As human needs continue to evolve, it is essential for our systems to adapt accordingly. One perplexing question is who bears the cost of human work. Do the systems pay for human labor, or do humans contribute to the systems, which, in turn, pay for their work? From an economic perspective, it boils down to humans paying for humans to work through human-devised systems. We won’t delve into the idea …
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Join Miguel Villagra, a hospitalist, as we explore how our thoughts shape emotions, dissecting cognitive distortions like all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and more. Discover strategies to break free from negative loops, challenge assumptions, and cultivate a balanced perspective. …
Every business, regardless of type, size, or structure, has one primary reason: to make profits. In economic theory, every business is successful exactly to the extent that it does something others cannot. Business profitability rises to the extent that universal business principles are adopted and integrated into the medical practice business.
Business growth, endurance, and increasing profits over time are possible only when business management principles and marketing strategies are embedded …
Almost 30 years ago, as an OB/GYN intern at a large urban medical center, I was privileged to learn from exemplary doctors and midwives. After 4:30 a.m. postpartum rounds one day, a midwife said, “I saw your note. You listened for bowel sounds and examined her abdomen.” I replied, “I did.” She asked, “Did you also check her bottom?” I responded, “No. Why?” She explained, “She delivered the baby through …
The path to becoming a dermatologist has become increasingly challenging in recent years. This is due, in part, to the competitive environment of residency applications, as well as the increasing emphasis on research output. In their publication, “Research Fever—An Ever More Prominent Trend in the Residency Match,” Dr. Ahmed and Dr. Adashi note that the number of research publications on residency applications has increased significantly over the past decade. This …
During my tenure as a practicing physician, I’ve grasped that each patient necessitates and is entitled to comprehensive and unique follow-up care. Fascinatingly, this rule also relates to us, the contracted physicians. I’ve realized that a physician’s employment contract isn’t static; it is subject to deliberate and incidental alterations.
The involvement of attorneys in contract negotiation is imperative, but their influence tends to recede after the contract …
The recent ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to eliminate race-conscious decision-making from college admissions is being openly challenged by the medical establishment. The American Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Medical Board of California, and the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawaii (among others) are continuing efforts to diversify education and medical staffing despite a 6 to …
Reality knocked me for a loop one evening when my father-in-law called from his home in another state and asked for help. This kind of request was very uncharacteristic for him. We responded immediately and drove to his home. After much conversation and many questions from both sides, we eventually came to the hard truth. His cancer had progressed and, to my mind, was most likely terminal. I dug in …
Burnout isn’t our fault. However, since we can’t change the inner workings of large institutions all at once, if at all, how do we push through? How do we do more than just survive?
“More and more doctors are coming to believe that the pandemic merely worsened the strain on a health care system that was already failing because it prioritizes profits over patient care,” wrote Eyal Press in the New …
The cure for ailing health care lies in returning to ethical traditions, prioritizing patient care over profits, holding physicians accountable, and reforming existing oversight bodies and professional organizations. The ailing health care is curable. To be made whole again, it requires obvious but drastic steps. The crux of the problem is that medicine largely abandoned its own traditions and time-tested modus operandi in favor of the seemingly efficient and shiny …
An excerpt from Our Hospital.
Kush Kare Hospital in Columbia, New York, was the flagship of Kush Kare Private Equity Inc., a for-profit chain of hospitals across America. A for-profit that was listed on a lot of lucrative trading routes. Clearly its workings were murky—maybe not equity at all. A clever …
I’m so sorry, but the pain was too much, and I couldn’t continue. I have witnessed patients crying themselves to sleep while nurses held their hands, praying for their treatments to be approved, giving them one more chance at life. Nurses try to juggle 8, 9, 10, or more patients during their shifts, holding onto their compassion with the last thread of hope that things will improve. Yet, they’ve also …
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Heather Furnas, an adjunct clinical associate professor at Stanford and an aesthetic surgeon, joins us as we delve into the intricate world of recommendation letters, biases in evaluations, and their impact on diverse fields. Heather lends her …
It has been only two weeks since I realized the job I had was gone. As physicians, I think we have this idea of what our work will look like into the future. It is enshrined in pomp and circumstance from the start as we take an oath to “do no harm,” it’s encrusted with an unspoken culture of medicine that often asks us to give more than we thought …
Did you know that according to research, teachers are more likely than doctors to become millionaires? How is that possible? Well, some of it has to do with the social pressure we face. However, a lot has to do with many of us thinking that because we are highly educated, we can also be effective financial advisors for ourselves. The reality is that for most of us, this is …
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Many physicians reading this forum treat pain and addiction and may wonder what criteria the DEA believes to be indicative of a pill mill. The following is from a motion filed in federal court regarding the prosecution of a physician:
The government claimed in the motion that pill mills, “have been found to have common characteristics, including some or all of the following”:
National Latino Physician Day (NLPD) was established on October 1, 2022, as a day to celebrate Latino physicians in the United States, who represent 6% of the physician workforce. A strategic aim of NLPD is to simultaneously recognize the critical shortage of Latino physicians when compared to the U.S. population (19%), while sharing evidence-based data showcasing this disparity in Latino physician representation and its potential impact on worsening health care …
During a total hip replacement, a patient experienced a brisk bleed and a drop in blood pressure that required intervention from the anesthesiologist. There was a discrepancy in the documented estimated blood loss, with the surgeon noting 30 0cc while the anesthesiologist recorded 1100 cc. The patient was hypotensive in the PACU and had a discolored leg with no …
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Join Tomi Mitchell, a family physician, as we tackle the pressing issue of physician burnout. This episode delves into the stark disparity between perception and reality in medical careers, exploring strategies to combat burnout and prioritize well-being. …
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