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Join us as we welcome psychiatrist Lewis Cohen to discuss his book, Winter’s End: Dementia and Dying Well. In this episode, we explore the ethical dilemmas, legal challenges, and emotional impacts surrounding life-shortening …
End-of-life issues in dementia care [PODCAST]
The potential advances that AI will bring to medicine boggle the mind and portend massive changes, the likes of which we have not experienced since the advent of modern surgical techniques, the development of image-based diagnostic methods, and the discovery of effective medications. As a primary care doctor who has worked at San Francisco General Hospital for over 30 years, and as someone who has worked through the epidemics of …
Telltale hearts: Navigating modern medicine’s human element
Imagine you’ve worked in a clinical environment for an extended period. You might be a resident or fellow getting ready to graduate, an attending who has been operating for years, or a full-fledged partner in private practice. As your morning alarm sounds, you check your email and see: “Informal Meeting–Mandatory.” The content of the email is vague, but it seems you’re being asked to meet with several colleagues in your …
The sham peer review: a hidden contributor to the doctor shortage
Almost 1 in 3 U.S. adults and more than 1 in 4 U.S. children reported having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy in 2021. That’s more than 100 million people and rates are rising. While many people experience relatively mild symptoms, for others, living with an allergy can be debilitating, with symptoms being severe and, in the worst cases, even fatal.
Therefore, it is essential to ensure …
Why you need allergen component tests to support your allergy diagnosis
Have you ever heard of a drug called Ozempic? Just kidding. As we all know, this medicine and numerous related drugs are the rage. It is classified as a GLP-1 drug. The percentage of my patients who are taking these drugs is steadily rising. Of course, initially, Ozempic’s purpose was in diabetic management. Once it was discovered that weight loss was a “side-effect,” a new therapeutic mission was discovered. Indeed, …
Are Ozempic patients on a slow-moving runaway train?
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We are joined by Fady Chamoun, an internal medicine physician, to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care. We delve into the art of prompt engineering and its six …
AI in health care: Improve outcomes with effective prompt engineering [PODCAST]
Most physicians step into their careers already burdened with over $200,000 in student debt, no assets to speak of, and a nagging feeling that they’re way behind. If you’re the primary breadwinner in your family, this pressure can be even more intense. Interestingly, most doctors didn’t pursue medicine for the paycheck. But once that MD is proudly displayed after their name, they are thrust into a relentless sprint to catch …
How physicians can find true happiness beyond wealth
“21st Century Schizoid Man” is a 1969 antiwar song by the prog rock band King Crimson. It appeared as the lead cut on their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. “Schizoid Man” is considered an epic, described by Rolling Stone as “a seven-and-a-half-minute statement of purpose: rock power, jazz spontaneity, and classical precision harnessed in the service of a common aim.”
Schizoid personality disorder is much …
21st century schizoid health care: the unseen crisis of our system
Amidst the pressing challenges confronting the health care landscape in the United States, the physician shortage stands out as a critical issue demanding innovative solutions. The Association of American Medical College’s latest report projects that the nation’s physician shortage could reach up to 86,000 by 2036. Burnout, which was further exacerbated by the pandemic, a large portion of physicians nearing retirement, limited medical school enrollment, and population growth …
In 2013, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) created a “risk calculator” to estimate the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and guide patient-centered medical therapy for prevention strategies, like starting statins. However, concerns arose that the pooled cohort equations (PCEs) overestimate risk and do not reflect the current diverse U.S. population, particularly underrepresenting Asian and Hispanic adults.
In 2023, AHA’s Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Scientific Advisory …
Diverse data redefines heart disease prevention strategies
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We dive into the evolving health care landscape with Jamie Babcock, a health care executive. We’ll explore the growing demand for skilled providers and the critical clinician shortage projected by the Health Resources …
Innovative solutions to the clinician shortage crisis [PODCAST]
Writing is something I enjoy. I take pleasure in writing, especially because of my beautiful handwriting. When I started school, we had to write with a lead pencil until fifth grade. I was so excited to write with a pen when I started sixth grade. After I learned how to write with a pen, I have been writing nonstop. I found my writing mesmerizing. My friends used to cram notes …
The hidden talent that transformed my medical career
My legs felt like thick, immovable tree trunks as I shakily shuffled down the long, cold hospital hallway in my chafing hospital gown and ill-fitting non-skid socks, pulling my stubborn and squeaky IV pole alongside me. My mom took small, measured steps next to me as we took our daily walk around the hospital floor to escape from my cramped, confining hospital room.
Now several weeks into my first hospitalization after …
The emotional toll of chronic illness
Nothing could have prepared me better for my career and life than playing team sports growing up.
It’s hard to imagine someone now in their 70s pitching a fastball 100 miles per hour, bench pressing almost 400 pounds, and running the 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds. These skills allowed me to play baseball until I was 26 and then move on to medical school.
Professional athletes pride themselves on their speed and …
How team sports prepared me for a successful career in medicine
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We sit down with Roxanne Becker, a lifestyle medicine physician, to discuss the urgent implications of the first human case of H5N1 avian influenza contracted from a dairy cow. We explore how zoonotic …
From farm to pandemic: the urgent need for dietary changes [PODCAST]
When we go charging in blood vessels at breathtaking speed to relieve the blockade that otherwise may bring a sad end to life, we expect to be doing it for the mature and elderly. The stress and strains upon the heart through the journey that is life upend the natural rhythm and flow, with the turbulence churning up clots like butter from milk that flow downstream till the narrowed channels …
Young lives at risk: the unseen dangers of fentanyl addiction
After 45 years as an ICU nurse specializing in surgical trauma ICU and eventually PACU nursing, Marsha wasn’t ready to retire. She was restless and bored and decided to continue her PACU expertise at a freestanding surgical center. While juggling that job and an endoscopy center, she started to notice a recurring theme: time is money.
The endoscopy freestanding clinic performed colonoscopies, EGDs, and sigmoidoscopies—up to 42 procedures a day. More …
The health care assembly line. Time is money.
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Join us in this episode as we explore the challenges of balancing social media and device use with the essential aspects of life. Our guest, Dawn Baker, an anesthesiologist, shares her insights from …
Social media use and physician wellness [PODCAST]
I tried to get a personal appointment at a large prestigious academic outpatient service. The website had a “contact us” link, which directed me to a very prolonged questionnaire wanting to know details (mainly financial) that practically included turning over my firstborn child. After spending extensive time clicking through the questionnaire, I finally came to a screen that “allowed” me to pick a time over two weeks in the future …
Struggles of navigating prestigious medical systems
It was 2018. Previously, “Max” had steadfastly refused all vaccines. Despite his HIV infection, which was well controlled, and my pleading with him over multiple years to get a flu shot, he was firmly opposed. He was intelligent and very matter-of-fact, and we had discussed this often. It was obvious that he did not want to be vaccinated, …
Patients and immunizations: It’s a matter of trust
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