How excessively regulating doctors can harm patients

Physician
June 9, 2023

According to the American Board of Medical Specialties, its program for maintenance of certification (MOC) serves the patients, families, and communities of the United States and improves patient care by establishing high standards for ongoing learning, practice improvement, and assessment activities. Whether this is true or not has been a hotly contested topic in the medical profession for about two decades, when MOC was first introduced. Proponents claim that MOC …

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AI-driven solutions for burnout, patient empathy, and worker shortage

Tech
June 9, 2023

A recent Medpage Today article reviews a research article published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Nidhi Subbaraman, in a topic-related Wall Street Journal article, also reviews this JAMA article and several pilot AI doctor response programs currently undergoing clinical testing.

Both of these reviews indicate that AI-created responses to patient-driven online questions posed to doctors are viewed more favorably (by the patients) and rated …

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How modern lifestyle changes are disrupting our immune systems

Conditions
June 9, 2023

In addition to a steep increase in prevalence, in recent decades, we have seen an evolution in the ways our immune system misbehaves: eosinophilic esophagitis, mast cell disorders, and early onset colon cancer, among many others. This data alone should remind us that we are an ever-evolving species. With our rapidly changing lifestyle over the last century, it shouldn’t be surprising that we are seeing some sort of physiologic hangover.

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Empathy and awareness: Unveiling the hidden dangers of food allergies [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 8, 2023
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Join us for an insightful podcast episode as we discuss the critical issue of food allergies and the recent incidents of food-induced anaphylaxis deaths that have deeply impacted the food allergy community. Our guest, Lianne Mandelbaum, is …

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The alarming epidemic of physician burnout and how we can combat it

Physician
June 8, 2023

Physician burnout is not a new issue, but it has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. According to the Medscape’s 2023 survey, 53 percent of physicians say they are burned out, compared to 42 percent in 2018.

Burnout among doctors can have disastrous consequences for individuals and society at large. Burnout can lead to reduced productivity, lower quality of care, and even medical errors. It affects not only the physician’s …

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A retired physician’s battle with moral injury

Physician
June 8, 2023

I retired early from the profession I loved because the devolution of the health care system had made it impossible for me to care for my patients in a manner that met my standards. It also left me with a wound of “moral injury” which makes me leery of re-engaging with our health care system.

My early career

My first post-training job (1989) as a physician was in a BCBS clinic. After …

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Unveiling the secrets to effective resuscitation and overcoming obstacles

Physician
June 8, 2023

Whether one is resuscitating or being resuscitated, the call for help is a cry for help. However, constructive help may be hard to come by and thus harder to let go.

When one is resuscitating or being resuscitated, the scenario may often be that they are or have been driving under the influence of tunnel vision, thus being blindsided by situational incompetence induced by it. Just like the best-case scenario for …

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Georgia’s new law promoting truth and transparency in health care credentials

Policy
June 8, 2023

Landmark legislation was signed into law by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on May 2, 2023. Senate Bill 197, the Health Care Practitioners Truth and Transparency Act, is likely the most comprehensive state law promoting exactly what its name promises: truth and transparency, in this case regarding health care credentials.

Informed consent for a patient means, in part, that the patient understands exactly who is treating them. This new Georgia …

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Physician employment contracts: the key to fighting burnout and improving working conditions [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 7, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us on this insightful podcast episode as we delve into the pressing issue of physician burnout and the challenges physicians face in their careers. Our guest, Dennis Hursh, a veteran attorney with over 40 years of …

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A tense family drama unfolds as a young daughter pursues unconventional career path

Physician
June 7, 2023

You may not have heard about the young girl from my neck of the woods who just graduated from high school and is heading to college in Arizona to study ichthyology. It’s been causing quite a stir because her father, a family medicine doc who runs a busy practice in town, is less than thrilled about her daughter’s chosen career path. The tension between father and daughter is palpable, and …

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Decoding the brain’s decision-making: insights for medical professions and strategies for success

Physician
June 7, 2023

The interplay between the brain’s fast and deliberative decision-making systems is complex yet fascinating, shedding light on the cognitive underpinnings of different medical professions, such as emergency room (ER) doctors and radiologists.

