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We sit down with Patrick Hunt, a physician executive, to explore one of the most pressing challenges in U.S. health care—the growing physician shortage. With projections indicating a shortfall of up to 86,000 …
Is tech the answer to America’s growing doctor shortage? [PODCAST]
I recently wrote an article about the problems with our broken health care system, ending with a call for doctors to help develop solutions. In follow-up, here are some possible solutions to consider before the system self-implodes. There is concern that, without any changes, Medicare will run out of funding by 2031. Here are a few things that I think could help.
Address physician burnout
It’s real, and COVID-19 made it …
Why doctors must take charge to save our failing health care system
Becoming a physician is hard work. No doubt about it.
Each phase felt like the steepest of learning curves.
Remember your MS-1 anatomy class? So many names and terms to memorize.
How about that first clinical rotation in your third year? It took me at least an hour to get a simple SOAP note written in a patient’s chart (yes, handwritten notes back in those days).
And then there was the dreaded internship year, …
PGY-22 has a steep learning curve
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We are joined by Paul Pender, an ophthalmologist with extensive experience in patient care. We explore the vital role emotional intelligence plays in strengthening the physician-patient bond, particularly in challenging health care environments. …
How empathy and emotional intelligence transform patient care [PODCAST]
It is undeniable that the radiologist shortage is here. While reimbursement is declining, free agents are few and far between, and compensation is exploding. Compensation per wRVU in the western region of the U.S. jumped nearly 16 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to MGMA. Job postings show salaries almost double what they were even five years ago, with signing bonuses, accelerated partnership tracks, and 12, 26, 34, or even …
Radiologists need to be realistic about the job market
Having worked as a copywriter and creative director at some of the world’s top ad agencies, including McCann Erickson (now McCann Worldgroup), I am vehemently critical of new advertising. Why? I know the tricks and how they manipulate well — think the old TV series Mad Men.
Leading the list of ads that I hate are direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug ads which began in the late 1990s. I am especially critical of …
How drug and soap commercials are manipulating you
Did you hear the news from the U.S. Surgeon General recently? Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory called “Parents Under Pressure,” outlining the ways in which the 63 million-plus parents and caregivers in the U.S. are struggling—really struggling. Even as a parent who is a child psychiatrist, I was shocked by some of the data.
An analysis of parents’ responses from the 2023 Stress in America survey, conducted by the American …
Parents in crisis: How physicians can help
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Join us for an episode featuring Lynn McComas, a recognized expert in precepting nurse practitioners and advanced practice provider students. We’ll discuss the critical importance of hands-on training in medical education and the …
How lack of hands-on experience could endanger patient safety [PODCAST]
When considering the diseases that United States veterans are burdened with, you might think of COPD, Type 2 Diabetes, certain cancers, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. However, there is another disease diagnosed at twice the rate in veterans compared to the general population: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is one of the only diseases known to occur at an increased rate in all veterans, regardless of when or how long …
What U.S. veterans with ALS deserve to know
The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on every aspect of health care, including neurosurgery. As a fourth-year medical student navigating my neurosurgical rotations during this unprecedented time, I experienced firsthand how the pandemic reshaped our approach to medical education, patient care, and surgical practice. This period has been transformative, challenging my understanding of neurosurgery and reinforcing the need for adaptability and resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges.
Before …
How COVID-19 shaped my view on neurosurgery: a medical student’s insight
He is 75 years old, and I am 30. Wondering how we met? It was a very casual meeting in a park.
I live in a four-story building with numerous flats. There is a long walking and jogging track and a playground in front of my building.
On the opposite side of this ground, there are huge bungalows and fancy houses.
People from both sides of the road come here to walk and …
The unlikely friendship between a young doctor and an elderly scholar
We saw the smile vanish from her face instantly. Our colleague, a zestful individual with a passion for obstetrical care, fell silent after our superiors met her ideas for improving her training experience with defensiveness and deflection. After the meeting, she confessed she was losing hope about getting robust enough exposure to delivering babies and managing laboring mothers prior to completing residency. For her, this was essential to her securing …
Psychological safety for all: Why this phenomenon matters to everyone
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We welcome Dean-David Schillinger, an internal medicine physician and public health leader. Dean-David discusses his book, Telltale Hearts: A Public Health Doctor, His Patients, and the Power of Story. Drawing from over three …
Telltale hearts: the untold power of patient stories in medicine [PODCAST]
Teaching is a blast! As an attending, I love to employ offbeat methods, with absurdity and humor, at times skirting the edge of political incorrectness, all for the purpose of enhancing one’s medical education.
Educating medical students and residents by practicing physicians is a tried-and-true element of medical education, a practice dating back through the ages, where those without formal education in the art of teaching provided instruction. This tradition continues …
The surprising power of laughter and creativity in medical training
The American Medical Association recently reported a decline in physician burnout rates, which is fantastic news. Decreasing burnout means happier doctors, improved patient care, and healthier relationships with family and friends. Yet, even with this progress, burnout rates in my own specialty, family medicine, along with other primary care specialties, remain staggeringly high—over 50 percent. As primary care providers, we are often the first point of contact in the health …
Reclaiming joy in health care: Taking control amidst systemic challenges
It took me forever to retire—three years or so. It took so long that my nurses got tired of bringing me purple cakes decorated with whipped cream stethoscopes, but I did it. Now, a few years later, I can tell you that the things I worried about were not the ones that gave me trouble.
I had mostly agonized about money—had we saved enough to last us the rest of our …
The surprising struggles of retirement no one warned you about
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We dive into the persistent challenge of fall prevention in hospitals with our guest, Christine Gall, a nurse executive. Despite advancements in patient safety, falls remain a significant issue, resulting in severe injuries …
Fall prevention in hospitals: How technology can save lives [PODCAST]
In the shadow of America’s maternal health crisis, Medicaid mothers are fighting an uphill battle against systemic neglect. Many of these mothers are facing a cruel reality: the more they need help, the harder it is to get.
It is far from uncommon for new mothers in the United States to find themselves thrust into the throes of postpartum depression after welcoming a new life. Most of them, about three-quarters, …
Here it is … an epic post about EHRs.
I’ve been waiting for years to write this. Literally, years.
Ever since 2014, when I was required to attend 30+ hours of unpaid training for this new EHR, I knew this post would be written. I did have the option of 10 additional unpaid training hours to become a “gold star super user.” That status would have allowed me to teach every confused …
Why EHRs are ruining health care: a doctor’s shocking truth
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We sit down with anesthesiologist Jonathan Cohen to explore the impact of social media on the medical learning environment. Recent posts by senior physicians have sparked debate on the public shaming of trainees …
How social media shaming is hurting future doctors [PODCAST]
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