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How turning 50 and empty nesting sparked my academic surge

Physician

July 14, 2024

I can hear my husband chuckling from the cavern of journal piles and stacks of free conference tote bags he refers to as his home office. “I am looking at a graph of your publications,” he calls out to me as I putter around the house. An inauspicious start.

As I look over his shoulder at the laptop screen, he shows the tiny dot representing my singular publication—work I did as …

Rewriting the rules: Achieving a million-dollar income in family medicine

Tod Stillson, MD

Physician

July 14, 2024

According to the 2024 Doximity survey, the average annual compensation for a family physician is around $300,813. For 90 percent of family doctors, this is their reality—stuck in the matrix of traditional employment. They feel unloved, undervalued, and used by the system to feed the corporate cash register. I know because that is what I did for the first 15 years of my career. However, I discovered a better …

Real-time cancer detection and the future of oncology

Makhdum Ahmed, MD, PhD

Conditions

July 14, 2024

An excerpt from Race for a Remedy: The Science and Scientists Behind the Next Life-Saving Cancer Medicine.

I like to compare diabetes and cancer. Both are chronic illnesses with a trend of increasing new cases globally over the past decades, and both are expected to be among the leading diagnoses in the world with an estimated one-half billion people living with either diabetes or cancer by 2040.

The similarities don’t end …

From marathons to moderation: Rethinking endurance exercise

John C. Hagan III, MD

Conditions

July 14, 2024

When it comes to exercise, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Regular participation in appropriate mild to moderate exercise is one of the most important habits for optimal health. The kind of detrimental excess endurance exercise I’m going to implicate includes marathon distance running, 100-mile bike rides, Iron Man/Half Iron Man triathlons, and other flat-out, pedal-to-the-metal exertions for more than an hour. Regrettably, I confess: …

Health information censorship in prisons [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 13, 2024

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Join us as we explore the critical issue of carceral censorship and its impact on incarcerated individuals’ access to health information. Our guest is Brian Tuohy, an assistant professor of bioethics, who shares …

How a negligent dentist almost killed my wife

Robert Yoho, MD

Physician

July 13, 2024

An excerpt from Judas Dentistry: How Dentists Scorn Science, Break the Hippocratic Oath, and Wreck Their Patients’ Minds and Bodies.

Our kindly dentist almost killed my wife, Judy. During her late teens, she had a single front tooth destroyed in an auto accident. So this dentist carved the teeth on either side to support a bridge. When these died, he drilled and mummified them into “root canals.” As the years …

Administrative harm is destroying the practice of medicine

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

July 13, 2024

“Rules and regulations, who needs them? Throw them out the door.”
— Graham Nash (lyrics), from “Chicago,” sung by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Business entrepreneur and billionaire Michael B. Kim recently was quoted as saying: “Leadership without ethics is a body without a soul.” Kim donated $25 million to his alma mater, Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to start a new Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership. His goal is …

What would you save if your house was on fire?

Greg Smith, MD

Physician

July 13, 2024

The obvious answer is just that, of course. I would save my wife and myself. Everything else is replaceable—well, almost everything. Read on.

Twenty years ago, before the launch of the iPhone and before social media ruled the world, two of the most important things in any traditional American family’s house were the family Bible and the family’s pictures. I will leave the Bible and commentary on it for another question …

Cinnamon versus brain cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and insomnia

Marc Arginteanu, MD

Conditions

July 13, 2024

I’ve always adored cinnamon. Its aroma warms the cockles of my heart, and its flavor makes me feel as if I’m wrapped up in an old fairy tale. However, I was floored when I reviewed some of the latest research regarding the effects of cinnamon on brain health.

Cinnamon is a type of laurel plant (believe it or not, there are almost three thousand members of the Lauraceae family). Cinnamon happens …

Overcoming diabetes and chasing dreams [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 12, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us as we sit down with writer Robin D’Amato to discuss her book, Sugar-Free. Robin delves into the inspiring journey of Ginny Eastman, a girl whose passion for basketball begins at six …

Timeless wisdom for our aching hearts

Jonathan Fisher, MD

Physician

July 12, 2024

An excerpt from Just One Heart: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Healing, Health, and Happiness.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”
— Helen Keller

In my journey of the heart, two atlases, seemingly worlds apart, converged to illuminate the interconnected dimensions of the heart. They helped me …

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Timeless wisdom for our aching hearts

Concierge medicine: exclusive access or equity dilemma?

Charles Dinerstein, MD, MBA

Physician

July 12, 2024

When demand exceeds supply, a resource is limited. Allocating those resources “involves a tension between efficiency and equity.” The market has several ways to allot those limited resources, beginning with cost. For example, frequent flyer miles, a form of resource allocation, may not seem controversial, except to those getting on last, where there is no room for their carry-on. Health care is a limited resource for many reasons, and equity …

Beyond traditional cancer treatment [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 11, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us as we delve into the growing interest in holistic approaches to cancer care with Wayne B. Jonas, a family physician. We explore the benefits of integrating complementary therapies, such as nutrition …

Why teaching medicine feels like being Santa Claus year-round

John F. McGeehan, MD

Physician

July 11, 2024

The yearly arrival of Santa Claus was a wonderful ritual of my early childhood years and later as I became a parent and a grandparent. It was exciting and fun, and the production provided mystery and joy. The fact that millions of people look forward to giving without getting accolades for doing so symbolizes the best in human nature. We willingly give credit to a myth for bestowing on those …

The role of locum tenens in bridging the physician shortage gap: Can retiring physicians save the day?

Kirk Heath, MD

Physician

July 11, 2024

The aging baby boomer generation is creating a multitude of new challenges for our already stretched thin health care sector. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65, with about one in every five residents being of retirement age and increasing demand for health care services. Simultaneously, many of our clinicians are nearing retirement or choosing to retire early. The …

From punitive measures to radical compassion for late charting

Britt Allen, MD

Physician

July 11, 2024

A few years into my faculty career, my division chief met with me to discuss late charts. “Britt, charts,” she said. “You just have to make it happen.” I don’t remember much about the specifics of what was said in that meeting, but I know exactly how I felt: a flood of shame overlying simmering anger. This someone that I respected, someone who had carved a way for the department …

Avoid these common mistakes in your first doctor employment contract [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 10, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us for an insightful episode as we navigate the complexities of negotiating your first employment contract as a doctor. Our guest, attorney Ethan A. Nkana, shares invaluable advice on avoiding common mistakes, …

Why my 5-year-old is helping with my PhD thesis

Qiuyu Julia Chen

Conditions

July 10, 2024

My five-year-old daughter is helping me with my PhD thesis. I wish she didn’t have to.

No, she’s not a prodigy (even if she is very clever!), and I’m not that desperate for assistance. She just happens to be a subject matter expert.

My thesis in human nutrition is on food marketing to kids and every time we go to a grocery store together, I see that marketing at work. She is …

Surviving medical residency: the untold story of resilience and hope

Dr. Damane Zehra

Physician

July 10, 2024

Working as a resident in medicine can be tiring. You are expected to study, pass exams, take care of your patients without making any mistakes, keep your seniors happy, have friendly ties with your co-workers, work extremely long hours, and avoid conflict at all times. No one will ever think of your well-being or happiness. You’ll be blamed and criticized even when your work is exceptional. You have to deal …

Balancing diabetes and mental health: the medication challenge [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 9, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We sit down with Jennifer Jonsson, a patient advocate, to explore the complex world of medication interactions and their impact on mental health. Jennifer shares her personal journey of managing ADHD, bipolar disorder, …

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