A complex patient interviews a retired physician

Conditions
December 9, 2023

Dr. James (Jim) Whitlock, a neurologist, and Ann McColl met at a writers’ workshop in Maine in 2022 and discovered a shared interest: patients with complex conditions and their journeys in the medical system. Dr. Whitlock’s practice focused on the rehabilitation of individuals with severe traumatic brain injuries. Attorney McColl had been a patient with a debilitating spinal condition and was ultimately helped by a neurosurgeon. A year after her …

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Navigating life’s crossroads: Change, accept, or leave [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 8, 2023
YouTube video

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Join Deepti Gandhi, a family physician. We delve into the powerful mantra of “change, accept, or leave” and explore real-life scenarios where individuals are faced with this choice. Discover practical strategies, personal stories, and expert insights to …

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A doctor struggles to provide mental health care in Appalachia

Physician
December 8, 2023

As a West Virginia primary care doctor, I frequently—read: daily—find myself in uncomfortable situations. A few recent events, however, are out of the ordinary, even by the standards to which I am accustomed. Though unique to Martinsburg, WV, I expect similar themes in myriad offices across American health care. If your job resembles mine, I wonder if you feel as lost as I am, though I’m not sure where we …

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Burnout on the U.S.S. Enterprise

Conditions
December 8, 2023

The original Star Trek television series, in my opinion, stands out as the best of the bunch. It lasted only three years (1966-1969), but it has retained a cult following. Among its many television “firsts” were the initial inter-racial kiss (between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura) and perhaps the first depiction of burnout, as seen in the two-part episode “The Menagerie.”

Originally intended as the pilot, “The Menagerie” was postponed to …

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The toll of health care: suicide risk among professionals

Conditions
December 8, 2023

Our health care workers—nurses, physicians, and support staff—are at a heightened risk of committing suicide. Plain and simple. The emotional and physical toll on our health care professionals has been ever-increasing, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic but still remains long after the official title “pandemic” has faded into the background.

Over 20 percent of the physicians in the United States are experiencing symptoms of depression, but fear professional repercussions if they …

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Breaking free from metric shaming [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 7, 2023
YouTube video

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Join Archana Reddy Shrestha, an emergency physician. In this episode, we explore her personal journey through the highs and lows of her medical career, addressing the challenges of metric-driven evaluations and the impact on a physician’s sense …

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Physicians are burned out. Could entrepreneurship be a cure?

Physician
December 7, 2023

Recently, roughly 400 primary care and urgent care physicians at Allina Health System voted to unionize. In doing so, they became the largest group of unionized private-sector physicians in the country. Their decision is indicative of a hard reality of American health care–physicians are burned out.

Research shows from 2021 to 2022, 63 percent of surveyed physicians experienced at least one symptom of …

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The dark role of science, medicine, and tasers

Physician
December 7, 2023

The sciences and even medicine have long been used to justify atrocities. In the early 1800s, the United States of America was a slave nation. Citizens were allowed to purchase and imprison other races and hold them in bondage as property. This is different from indentured servitude, where someone is held in bondage until they pay off a debt. The indentured servant still has some rights and autonomy; the slave …

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Embracing life’s purpose in the face of inevitable death

Conditions
December 7, 2023

“I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it.”
– Epictetus

I wish more people knew that quote during the pandemic. I write this on November 1st, celebrated as Dia de Muertos or “Day of the Dead.” Epictetus and the other Stoics knew that death is inevitable, that life can change in an instant, and viewed it as a reminder to live each day purposefully and virtuously. …

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Beyond K-pop and kimchi: Unraveling the mental health tapestry of Korean Americans

Physician
December 7, 2023

Korean culture has been capturing the attention of a worldwide audience in large part thanks to success on multiple platforms, whether it be a binge-worthy TV show such as Squid Game, award-winning films like Parasite, or even world-class goals from the beloved Hotspurs team captain, Son Heung Min. Celebrating Korean culture jumps beyond the screen and into a pair of headphones thanks to the global fandom of K-pop or even …

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AI’s role in streamlining colorectal cancer screening [PODCAST]

Patient
December 6, 2023
YouTube video

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Join Shrujal Baxi, an oncologist passionate about AI, as we delve into how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing colorectal cancer detection while navigating the complexities of prior authorization. Discover how AI streamlines screening, reduces administrative burdens, and enhances …

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How to sell your losing stocks to reduce taxes

Finance
December 6, 2023

Defining tax loss selling

Tax loss selling, also known as tax-loss harvesting, is a strategy employed by investors to offset capital gains and reduce their taxable income. This approach involves selling stocks or other securities that have experienced losses to counterbalance capital gains realized throughout the year. By doing so, investors aim to mitigate their tax liability and potentially improve their after-tax returns.

Mechanics of tax loss selling

Identifying losses. Investors begin by …

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From ICU to kidney mass: a nurse’s journey of fear

Conditions
December 6, 2023

After 32 years working as an ICU nurse, I believed I had developed a strong capacity to confront death alongside my patients. I had become accustomed to the challenging scenarios: co-morbidities, multi-system organ failure, emergency intubations, ventilators, pressors, central lines, art lines, failure-to-thrive cases, code blues, and the grim sounds of ribs cracking during CPR.

It was not uncommon to witness families desperately shouting, “Do everything,” even when there was little …

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Physician well-being: Overcoming administrative hurdles

Policy
December 6, 2023

Representatives of a battered and stressed Canadian medical profession gathered in Montreal and virtually last week for the 7th annual Canadian Conference on Physician Health (CCPH) – the first such meeting in four years and the largest to date. One of the main pain points identified as facing individual physicians is the burden of administrative work, and this was the focus of a special cross-border plenary session featuring Canadian Medical …

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Depression treatment with ketamine and SSRIs [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 5, 2023
YouTube video

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Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we explore the intricacies of depression treatment. We’ll delve into the prevailing theories about serotonin, the delayed effects of SSRIs and SNRIs, and the emerging neuroplastic theory of depression. …

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Escape diagnostic rabbit holes with Markov chains

Physician
December 5, 2023

If you find yourself heading down a rabbit hole pursuing a diagnosis, consider using a Markov chain to get back out. No, it’s not a physical chain. It’s a metaphorical chain.

In mathematics, statistics, and research, a Markov chain is a series of branching events where the options of what comes next at each branch point are not limited by what happened at a previous branch point. That is, each step …

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Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses

Policy
December 5, 2023

Health care is constantly evolving, and it’s no secret that many hospitals are bleeding money when it comes to their primary care practices. On the low end, a hospital loses $127,000 per year on a primary care physician. Anecdotally, a rural hospital in Indiana expressed that they lose nearly $500,000 per year!

Headlines are filled with stories about rural hospitals (& many others) struggling to keep their …

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Navigating physician shortages in rural communities

Physician
December 5, 2023

In the rural area where I practice, two general surgeons recently retired, a medical oncologist moved out of the community, and two urologists left over a year ago. My patients with cancer are left wondering who will care for them. And this small community is not alone. An aging physician population, burnout, and understaffing of other health care workers all contribute to rising rates of physicians moving and leaving communities.

One …

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