A specialist’s journey in health care advocacy

Physician
April 9, 2024

As an allergy, immunology, and autoimmune disease specialist, I frequently see patients whose stories are a harsh indictment of our medical system. They’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, and forced to navigate a maze designed for quick fixes, not the complexities they endure. These unseen patients fight multi-system illnesses that defy textbooks. Their journeys highlight just how broken our approach to chronic disease truly is.

Playing “medical hot potato,” they bounce between specialists …

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Bridging communication gaps in residency training

Physician
April 9, 2024

Older physicians often bemoan what’s perceived as a decline in professionalism during residency training. Caps on the number of inpatients assigned to an intern or resident. Duty hour limits. Wellness retreats. While these may be imperfect, they’re at least aligned with or heading in the direction of what is the right way to balance the rigors of a lifetime of training in and practicing medicine with the safety, quality, and …

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Integrated coaching in physician residency training [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 8, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with psychiatrist Lind Grant-Oyeye to explore the transformative power of integrated coaching in physician residency training. We delve into the nuances of integrated coaching, its structured approach to continuous growth, …

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The role of AI in medical education: Embrace it or fear it?

Tech
April 8, 2024

Artificial intelligence is upon us and likely will forever change the way we interact with learning and education. Despite this reality, educational institutions seem to fall into either of two camps. One camp seems loath to acknowledge that AI exists. A faculty member who helps with curriculum development at one medical school recently shared, “We don’t know what to do about AI. Do we act like it’s not there, or …

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Empowering patients: Navigating medical information with AI

Tech
April 8, 2024

An excerpt from ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.

Imagine a ship at sea, its engine idle. The boat drifts dangerously close to the shoals, a mere hundred yards from land. The captain, fearing the worst, radios for help. The lighthouse watchman responds, sending an experienced mechanic named Charlie to the rescue.

With a single precise hit of his hammer, Charlie gets the …

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Plaintiff attorneys and their contingency fees: causes of chaos in medical malpractice litigation

Physician
April 8, 2024

In the English Rule, the losing party in a lawsuit pays all legal costs. It is accepted worldwide; however, in the United States, it was replaced by the American Rule. In the American Rule, both the plaintiff and defendant in a lawsuit pay their own legal costs. Of course, there are exceptions.

In theory, the American Rule encourages meritorious lawsuits and discourages frivolous and even malicious ones. It is noteworthy that, …

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Dream jobs and dream contracts: restrictive covenant nightmares

Physician
April 8, 2024

“The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
— Frederick Douglass

For doctors beginning their postgraduate professional lives, there are several options. One is the proverbial “hanging up the shingle,” a folk saying meaning going out on one’s own. The advantage is that this doctor is his/her own boss, can run the practice any way desired, and reap all the profits; the downside is such a …

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Responsibility, burnout, and self-care [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 7, 2024
YouTube video

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We welcome Mary Braun, an internal medicine physician. Mary shares her insights on how perceptions of responsibility for patient outcomes have evolved throughout her career, particularly in light of systemic challenges like the …

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Why South Korean resident physicians are quitting

Education
April 7, 2024

In February 2024, the resident physicians in South Korea resigned in waves. This was not a strike; striking seemed meaningless, and the residents went right on quitting. This occurred after the Korean government promulgated health care reform plans to tackle major problems brewing under the nation’s universal health insurance system. One of the plans–to increase the medical school quota across the nation by 66 percent …

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Navigating the tides: Finding balance in the unyielding world of medicine

Physician
April 7, 2024

In the relentless pursuit of saving lives and advancing health care, medical professionals often find themselves on the frontline, where the high stakes of their profession can blur the lines between personal well-being and professional obligations. The noble calling to medicine is, without doubt, a source of immense fulfillment and pride. Yet, this very dedication can sometimes push us towards an imbalance, impacting not just our well-being but also the …

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Ode to the gap year(s) before medical school

Education
April 7, 2024

Taking gap year(s) before medical school does not mean that you have failed or that you are “lesser than” as a student. These are the words I needed to hear as a resolute pre-med student who used to proudly proclaim that I was “going straight through” to med school. It was like a badge of honor—why do anything that would delay my path to becoming a physician?

The pre-med years …

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A young surgeon’s night: from calm to chaos

Physician
April 7, 2024

When you are a young academic general surgeon, even the nights are sometimes good. A good on-call night unfolds something like this. You might have spent the day working in the operating room or in the clinic seeing patients. Your on-call typically begins at 5 p.m., although occasionally, a colleague may ask to sign out early. This call period will not end until 7 or 8 a.m. the next morning, …

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Finances in dual-doctor households [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 6, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us for an insightful discussion on managing finances in dual high-income earner households, featuring Shane Tenny, a financial planner. In this episode, we delve into the unique challenges faced by couples in …

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Confronting colon cancer: a daughter’s regretful journey

Conditions
April 6, 2024

My mother. 63 years old. Colon cancer.

She first noticed rectal bleeding. She made excuses. Maybe it’s hemorrhoids.

She put her physician on a pedestal. He said, “You’re too young to die,” and there was no need for further tests.

Her daughters, both RNs (one an ICU nurse, the other an anesthetist), pleaded with her to get a colonoscopy. She refused. We pleaded with her getting a second opinion. She refused. Her once-plump …

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The abuser’s playbook: the weaponization of mental health

Conditions
April 6, 2024

I almost didn’t write this piece. Almost.

I feared it might be seen as provocative like I was asking for trouble. But that is exactly the attitude that has silenced victims of harassment and stalking for too long.

The short version of the story is that an unwanted presence continues to plague my life, bringing only turmoil and vitriolic spite with every intrusion. In his eyes, our “dynamic” was “volatile” …

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The curse of the excellent doctor

Physician
April 6, 2024

The reward for good work is always more work. The employer becomes dependent on the quality of work that you do because he knows that you, as a person, are a workaholic and perfectionist. You put your heart and soul into everything you do. No other employers can do the kind of work that you do. But don’t ever think that you would be appreciated for your hard work. You …

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Strategies for sustainable practice growth [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 5, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Marita McCahill, founder of a health care growth strategy consulting firm. In this interview, we explore the critical factors that influence patients’ choices when seeking health care providers, and …

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Confessions of a disruptive physician

Physician
April 5, 2024

At the lowest depths of burnout, I was a “disruptive physician.” I got away with a lot. I frequently lashed out in anger with inappropriate comments to nurses and staff. I yelled at my husband and my kids. I was in full “victim” mode and I let everyone know it.

As an OB/GYN, I was available to my patients 24/7/365. This was the way it was in my private practice. I …

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How microplastics harm your health

Conditions
April 5, 2024

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a paper titled “Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events,” which detected the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in carotid artery plaque, with a higher risk of a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause at 34 months follow-up than those in whom MNPs were not detected. Although this study did not establish a causal effect, …

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Disparities between physician and C-suite contracts [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 4, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, health care attorney Dennis Hursh delves into the contentious issue of executive compensation within the health care sector. With a critical eye on the disparities between physician and C-suite salaries, …

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