10 harsh truths doctors must understand to avoid burnout

Physician
April 3, 2024

In the high-stakes world of medicine, doctors are revered for their dedication to saving lives and providing compassionate care. However, behind the white coats and stethoscopes lies a harsh reality that many health care professionals often overlook—the risk of burnout. Burnout among doctors is a pressing issue that affects their personal well-being and compromises the quality of care they deliver to patients. To combat this pervasive problem, doctors must confront …

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Why minorities need more representation in breast cancer research

Conditions
April 3, 2024

I’ve always been interested in democratizing health care and have tried to incorporate this in my image-guided therapeutics research.

As a health care CEO, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to broaden my research scope and examine a personal area of interest: disparities in health care and how we can address these through innovation and scientific inquiry.

Racial disparities in health care outcomes are a pervasive issue, and breast cancer is not immune …

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Mental health support for teens [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 2, 2024
YouTube video

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We delve into the pressing issue of teenage mental health with undergraduate student Ruhi Saldanha. From discussing the need for mental health days in schools to addressing the challenges faced by today’s teenagers, …

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Nurse burnout: causes, symptoms, and solutions by gender and generation

Conditions
April 2, 2024

Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout occurs gradually over time and has three fundamental symptoms:

Exhaustion is feeling physically and emotionally exhausted and can be related to spending an excessive amount of time and effort on a particular task. Depersonalization is having an indifferent attitude and can manifest as negative, sarcastic, or cynical people towards people you are meant to serve. …

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A crisis of alcoholism is surging in the United States

Physician
April 2, 2024

The CDC is trying, desperately, it seems, to pound a square peg into a round hole, blaming COVID-19 for a surge in alcohol use and ignoring a glaring problem with the evidence. That’s not something you generally expect from scientists. However, I would argue the CDC is no longer controlled by scientists. While dedicated scientists still work there, the CDC is now controlled by politics. Founded as the Communicable Disease …

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The hidden menu of physician contracts

Physician
April 2, 2024

Many of you prioritize the clinical aspects of our profession, but understanding the business side of medicine is equally crucial. One key area to consider is your contract, as it can significantly impact your career path and financial stability.

I believe it’s essential for every doctor to be knowledgeable about the variety of contracts they may encounter in the marketplace. The most common type of contract is the business-to-individual contract, where …

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Evolution of targeted cancer therapies: a radiation oncologist’s perspective

Conditions
April 2, 2024

On July 1, 1987, I started treating cancer patients as a full-time radiation oncologist – a cancer specialist who uses radiation therapy to help cancer patients beat their disease. Now, nearly 37 years later, I have the privilege of caring for cancer patients at a cancer center. Nearly every type of cancer is treated differently; for example, breast cancer is treated differently than colon cancer, which is treated differently than …

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Disability insurance for doctors: the key to protecting your financial future

Finance
April 1, 2024
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by Pattern. 

Pattern advisor Shelby Heiser discusses how disability insurance is more than a box that doctors need to check—it’s a tool for financial security and peace of mind.

Each physician is unique.

They come …

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Common pitfalls underlying cause-and-effect relationships

Physician
April 1, 2024

In the realm of medicine, cause-and-effect relationships are those where a specific cause, such as a disease, condition, or treatment, directly leads to a specific outcome or effect. An example of this is the established fact that smoking causes lung cancer. Similarly, it is well-documented that regular, heavy alcohol consumption directly leads to liver cirrhosis.

On the other hand, phrases like “associated with,” “linked to,” and “tied to” denote a correlation …

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Laughter is the best medicine (but use it wisely with patients)

Physician
April 1, 2024

According to The Onion founder Scott Dikkers, “Comedy is meant to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.”

As physicians, our patients are the “afflicted,” so how can we use comedy to comfort them? Before we get to the how, let us start with the why.

