The secrets of shoulder bones unveiled
An excerpt from Meet Skulle.
This bone goes from the top of my sternum to the top of my shoulder. Can you name it? I have one on each side.
Did you guess the …
A love letter to the doctor I was
I recently returned to the hospital where I had first worked as an attending. Everything felt different. It seemed darker and smaller, reminiscent of the feeling when you revisit your elementary school, and the water fountains appear almost touching the ground, making you feel like a giant.
I walked through the same door I had used countless times over ten years, yet it now seemed more like a portal. The floor, …
The case for ABIM’s maintenance of certification program
A recent post on KevinMD put forward “the case for eliminating recertification by the ABIM,” in which the author expressed a number of concerns about the relevancy, time commitment and cost of maintaining certification. I have good news for the author: His concerns have already been addressed by ABIM over the last several years.
Allow me to share my case for ABIM’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.
Like the author of …
Shame behind the stethoscope [PODCAST]
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We welcome William Lynes, a urologist, who shares his powerful and personal story. William opens up about his battle with burnout, mental illness, and multiple suicide attempts. From his successful career to the devastating medical events that …
From buzzer beaters to critical care
Twenty-four is the number of hours in a day that you have to change someone’s life, and it’s also the jersey number of my favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant. Basketball has always been a passion of mine, and my desire to compete is the source of my relentless, driven attitude. The fundamentals of basketball entail rigorous training, critical analysis of opponents, working well under pressure, and most importantly, teamwork.
At 3:30 …
Locum tenens agreements for physicians
Locum tenens agreements can be useful to physicians in many circumstances. In addition to serving as a way to supplement your income during vacations, physicians often enter locum tenens agreements between jobs, to provide income while waiting for interviews or for credentialing to be completed at a new position.
In many ways, reviewing a locum tenens agreement is similar to reviewing a physician employment agreement, but there are unique aspects to …
Discovering healing through storytelling
Many arise each day with a scenario of expectations to be achieved. For those individuals of working age, some of these expectations revolve around our jobs, put into place by our employers over which we have little to no control. But what about those narratives, those stories, that we tell ourselves in the middle of the night or the ones that pop into our heads in the middle of the …
The untold struggles of a surgical fellow
My experiences with mental illness have been intimately tied with my experiences of being a surgical trainee. If you read my medical chart, you will see diagnoses like postpartum depression, generalized anxiety, and adjustment disorder. If you read my residency rotation reviews, you will read descriptors like “hardworking,” “reliable,” and “good team leader.” You would not guess that I almost quit residency less than a year from graduating because I …
Providing care to conflicting beliefs [PODCAST]
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Join Tyler Jorgensen, an emergency medicine and palliative care physician, and discover the profound insights he shares on the value of home visits in patient care. Explore the complexities of handling challenging situations, such as encountering conflicting …
Improving patient and population health insight through next-generation tokenization of real-world data
Big Data in health care has the potential to drastically improve patient-level insights when combined with personalized patient data. Understanding a patient’s whole health journey is critical to conducting impactful research, making the right diagnosis, clinical decision support, and securing health equity for individuals and communities; however, the ability to uncover actionable insights from Big Data can prove to be elusive. To harness the full potential of Big Data, stakeholders …
Kaiser-Geisinger vs. Amazon, Walmart, CVS: Who will reign supreme?
For decades, research studies and news stories have concluded the American system is ineffective, too expensive and falling further behind its international peers in important measures of performance: life expectancy, chronic-disease management and incidence of medical error.
As patients and health care professionals search for viable alternatives to the status quo, a recent mega-merger is raising new questions about the future of medicine.
In April, Read more…
Pain and laughter for a veteran patient
Mr. Sampson, a 70-year-old man with a history of diabetes, was referred to us by his primary care physician for nerve conduction studies. He had been experiencing increasing numbness in his right hand for the past year and had recently started having trouble playing his beloved guitar. As a Vietnam War veteran, he had a fascinating story to tell.
