As doctors, we all know that when we care for an informed patient, the conversation is more meaningful, and the patient can make a more informed decision about their care.
The same is true in the investing world. We are all very busy, but it is important we understand some basic financial terms so when we are either picking our own stocks or mutual funds or talking with a financial advisor, …
An excerpt from Box of Birds: What New Zealand taught me about life and the practice of medicine.
While dobutamine improves the strength of heart contractions and can thereby help raise blood pressure, it also has properties that dilate the arteries, which in this patient’s case dropped the blood pressure further. …
There’s a new viral trend on TikTok, and it’s motivating a lot of people to consider plastic surgery. It’s the platform’s latest facial filter, meant to show one’s older self, and many people are taking it as accurate and predictive. However, while it can be accurate in several ways, it does have its faults. TikTok has many of these filters that use programming and AI to change how a …
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Join Mara Buchbinder, a medical anthropologist, and explore the pressing issue of clinician burnout within the health care system. Delve into the shortcomings of conventional mental health approaches and the potential of an occupational health lens to …
In the vast and intricate universe of Star Trek, we often find narratives that reflect our own realities, despite their setting in the distant reaches of space. One such narrative is found in the eighth episode of the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “Under the Cloak of War.” This episode offers a profound exploration of the psychological aftermath of war, serving as a mirror to our struggles …
Here is a challenge: Review the schedule of patients you have seen today. As you recall each patient, ask yourself this question: Did I genuinely feel compassion towards my patient in that encounter?
I will be brutally honest with you (and myself). For me, on many days, that figure is maybe, at best, about 5 percent.
It’s tough. We are running 30 minutes late. Three irritated waiting room patients yearn for our …
An excerpt from Mirrors and Windows: Reflections on the Journey in Serious Illness Practice. This reflection was written by Chris Onderdonk, one of over 50 contributors.
I’m sitting next to Tony in the surgical intensive care unit doing my best to make out what he’s writing. He’s intubated and I’ve just …
Last week, my niece, Maria Piedad Villadiego Carrascal, the only child of my sister, Maria A., graduated from medical school. In doing so, she became the seventh member of the Carrascal family to embrace medicine as a profession. It was an emotional moment. I could not hold back tears as I watched the event, which was streamed live.
By chance, the week before graduation, she and her cousin, my nephew Mauricio, …
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We delve into urologist William Lynes’ emotional journey as a physician grappling with burnout and the weight of medical decisions. A distressing note triggers introspection, unraveling the hidden turmoil of a healer. Join us to explore the …
COVID reminded me of why I became a doctor. Below is an unpublished account (in short story form) of my most memorable day during the height of COVID. It is a reminder that we can remain true to our intrinsic motivators rather than victims of extrinsic factors. And most of us still have the opportunity to choose every day which forces rule our day: intrinsic or extrinsic.
On a Tuesday morning …
Pain is the primary reason people seek medical care. Pain is also the problem that ignited the opioid crisis and continues to supply fuel. Eighty percent of opioid misuse begins with a pill prescribed for pain. Purdue invested heavily in marketing Oxycontin to physicians, training them that home opioids are the standard of care for recovery from surgery. While addiction debunked the myth of universal safety, two fallacies embedded in …
After much outcry, UnitedHealthcare announced that they are no longer moving forward with their controversial prior authorization policy that would require members to get approval from the insurance company to receive a diagnostic colonoscopy to detect cancer. Instead, UnitedHealthcare has discussed implementing an alternative: an advanced notification process that would require physicians to collect and submit patient data before performing non-screening and non-emergent colonoscopies. This latest policy change is …
Investing in mutual funds can be a great investment choice for doctors who often have little time to analyze individual stocks. This is especially true for financial planning for early-career physicians. Mutual funds immediately provide diversification. But have you ever wondered what the letters after the mutual fund mean: A, B, C, or I? Well, picking the right class of a mutual fund can have a big impact on …
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I saw shocking photos from Northern Italy and New York City, reviewed my life insurance, and thought about my three kids. I didn’t chicken out, but I thought about it long and hard as I sat, sipping tea through trembling lips, preparing—whatever that meant. In the end, I got COVID twice while working the frontlines. A few scars, disorders of my hearing, smelling, and tasting. I am dealing. Today, COVID …
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We join hematologist Toyosi Onwuemene who shares her transformative journey from clinician to scientist. A decade ago, she faced obstacles trying to build a research career without support, funding, or training. Now, she sheds light on the …
In April of 2022, I decided to leave medicine after 18 years of practice, 13 of which were spent working with electronic medical records. During my final visit with a patient and her husband, as I informed them of my decision to retire from medicine, I noticed a peculiar look on the husband’s face. He was a quiet man who rarely said much during their visits, but I could tell …
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“There’s no such thing as postpartum depression.”
These were the unsolicited words from my obstetrician in the third trimester of my first pregnancy.
“It’s only sleep deprivation,” she explained.
As an MD, I’d been taught there was indeed such a thing as postpartum depression. But as the patient in that interaction, a pregnant woman, I didn’t feel in any position to challenge her words. They would, however, stick in my brain forever. Even …
A recent study in Annals of Family Medicine confirms what many providers have long believed: stronger patient-provider relationships can yield better patient health outcomes.
It only stands to reason. Patients and providers can better understand and manage health conditions when communicating regularly and sharing information openly. This is especially beneficial when patients have multiple chronic conditions.
Enhanced relationships and communication also help providers identify barriers to care, so they can serve …
It was at the very beginning of the fourth year of medical school that Kristen and I had our first kid. So, we decided to get life insurance. I didn’t know who to turn to at first, but then I was directed to an insurance agent at a well-known mutual fund company who happened to be my friend’s brother. As I sat down, he asked if I was healthy. To …
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