Dismantling the mythical dichotomy of physician career options

Physician
April 28, 2024

In our journey as physicians, the traditional narrative often presents a seemingly binary decision: you must choose between seeking employment within a hospital or health care institution or venturing into the challenges of establishing a private practice. However, this oversimplified dichotomy fails to capture the evolving landscape of health care entrepreneurship, particularly the emergence of a third, less conventional path – that of the single-member professional micro-corporation.

The myth of the …

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From doctor to patient: my Sjogren’s journey and a challenge to colleagues

Conditions
April 28, 2024

As physicians, we are trained to dissect symptoms and to hunt for a diagnosis. But my own journey with Sjogren’s, like my patients’, wasn’t a textbook case. It was a puzzle with pieces scattered over decades, ignored or dismissed at each turn, including by myself.

There’s the college student, fearing the agony a simple meal might bring, never dreaming of asking why. The med student, convinced of an impending heart attack, …

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Workplace violence in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 27, 2024
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Join emergency physicians Resa E. Lewiss and Adaira Landry as they discuss workplace violence in health care settings. With their expertise and insights, they discuss strategies for cultivating psychological safety, intervening effectively in …

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How to escape the “rat race” in your medical career

Physician
April 27, 2024

In writing and teaching about physician careers, I’ve explored themes like job satisfaction, burnout, professional development, and well-being. A recurring phrase that arises in conversations, at conferences, and in online forums is the so-called “rat race” of medical practice.

“I need to find a way out of this rat race.”

“This rat race wasn’t what I signed up for when I chose medicine.”

“I’m tired of the rat race and need to find …

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Revitalize your medical practice: Embrace creativity!

Physician
April 27, 2024

“Creativity is intelligence having fun!”

George Scialabba shared a variation of this quote in a 1984 Harvard Magazine article, though it is often attributed to Albert Einstein.

National Creativity Day is coming up on May 30th. What does that have to do with being a doctor? Everything!

Dr. Amy-Jo Farrow in the U.K. and Dr. Charity Hix in the U.S. speak to the importance of nurturing creativity in our lives. The demands and …

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On being a doctor and an advocate

Physician
April 27, 2024

I opened my internal medicine practice almost four decades ago to serve a growing urban community. I gravitated toward the underserved geriatric population as they were vulnerable patients and eventually moved into the bygone realm of house calls for home-bound seniors.

This enhanced my learning curve, as house calls are not taught in medical school or residency yet bridge the continuity gap between hospitalization and patients returning home after an acute …

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Physician autonomy with self-employment [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 26, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Tod Stillson, a family physician and entrepreneur, as we explore the often-overlooked world of physician contracts. Discover the hidden menu of business-to-business contracts in the medical industry and learn how transitioning to …

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Navigating grief and stress: Embracing catharsis

Physician
April 26, 2024

Recently, a very young colleague of mine who worked in the same hospital as me passed away from sudden cardiac arrest. We were shocked and deeply saddened by his death. A few days later, I met a common friend of ours who told me that he was under a lot of stress due to some family matters and work politics. He had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders. He …

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Apple’s OpenGL and iOS 18: Shaping the future of health care technology

Tech
April 26, 2024

Apple’s announcement of OpenELM, an innovative suite of efficient, open-source language models, heralds a potential game-changer for health care technology, especially with the anticipated enhancements in iOS 18. This suite is designed to function directly on personal devices like iPhones, presenting new opportunities for medical practitioners to leverage advanced AI tools in their day-to-day operations. As we await further details from Apple’s June developer conference, the implications for enhanced functionality, …

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Tips and tricks for presenting research at a medical conference as a premed

Education
April 26, 2024

Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to present a case report as a poster at the Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium. As a premed student, this was exciting but also quite intimidating.

This meeting is a large national medical conference with about 1,500 attendees, including ophthalmologists of all career stages, many ophthalmology residents, and medical students interested in ophthalmology. I presented the case of a child who had experienced retinopathy …

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A doctor’s struggle for patient care

Physician
April 26, 2024

“I maybe have a tiny shred of compassion.”

A doctor I know wrote this in reference to a person they’d never met, a person who had been verbally abusive to many health care professionals. A person who was a prospective patient.

A tiny shred of compassion. Maybe.

I had met the patient in question, was the physician caring for them in the hospital. I was trying to find a PCP who would take …

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AI in American medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 25, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with physician executive Robert Pearl to explore the revolutionary concepts presented in his latest book, ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine. Join …

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Your A+ in anatomy and physiology won’t improve the American health care system 

Physician
April 25, 2024

March 30th marks National Doctors’ Day – a day meant to honor the immense work and impact physicians have in caring for our patients and their communities. As resident physicians, we are proud and honored to have joined this noble profession.

However, on this particular Doctors’ Day, we are also acutely aware that medicine is–once again–at a historic crossroads. The recent waves of sweeping anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) legislation threaten …

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The impact of war trauma, the challenge of objectivity, and the power of therapy and storytelling in healing

Physician
April 25, 2024

Trauma in the form of war is one of the worst forms of trauma to endure. How do people remain objective about events and the involved nations when they have been directly or indirectly affected by war?

For example, how are Holocaust survivors and their families able to unemotionally relate to present-day German citizens? How do the descendants of the more than 2,000 allied civilians who were imprisoned in the infamous …

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The compassion crisis in U.S. health care

Physician
April 25, 2024

No, I am not suggesting a new medical diagnosis, but I am merely pointing out a society-wide ailment in our U.S. culture. In support of my contention, I point to Compassionomics, the superb 2019 book by Drs. Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli. In their compelling science-based presentation, the authors state, “Specifically, the hypothesis is that providing health care in a compassionate manner is more …

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Navigating COVID: a journey from academic intensity to healing

Conditions
April 25, 2024

Springtime. Blooming trees. Green grass. Cool winds. Sunny skies. COVID.

That is where my mind wanders every year since 2020, when the season turns. I flash back to the drive between the hospital and my home. Every evening after fighting a losing battle at an academic institution hell-bent on ignoring and downplaying the horror that was about to breach our borders. I was a fighter then — maybe more in that …

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A tribute to primary care [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 24, 2024
YouTube video

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Join family medicine physician Eleanor Bueno as she expresses heartfelt gratitude to a cherished primary care colleague and friend. Eleanor’s letter poignantly reminds us of the profound connections forged in primary care. From …

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Unworthiness nearly killed me

Physician
April 24, 2024

In 2016, I sat on a hospital bed in Utah, having flown from North Carolina for specialized medical treatment as my life was slowly slipping away from starvation.

During this time, I was in the Air Force and an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident completing the medical school portion of my training, which I loved. On paper, I had made it. I was finally living the dream I had crafted for …

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