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Understanding obesity beyond lifestyle choices

Conditions

June 17, 2024

Recently, media outlets and social media influencers have been on fire with stories about new “miracle” obesity drugs that promise a quick fix for people wanting to lose weight. Lost in this chatter are the life stories of millions of Americans struggling with obesity and its physical and emotional effects. A vital question is being ignored: how can we continue to allow money to determine access to treatment when many …

Is the health care system broken or designed this way? [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 16, 2024

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Join vascular surgeon Paula Muto as she dives into the complexities of the health care system in this episode. Drawing parallels to the excitement and challenges of an escape room experience, Paula examines …

Transforming liver care: the evolution of MASH diagnosis and treatment

Rajarshi Banerjee, MD, PhD

Meds

June 16, 2024

The term “revolutionary” is used too often in health care. New imaging modalities, pharmaceutical breakthroughs, advanced medical devices, and artificial intelligence are all regularly proclaimed to be revolutionary to attract interest and attention. But those of us trained in medicine who work in these fields know that revolutions don’t happen—it takes 17 years for new research to reach the translational stage.

In reality, the best we can hope for is …

Medical students are learning to treat others, but who is caring for them?

Liza Rosenbloom

Education

June 16, 2024

Imagine being completely consumed by the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Could you do this for a day? How about for a week? What if I asked you to do this all day, every day, for an entire month? Sounds exhausting, right? Medical students are asked to do this for four years. During that time, we navigated a world that was completely new to us in an unfamiliar environment alongside hundreds …

Why saving interstate telehealth should matter to you

Sean McBride, MD & Shannon MacDonald, MD

Physician

June 16, 2024

As cancer clinical trialists with sub-specialized practices, we treat patients from across the country. But while they must travel for treatment, there are clear occasions where we recognize that advice and consultation by telephone, video, and patient messaging are perfectly safe and far more convenient and cost-effective.

Telemedicine across state lines was the legal norm during COVID-19. Patients and practitioners quickly recognized that Americans deserved access to physicians unencumbered by …

Naloxone: a life-saving tool that needs an upgrade [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 15, 2024

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Join us on this episode as we delve into the complexities of the opioid crisis with David I. Deyhimy, an addiction medicine specialist and founder of MYMATCLINIC. Together, we’ll explore the crisis’ evolution, …

Addressing obesity: Is there a role for us as specialists?

Zachary Fellows, MD, MPH

Conditions

June 15, 2024

I was in rheumatology private practice for just under four years as my first few years out of fellowship. During that time, too many of my patients were coming with obesity complicating a facet of their rheumatic disease. The most common example might be osteoarthritis, where excess weight directly applies force to joints like the lower back, hips, and knees, accelerating the disease and worsening outcomes. A less obvious example …

Maternal instincts in medicine: the dual journey of motherhood and healing

Nicolette Siringo

Education

June 15, 2024

It’s 4:57 p.m., and I’m anxiously tapping my foot in a stuffy cubicle, trying to ignore the pain of my compression socks seemingly cutting off circulation to my feet. I quickly glance at the timer. Thirty-one seconds. I close my eyes and say a quick prayer as I feel the agile kicks of my daughter, who this week is measuring the size of a cucumber! I do one final pass …

The troubling trend of violating resident physician rights

Anonymous

Physician

June 15, 2024

Resident physicians are vital to the health care system, delivering essential medical services while training to become fully licensed doctors. However, a troubling trend has emerged nationwide, with residency programs and hospitals frequently violating the rights and protections resident physicians are entitled to under employment contracts, state labor laws, and accreditation standards. I personally was forced to deal with these issues, despite having virtually zero knowledge regarding the legal side …

A day in the life: the unseen struggles of an oncology resident

Anonymous

Physician

June 15, 2024

Yesterday, I couldn’t get up in time in the morning and had to rush to the hospital without breakfast. I was just afraid of getting noticed by anyone from my department that I was a little late. When I reached the outpatient department (OPD), I just got a text from my consultant that he was not feeling well, and I had to see all the patients in his absence. In …