As I approached him in the waiting room, he greeted me with …
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and regenerative injection therapy [PODCAST]
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Join Francisco M. Torres, an interventional physiatrist, and Felix S. Linetsky, a pain management physician, as they delve into the world of chronic pain and its often misunderstood connection to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). They discuss the challenges …
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How doctors prioritize family and career with “physician third”
As I reflect on the concept of work-life “balance,” I realize that trying to integrate clinical and home responsibilities may feel like a juggling act while unicycling on a high wire. Instead, what we need is work-life “stability”; the reassuring feeling that we are firmly planted on solid ground. To achieve this, it is crucial to be three-dimensional, with three meaningful passions supporting our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
No one …
How junk food marketers exploit children’s impact on family food choices
Would you let a clown influence what brand of car you buy? How about choosing your household appliances based on the advice of a cartoon bird or tiger?
Probably not. But young people in your family will likely let cartoons and mascots influence where your family eats out or what cereal you buy – indeed, many of your food purchases. Those choices and many others like them will, in turn, affect …
From burnout to brilliance: How one doctor found balance
During my five-year journey as an emergency medicine physician, I have experienced the adrenaline rush and ever-changing dynamics of the emergency department. Each shift offers a chance to make a meaningful impact on those around me. However, the demanding nature of this work can sometimes challenge my motivation, making it difficult to ensure that every shift is a great one.
Throughout the years, I’ve learned some essential rules that help me …
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What teens and parents need to know about nose jobs [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!
Join Babak Azizzadeh, a facial plastic surgeon, in discussing the sensitive topic of getting a nose job, or rhinoplasty, particularly for teenagers. We delve into the importance of thorough research, honest communication with parents, and understanding the …
Embracing the Asclepion: a call for authenticity in medical symbolism
At the heart of the City of London sits an imposing building with massive brass front doors. Emblazoned and embossed on both doors is a symbol – the Caduceus, which in the U.S. is associated with medicine and health care. But why is it on the doors of the Bank of England, the second-largest repository of gold in the world?
Historically, the Caduceus was the staff of Hermes/Mercury, the patron of …
Painful physician burnout truths
Every week, there is a new article or blog about physician burnout. According to Business Wire, nearly half (49 percent) of U.S. physicians reported burnout in 2023, up slightly from 2022 (45 percent). It’s the same ideas rehashed repeatedly – doctors are worn out, drowning in paperwork, suffering due to insurance restrictions, and considering early retirement. Even more tragically, some doctors are dying by suicide. It is estimated that …
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The physician’s crucial role in combating climate change
Jet skis on the highway and sharks in the street: these are some of the images that may come to mind when you remember the record-breaking flash floods that occurred in Fort Lauderdale in April of 2023. Due to global warming, lethal weather such as this is becoming more common across the globe, and it is taking the lives of our patients. One of the largest contributors to the …
Past Week
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Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
-
Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol
-
Burnout isn’t ironclad—and neither are we
-
Navigating the path from physician burnout to career balance [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
Recent Posts
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Navigating the path from physician burnout to career balance [PODCAST]
-
Stop absorbing the chaos: How doctors can reclaim their well-being
-
How social media and telemedicine are transforming patient care
-
Bridging the digital divide: Addressing health inequities through home-based AI solutions
-
Survival strategies for marginalized physicians [PODCAST]
-
How AI helped me reclaim my creative mind with ADHD
-
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Past Week
-
Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
-
Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol
-
Burnout isn’t ironclad—and neither are we
-
Navigating the path from physician burnout to career balance [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
Recent Posts
-
Navigating the path from physician burnout to career balance [PODCAST]
-
Stop absorbing the chaos: How doctors can reclaim their well-being
-
How social media and telemedicine are transforming patient care
-
Bridging the digital divide: Addressing health inequities through home-based AI solutions
-
Survival strategies for marginalized physicians [PODCAST]
-
How AI helped me reclaim my creative mind with ADHD
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