The power of self-appreciation: Why physicians need to start acknowledging their own contributions

Physician
March 27, 2023

As Physicians Week and Doctors’ Day approach, I’m getting ready for the flurry of posts and memes that get shared on social media about the appreciation being extended to us. Whether it is from our patients, colleagues, or administration, the common theme seems to be: the pizza delivery to the breakroom (getting cold while I run around hair-on-fire seeing all the patients) and the CEO emailing, “Thank You, Providers” is …

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The endless waves of chronic illness

Conditions
March 27, 2023

Life keeps buffeting the patient diagnosed with several chronic conditions, like continuous incoming and outgoing mammoth ocean waves flooding over one’s body, raising you high up into the air and then sucking you downward, a struggle to keep your head above the water for survival. There is no rest, true calmness, or time to catch your breath.

My time is dictated by scheduling appointments with my doctor, who then lends me …

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Skydiving and surgery: How one doctor translates high-stress training to saving lives

Physician
March 27, 2023

An excerpt from The Heart of Fear: A Surgeon’s Collection of Stories on Adversity, Passion and Perseverance.

Each step is calculated.

Each step is deliberate.

Each step is taken with the goal of saving a life.

Everyone needs a hobby, but skydiving can predispose you to precarious scenarios. When you’re in a high-stress situation, your training kicks in. You do what you need to do to regain control, deploy your reserve, and fly your …

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Telemedicine in the opioid crisis: a game-changer threatened by DEA regulations

Meds
March 27, 2023

In March 2020, I was directing a federally qualified health center in rural New Mexico when the first flashover of COVID ripped through the state. In two days, the clinics transitioned from an entirely in-person model to a near-total remote model. The transformation was raw and unplanned, trialing mediocre communications platforms in real-time and stumbling through the vagaries of electronic prescribing. As we got our feet under us, unexpected upsides …

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How this doctor found her passion in ballroom dancing [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 26, 2023
YouTube video

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Meet Corinne Sundar Rao, an internal medicine physician who found her passion in ballroom dancing. After 14 years of practicing medicine, she transitioned into being a full-time hospitalist but still felt like something was missing. One day, …

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Don’t be caught off guard: Read your malpractice policy today

Physician
March 26, 2023

We must confess: We both have Apple iPhones and have never read Apple’s user or licensing agreements. Have you? We assume that most of you have not read Apple’s agreements. And like most of you, we ain’t got time for that. We “agree” to the terms, unaware of what is in those documents. Is that a problem?

Right or wrong, we presume that by using Apple’s iPhone, they have access to …

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The dark side of medicine: an urgent call to action against greed

Physician
March 26, 2023

An editorial in JAMA by Donald Berwick, MD, speaks about the “existential threat of greed in U.S. health care.” He points his finger at all segments of health care, including physicians.

In my specialty of vascular medicine, I have encountered a number of physicians who blatantly and repeatedly urge their patients to undergo saphenous vein ablations even though these veins, by my examination, are completely normal. These are often patients who …

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The surprising power of Play-Doh in pediatric care: How it’s bringing families together

Conditions
March 26, 2023

The power of Play-Doh. This sounds like such an ironic phrase considering the malleability of this childhood favorite. Between several personal trips to the local store, our clinic buying several boxes, and getting donations from one of our amazing third years who has donated books and goodies for our patients since early intern year; we ended up having a plethora of the stuff.

We needed to make room for more spring-focused …

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Breaking free from gaslighting [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 25, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us as we delve into the topic of gaslighting and its impact on our lives. Our guest, Robin Stern, is a psychoanalyst and the author of The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide: Your Personal Journey Toward Healing …

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The pros and cons of using ChatGPT for your health care needs

Tech
March 25, 2023

Whenever you’re feeling sick, most people will tell you not to Google your symptoms or try to self-diagnose: That’s the quickest way to spiral into panic mode. Reading a list of possible diseases you didn’t even know existed but now are sure you have brings the hypochondriac out of even the most stoic person.

But what happens when you can search the internet for physician-level diagnoses of your aches and pains? …

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Dr. Glaucomflecken for president!

Physician
March 25, 2023

Is there anyone out there not familiar with Dr. Glaucomflecken? The fictional character created by Will Flanary, a practicing ophthalmologist, has entertained many on social media. If you are not aware of him, you should be! Dr. Glaucomflecken’s laugh-out-loud satirical short videos on medicine resonate with all physicians and others in the health care industry.

Dr. Flanary’s recent attacks on social media of private equity, insurance companies, and non-competes …

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What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

Physician
March 25, 2023

For people who deal with life and death daily in our work, you would think suicide among us physicians would not be an option. Sadly, it is — and not necessarily a new reality. Let me explain.

Sometimes we agree to do something and can never quite envision where that road may lead.

Here’s an example: For several years, I had written a pedestrian medical column for a respected Midwestern newspaper. Straightforward, …

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Do residents deserve the title of physician?

Physician
March 25, 2023

I was unsettled by an email that our graduate medical education (GME) office recently sent out to all residents at my institution “sharing a friendly reminder that parking spaces identified as ‘physician parking’ are for attending physicians only” and “residents and fellows who park in ‘physician parking spaces’ will receive a parking ticket.” I have parked next to only non-physician (including non-resident physician) staff in those spaces every day for …

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A new era of collaboration between AI and health care professionals

Tech
March 25, 2023

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a new era of collaboration in various industries, with health care being no exception. AI-driven technologies have transformed how health care professionals diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, improving patient outcomes and greater efficiency. This article will explore the role of AI technologies, such as Bing Copilot, and future ChatGPT products like BioGPT and PaLM in shaping health care’s future while …

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When an MBA degree meets medicine: an eye-opening experience

Physician
March 25, 2023

I recently saw an ophthalmologist for my worsening eyesight. The doctor came highly recommended and was credentialed as an MD and MBA. He founded his practice, which has grown to over a dozen practitioners. His website boasts how he works with the pharmaceutical industry to help develop and market new medications “that improve the standard of care.”

According to Open Payments data, the doctor has relationships with ten …

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Why it’s time to question medical traditions [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 24, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us as we delve into the world of medical traditions and their impact on patient care. Our guest is Brian Elliott, an internal medicine chief resident. From the white coat tradition to the multiple Hippocratic oaths …

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The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine

Physician
March 24, 2023

“It’s such a shame that you’ve got all this data, and it goes unpublished … others need to benefit from our results!”

This statement is often repeated, in different forms, across all medicine departments, about the abundance of data from hospitals and clinics. This data, which can be utilized for research purposes, identifying emerging trends, and drawing new conclusions, often goes unpublished, especially in underfunded settings or countries.

Medical schools worldwide place …

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The realities of immigrant health care served hot from America’s melting pot

Policy
March 24, 2023

By the time I was in elementary school, I was Mom’s right-hand man when it came to interpreting official documents, work emails, or confusing American jokes. Like 20.3 percent of the U.S. population, I grew up in a primarily non-English speaking home since Korean is my parents’ native tongue. Among all the odd translations my mom consulted me for, health care ones were always the hardest. Even today, as …

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The dark side of immortality: What if we could live forever?

Physician
March 24, 2023

I sat in a lecture hall at Baylor College of Medicine many years ago. It was noon, and though October had bought some respite from Houston’s heat and humidity, the air-conditioned room was still very inviting. To top it, there was lunch. The lunch came with a rider — sitting through Grand Rounds — and I welcomed the occasion to get off my feet for the next hour. With the …

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