunday, I told my dad that I needed to wake up early for work, so he should wake me up in the morning.
My mom and dad have very different approaches to waking up their children.
My mom’s approach is more aggressive. She shouts at the top of her lungs, turns on the light, and snatches the quilt from us. Sometimes, she …
From chaos to calm: a story of resilience and finding inner peace
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Join emergency physician Maureen Gibbons as they explore the concept of rethinking shift work in health care. They discuss how distributing shifts among multiple physicians can reduce burnout, enhance job satisfaction, and improve …
Redesigning shift work to improve patient care and well-being [PODCAST]
Of note, today, of all days, when the Supreme Court of the United States is to consider state bans on treatments for gender-affirming care of transsexual youths, virtually every internet site on the subject is blocked.
Nevertheless, I am a medical student in 1967. I do not need the internet; I lived through the beginning of gender-affirming care. My memory is clear.
I am reminded of the story of Dr. John Money, …
Gender affirming care: a matter for the Supreme Court or a matter for a medical malpractice court?
An excerpt from Yankee Doctor in the Bible Belt: A Memoir.
We work in high-pressure environments, where Dr. Death is often lurking. We can be superstitious. We can protect ourselves with a sense of humor. We can use words as a smokescreen to protect our sanity. See below.
I was a resident working in the NICU. The shifts were long—sometimes as long as thirty hours in …
The power of names: Superstition in the neonatal intensive care unit
In order to develop good speech and conversation skills, a child must pay attention to the speaker and respond back when spoken to. The importance of sustained attention, listening to, and focusing on another person by the young child is often overlooked and not recognized by parents and therapists alike. Many children with a speech delay and those with suspected autism show decreased attention along with their speech delay. Many …
How attention therapy transforms speech delay in young children
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We dive into the critical yet often overlooked topic of wealth-building for physicians. Guest Amir Baluch, an anesthesiologist and financial expert, shares actionable strategies for diversifying investments, creating passive income streams, and leveraging …
How physicians can turn their income into long-term wealth [PODCAST]
More than any other discipline of medicine, the specialty of pathology has an image problem. This is ironic for a field whose basic premise centers around images. This is also most unfortunate for medicine at large, as pathology constitutes a highly important component of modern medical care. It is estimated that 70 percent to 80 percent of all medical decisions are based either totally or partially on pathologic and/or laboratory-produced …
Dispelling misconceptions and myths about pathology and laboratory medicine
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