Let’s illustrate this with an example. Consider an ER doctor faced with a patient exhibiting symptoms of a heart attack—chest pain, shortness of breath, and cold sweat. The physician must rapidly recognize these symptoms, immediately initiate protocols, administer clot-dissolving …

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Unmasking the truth: the shocking reality of the opioid epidemic and who’s really to blame

Physician
June 7, 2023

An excerpt from Burden of Pain: A Physician’s Journey through the Opioid Epidemic.

Glide your hand over a piece of velvet and you notice the smoothness. You feel its aggregated smoothness, not the individualized roughness of each fiber. Each fleeting fiber, a prick of truth, is nullified, synthesized, and then magnified into the silky fluency of general perception—propaganda containing within it a concoction of ambiguities and assumptions, cooked with a …

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Discover your true north: Navigating life’s confusions and embracing your path to success

Physician
June 7, 2023

At age 18, my buddy David and I scaled the outside stucco of a hotel in Cancun, Mexico, and soon found ourselves ten stories up, lying on our backs on the hotel roof, looking at the night sky. It was a terribly stupid idea—one of many we had back in those days. But once we were up there, David taught me the major stars and constellations of the summer sky: …

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A revolution in patient empowerment: Working together to save our medical system [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 6, 2023
YouTube video

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Join Ann M. Hester, board-certified internal medicine physician, in a thought-provoking podcast episode. Explore the challenges of the health care system, including the shortage of doctors and the nursing crisis. Ann shares valuable insights on the importance …

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Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

Physician
June 6, 2023

It is nearly universally agreed that the United States of America is a “great nation” with the world’s strongest economy, an expansive international presence, and being physically one of the largest countries in the world. The groundwork for this expansion, both in size and economically, was grounded in our concept of “manifest destiny” – the belief that as a nation, we were intended to span from ocean to ocean. For …

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Unlock financial freedom: The physician’s guide to lucrative multifamily syndications and wealth accumulation

Finance
June 6, 2023

In the realm of real estate investing, multifamily syndication has garnered significant attention as a lucrative and rewarding investment strategy, particularly among physicians and other high-income earners. Primarily, its appeal lies in its ability to offer attractive returns while simultaneously generating passive income and long-term wealth-building opportunities.

Given the unique characteristics and benefits of multifamily syndications, it has rapidly become a popular investment vehicle among investors looking to diversify their income …

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From Moscow Mule to the opioid crisis: Unveiling the tragic legacy and urgent solutions

Meds
June 6, 2023

The Moscow mule, a mix of ginger beer, an ounce of vodka, and a squeeze of lemon, has become one of the favorites among cocktail aficionados across the United States. It delivers on all that it promises, namely, an easy-to-make tasty drink, except it has nothing to do with the Russian capital whose name it bears. The birthplace was New York’s Chatham Hotel in Lower Manhattan, and the year was …

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From journalism to medicine: Unveiling the untold stories of patients’ medical conditions

Physician
June 6, 2023

Doctors come from different backgrounds, and we all start medical school with various life experiences. Few people know that I actually started off life as a journalism major. I wanted to write about other people and their life stories. I wanted to travel and photograph what the world had to offer. Then, having lost my journalism job and getting hired at a nursing home as a receptionist, I ended up …

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Unlocking resilience: a powerful journey from trauma to transformation [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 5, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us for an inspiring podcast episode as we delve into the world of trauma, resilience, and personal transformation. Our guest, Rebecca Fogg, consultant and author of Beautiful Trauma: An Explosion, an Obsession, and a New Lease …

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Overcoming the lies of depression: Senator John Fetterman’s struggle with mental health

Conditions
June 5, 2023

In February, just a few months after being elected to the United States Senate, Pennsylvania politician John Fetterman entered into a treatment program for depression. In an interview with CBS News show Sunday Morning last month, he recounted suffering a stroke in May 2022, then fighting through a grueling Senate race that severely impacted his mental health. “You may have won,” he recalled thinking, “but depression can absolutely convince you …

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