My first post-op night after my nephrectomy was a mix of fantastical and almost devastating.
I woke up in the PACU after my surgery, extremely confused and disoriented. I felt like I was trapped inside a video game, desperately trying to escape.
Upon entering my new post-op room on a medical-surgical unit, it had that brand-new, hotel-like decor – shiny and pristine. The nurses, techs, and NPs greeted me with words of …
I’m in a global private physician Facebook group, and I learn a great deal about health care, both good and bad, from other doctors. Because it is private, doctors share a lot of personal practice issues as well as challenging cases from which we all learn. The physician who posted this message from her hospital employer gave permission for me to use …
In the United States (U.S.), immigrating physicians typically fall into three categories: those working temporarily on nonimmigrant visas, those permanently residing on immigrant visas, and those who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization.
While immigrating physicians can easily move from their home countries to the U.S., they often encounter challenges when considering bringing their aging dependent parents with them. The U.S. offers temporary nonimmigrant pathways for parents of immigrating physicians who …
Like most existential questions, the answer to this question really depends on who you ask.
A patient may have one answer, and a physician a completely different response.
Ask ten people, and you’re likely to get ten different replies.
What does being a great doctor mean to you?
If you’re a doctor, this is an important question to ask yourself because your answers impact how you practice and interact with your patients. Even more …
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Join emergency physicians Resa E. Lewiss and Adaira Landry as they delve into the power of collaboration in developing subject matter expertise. Discover how their monthly educator series led to unexpected opportunities, and …
An excerpt from Pills, Shills, and the Psychiatry Wars: Musings from the Drug Safety & Healthcare News Blog.
I was spreading pine straw around the bushes in my yard in Atlanta, Georgia, when I started thinking about … you guessed it! The goofy names that drug companies come up with for their prescription drugs.
Folks in the blue states are often interested in the customs of us red state folks since …
There’s a great irony that exists within medicine. We are taught to critically examine all scientific evidence; however, there are a series of beliefs we learn about the profession as a whole that we’re meant to accept without question.
Essentially, during our medical training, we are indoctrinated with a set of harmful beliefs about what it means to be a doctor. These beliefs harm not only us as individual physicians but …
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Join Marc Arginteanu, a neurosurgeon, as we delve into a 2023 study revealing the alarming effects of social media and electronic addiction on the developing brains of middle school-aged children. Discover the intricacies …
In a recent conversation, my good friend Joe posed what I believed was a thought-provoking question: “Why do you keep writing?” This interrogation, replete with profound connotations, subtly conveyed his conviction that expending substantial temporal resources on the lamentation of the world’s ostensibly insurmountable predicaments stands as a notably futile pursuit. From his perspective, it becomes manifestly apparent that individuals like me, inclusive of those within the public intellectual sphere, …
Opioids work through the mu opiate receptors throughout the body and brain, dampening pain signals being sent through the peripheral nervous system and spinal cord. It also acts on the ventral tegmental area, causing the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, creating a sensation of euphoria. It is this euphoric effect that seems to be most related to addiction potential. Opiates mimic our endogenous endorphins and have been used …
“Do you have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?”
It wasn’t a question I expected during an ophthalmology appointment. It was, however, one I’d been asked before. Two other specialists had suggested I might have connective tissue issues, but nothing had ever come of it. All I could tell my ophthalmologist, then, was what I’d said before when it had come up: “No, not as far as I know, but I’ll ask about it.”
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Join retired cardiologist and physician coach Sarah Samaan as we explore the significance of professional attire in health care. Discover how clothing choices impact patient perceptions, gender biases, and the doctor-patient relationship. We’ll …
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The face of health care in today’s world is unfamiliar to me in many ways. When I was growing up, the family doctor was a well-known and respected member of the community. Patients trusted their doctor to help them navigate life’s challenges – the loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, a complicated pregnancy, or depression caused by life’s stresses.
The physician knew their patients, and the patients knew them …
In the annals of history, the transformative impact of a few courageous leaders has left an indelible mark, altering the course of nations and reshaping the face of societies. From the visionary leadership of figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to the groundbreaking initiatives of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, history is replete with examples of leaders who navigated their nations through crises, leaving an enduring legacy. Unfortunately, …
As somebody who has reviewed physician employment agreements for 40 years or so, I have to admit I am more than a little jaundiced when it comes to the subject of hospital executive compensation. I’m not altogether convinced that one health system CEO really “earned” the $35.5 million he was reported to have been paid in 2021. I’m sure the pandemic was hard on him. Seeing all those physicians exposing …
As Dry January gains popularity and inspires millions of people to abstain from alcohol for a month, its focus appears to be geared towards young adults. A demographic that is often overlooked, but is likely to benefit significantly from this movement, is older adults. The National Survey on Drug Use and Heavy Drinking found that nearly 39 percent of adults aged 65 or older drink …
As primary care providers, we play an integral role in shaping the lives of our patients in critical ways. We are in the unique position to delve into a patient’s unique biomedical, psychosocial, economic, and cultural background, which allows us to understand each patient at a deeper level with a nuanced perspective. This holistic view informs the development of highly personalized treatment plans that have the power not only to …
An excerpt from Apple Vision Healthcare Pioneers: A Community for Professionals & Patients.
In health care technology, diagnostics, and disease detection have undergone significant advancements, notably with the introduction of Apple Vision Pro. Developed by Apple Inc., this cutting-edge technology promises to transform the early detection and diagnosis of diseases, marrying the clinical understanding of seasoned physicians with the precision of …
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