Catch peripheral artery disease early and prevent amputation [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 14, 2024

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Join us on the podcast as we delve into the hidden epidemic affecting Black and brown communities: peripheral artery disease (PAD). Our guest, Anahita Dua, a vascular surgeon, sheds light on the alarming …

For treatment, please call Dr. Congressman

Joseph Lanctot, FNP-C

Policy

June 14, 2024

Recent regulatory changes create a national staffing level for nursing facilities. Despite the much-needed rule change and the well-known stench of understaffed nursing homes that many Americans dread going to, most of the news cycle has portrayed this as a negative development. This is but one example where our patients are being manipulated into beliefs and actions that are contrary to their best health care interests. Recently, the same lies …

A modern tale of thyroid cancer: AI, haikus, and healing

Isabelle Tran

Conditions

June 14, 2024

AI Ally

Hangs up. Phone drops. Thud.
She blinks back, tears, and looks up.
Thyroid cancer, huh …
Typing, click clack … thud.

She sighs in relief.
Texts friends, invites family
over for comfort.

The next day, she calls
her doctor ready to talk,
ready to listen.

Behind the poem: not your typical haiku

A lesson in generosity: How one woman helped a stranger afford insulin

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

June 14, 2024

I waited in line at the pharmacy, a familiar chain store. The man in front of me waited patiently for the technician to ring up his meds. I overheard her say to him, “$125.00. That includes your insulin.”

The man bowed his head and smiled politely, showing many missing teeth. He was dressed modestly. I did not know his name. I did not know him. I had never met him before. …

A story of liver cancer and diabetes [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 13, 2024

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Join us for a discussion on the critical intersection of diabetes and liver disease. Our guest, Sarah Bauer, a pediatrician, shares her personal journey and insights into the recent screening guidelines released by …

Health care’s breaking point: patients and physicians abandoned

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

June 13, 2024

I know you are wounded, as I am also injured.

It is as if we have been battered and bruised and kicked to the side of the road, left there alone to suffer. An ignored problem will soon be forgotten; at least, that is their contention.

We have screamed out our maladies and concerns to those in closed, cold rooms, those with mechanical minds that churn out debits and credits but cannot …

Why charm and competence are essential for career survival

Deepak Gupta, MD

Physician

June 13, 2024

Charm and competence among providers should ideally be concordant, but they can sometimes be discordant, which should be evaluated and corrected if possible. This discordance isn’t limited to health care; it can also be observed in politics, during litigation, and within families. Charming politicians can sway followers, charming litigators can sway juries, and charming family members can influence their families. Whether or not their competence, or lack thereof, gets overlooked …

Balancing expectations and reality in modern obstetrics

Roshni D. Patel, DO

Physician

June 13, 2024

“I want everything to be natural.”

Well, we are in a building with electricity and high-speed internet, neither of which are gifts from Mother Earth.

Yes, that’s really how I responded to a patient. We laughed, but her comment allowed me to reflect. I interpret this statement to be the patient’s wish to minimize intervention or achieve a vaginal delivery. I understand this position. However, it may stem from the cultural mythology …

How contemplative medicine revived a doctor’s passion [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 12, 2024

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Join Koshin Paley Ellison, a psychotherapist and author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity Courage and Compassion. Explore the transformative power of contemplative medicine as we delve into topics such as …

13 reasons why women should not be doctors?

Charles Tanguay, MD

Physician

June 12, 2024

This article is satire.

In recent years, health care has made significant strides toward gender equality. But are these changes for the better? Let’s use facts to address the misconceptions and finally close the topic of women in medicine.

1. Female doctors make less money than men. As everyone knows, quality of care is directly proportional to revenue.

2. Female doctors cannot handle multiple patients. They are, after all, the undisputed queens of …