Why make patients laugh? Because laughter is the best medicine. After steroids. Steroids are the best medicine. Laughter is the second-best medicine, and it has fewer …

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Palliative and hospice care in hospitals and clinics: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Physician
April 1, 2024

I walk into the patient’s hospital room during evening rounds. He looks pale and tired, having recently completed a round of chemotherapy for his stage IV pancreatic cancer. His wife is at the bedside, scared and concerned about her husband’s rapid decline. I sit down to discuss goals of care when the patient immediately says, “I can’t do this anymore.” His wife responds immediately to the patient: “Of course you …

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Hospital retaliation and my fight for patient rights

Conditions
April 1, 2024

I found myself compelled into the complex world of health care advocacy under extraordinary circumstances last year when I went to my university administration to request a table to do a free speech petition because of a personal and troubling experience. My mother, a respected pediatric intensive care doctor, had been abruptly terminated from her workplace after she raised concerns about patient safety.

Throughout my studies as an undergraduate, I frequently …

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A surgeon’s journey with Taylor Swift [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 31, 2024
YouTube video

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

Join us as we sit down with Andrea L. Merrill, an assistant professor of surgery, to explore the powerful intersection of music and surgery. From her early days as a trainee to navigating …

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From numbness to empathy: a reflection on medical practice

Education
March 31, 2024

I’m not sad – I’m numb.

My friend, a seasoned internal medicine resident, revealed a chilling truth after grappling with eight patient codes – three lives eluded salvation. The gravity of his words froze me. When did the mourning for human existence transform into a necessity to numb our very core? I found myself pondering the onset of this desensitization, this “numbing.”

I thought back to my own experiences as a third-year …

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The unspoken skill of touch in health care

Education
March 31, 2024

What drew me to spending my gap year as a medical assistant was the advertised “direct patient care experience.” While patient care is my favorite part of the job, it comes with its own unique challenges for a first-time health care worker.

An unexpected challenge that I had to overcome with patient care was learning how to touch patients. I am tasked daily with removing sutures, staples, assisting with wound care, …

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Low-frequency ultrasound for pain relief [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 30, 2024
YouTube video

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

We welcome L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we delve into a study that explores the potential of low-frequency ultrasound waves in pain management. Joseph will guide us through the intriguing findings …

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Microskills to be a team player: workplace violence

Physician
March 30, 2024

A patient, intoxicated with alcohol, comes into the emergency department complaining of chest pain. The nurse and the ECG tech need help as the patient is yelling, flailing his arms, and trying to stand up out of bed while stumbling. The nurse puts a blood pressure cuff on his arm and a pulse oximeter probe on his finger. With his other hand, he tries to grab her, pull her toward …

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The battle of the bulge: The struggle is real

Conditions
March 30, 2024

The economic impact of obesity looms large, casting a shadow over both individual well-being and national prosperity. Beyond the personal struggles and societal pressures surrounding weight management, the financial ramifications of obesity ripple through health care systems, labor markets, and various sectors of the economy. In the United States alone, the annual health care costs attributed to obesity-related conditions soar into the hundreds of billions of dollars, placing a significant …

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Beyond safety whistles and pizza: On National Doctor’s Day and every day, physicians deserve humanity

Physician
March 30, 2024

Recently, on an average workday, my hand brushed against the small safety whistle clipped beside my ID badge. Most days, I don’t even remember the whistle is there, a “Happy Doctor’s Day” gift from a few years ago. I dutifully clipped it on, but I can’t say it makes me feel safer.

I remember shrugging when I received it and thinking, well, it’s more practical than pizza.

I also …

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Lessons for a doctor on the Ski Patrol

Physician
March 30, 2024

Is the scene safe?

This is the first thing that you, as a member of the National Ski Patrol, need to ask and assess when coming upon a scene.

As a doctor, I can tell you: they do not teach you this in med school.

When becoming a doctor, you learn how the body works as best we currently understand it. You study how substances affect the body, from illegal drugs to those …

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