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From WWII to chronic pain: a family’s legacy of courage and sacrifice

Physician

June 1, 2024

Memorial Day just passed, and I reflected on those in my extended family who were lost in battle. My stepfather’s two brothers, whose names are carved in the World War II monument of a nearby small town, are most prominent in my mind. If I remember correctly, one died in Germany and the other in the Pacific. My stepdad was so affected by the loss of his older brothers that …

When a doctor’s heart falls: Witnessing raw emotion in medicine

Ryan McCarthy, MD

Physician

June 1, 2024

On this particular day, my heart rolled off my arm and crashed on the cold exam room floor. I summoned the strength—from where? I don’t know. Ginny cried, and between sobs, she described a brain tumor, the one that left him in a bed for a year. I handed her two tissues (one was never enough) and heaved my stool forward. I wrapped my entire arm around her as tears …

Lessons learned in psychiatry: How experience shapes your career

Greg Smith, MD

Conditions

June 1, 2024

I am now in the twilight of my psychiatric career. Yes, I can write that without wincing now, almost, well, maybe just a little. I have made decisions in the last twelve months that have changed my daily schedule, my work life, and my relationships profoundly. Everyone around me, including friends, family members, and even some of my coworkers, thought that I was retiring. It’s not working any longer. Quitting. …

DEA vs. doctors: Who’s really breaking the law on controlled substances? [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 31, 2024

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Join us as we delve into the intricate web of discrepancies surrounding pain medication availability and governmental oversight. Our guest, L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, sheds light on recent revelations regarding the …

Incurable psychiatric disorders: Should we offer palliative care or medical aid in dying?

Steven Reidbord, MD

Conditions

May 31, 2024

The application of palliative care to intractable psychiatric disorders has been debated at least since 2010, when a journal article reported that a patient with severe anorexia nervosa died in hospice after being referred there by her psychiatrist. The New York Times published a thought-provoking article earlier this year on the same topic: whether we should ever deem severe, treatment-refractory anorexia incurable and terminal.

Are there incurable psychiatric patients?

Proponents …

Don’t wait until you’re old: Diseases hitting younger generations now

Toni Brayer, MD

Conditions

May 31, 2024

The news is rife with articles about younger people getting cancer, heart attacks, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and arthritis. We used to think of these as diseases of aging, but now we are finding high blood pressure and atherosclerosis in people as young as 20. The guidelines for colon cancer screening have been lowered to age 45 for people at normal risk. Experts can’t explain why this is happening. …

Hemophilia treatment: new hope with gene therapy and other advancements

Akshat Jain, MD

Conditions

May 31, 2024

Hemophilia and other bleeding disorders are rare genetic conditions that affect the body’s ability to properly form blood clots. People with these conditions often face challenges in accessing appropriate care and treatment. This is true not only in developed countries but also in low- and middle-income countries around the world.

One of the biggest access to care issues for people with hemophilia and bleeding disorders is the availability of specialized treatment …

From medicine to fictional memoir: an author-psychiatrist explores opioids [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 30, 2024

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Today, we are joined by James Champion, a psychiatrist and author of Adventures of an American Medical Student. With his extensive experience in mental health and addiction, James brings a unique perspective to our discussion, …

Why my doctor never mentioned pelvic floor dysfunction (and why it matters)

Carine Carmy

Conditions

May 30, 2024

I was 31 when I learned I had a pelvic floor: the set of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that stretch like a hammock across the pelvis. Like many women, my pelvic awakening came far too late in life. The phrase was never uttered in high school sex ed, never brought up by my gynecologist, and — despite spending most of my 20s shuttling around the health care system trying to …

Operating room etiquette: tips for pre-med students

Natalie Enyedi

Education

May 30, 2024

“You know how to scrub, right?” The short story is no, I did not yet know how to scrub.

As a premedical student, the operating room is different from anywhere else I have been. Just as with any new environment—whether it’s a friend’s home, a workplace, or a place of worship—there are customs to learn. These unspoken rules become second nature to those accustomed to the surroundings. As a newcomer, it’s …

Bridging the gap: When experience meets innovation in health care

Constantine Ioannou, MD

Physician

May 30, 2024

Reflecting on a recent meeting about upcoming audits by regulatory agencies, I couldn’t help but notice a significant shift. As the lone male leader and the second eldest person present, surrounded by a dynamic group of younger women, I couldn’t deny the passage of time since I embarked on my journey in administrative and public psychiatry. Far from lamenting, I welcomed this change, recognizing its necessity and long-overdue arrival. Witnessing …

Health care costs: Looking in the mirror for solutions [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 29, 2024

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Join us for a discussion on the complexities of the U.S. health care system with orthopedic surgeon Alejandro Badia. We’ll delve into the evolving perceptions surrounding health care, exploring factors contributing to its …

Burned out doctors, compromised care: a doctor’s story

Ariam Mathusek, MD

Physician

May 29, 2024

Physicians are often seen as pillars of strength, guiding patients through their most vulnerable moments. However, behind the white coats and the stethoscopes lies a troubling reality: an alarming rise in physician burnout.

In the U.S., data from the American Medical Association and the Mayo Clinic found that physician burnout has reached 54 percent, compared to the 45 percent reported in a similar study conducted in 2011; this translates to an …

The DEA’s latest targets: doctors treating addiction instead of pain

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

May 29, 2024

I have been writing for a while about how the DEA will run out of targets for opioid prosecutions because most doctors are too terrified to treat pain, and now it looks like it has happened. Three doctors in Tennessee were recently convicted of prescribing controlled medications “outside the usual practice of medicine” and “not for a legitimate medical purpose.” The interesting thing is that these doctors weren’t treating pain; …

Modernize medical education or face failure

Casey P. Schukow, DO

Education

May 29, 2024

In 1950, newly trained physicians may have gone the entire lengths of their careers without experiencing a doubling in medical knowledge. In 2011, Densen predicted that medical knowledge would have a doubling time of approximately 73 days – or 0.2 years – by 2020. “What was learned in the first three years of medical school,” according to Densen, “will be just 6 percent of what is known …

Examining the coverage of DOs in the mainstream media

Alyssa Cole Mixon, DO

Physician

May 29, 2024

In mainstream media, physicians are often depicted wearing a white coat, stethoscope, and name badge with the letters “MD.” In contrast, television and news coverage of doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) is notably absent or skewed. As a result, osteopathic medicine is not as well-recognized or well-known as allopathic medicine. One example was seen recently on ABC’s The View, where host Sunny Hostin described DOs as not being medical doctors. …

Broken but beautiful: Healing ourselves and the world [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 28, 2024

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

Join Nessa Meshkaty, an internal medicine, pediatrics, and infectious disease physician, as she explores the profound intersections of empathy, human connection, and societal challenges in this thought-provoking podcast. Drawing on insights from her …

How AI became my medical tutor

Jeffrey D. Goddard

Tech

May 28, 2024

“The patient is a 59-year-old male presenting with fatigue on exertion, pallor, and mild numbness and tingling in both feet. No family history of anemia or diabetes, but I still want to rule them out with a blood test. Does that sound reasonable?”

This is the 6th or 7th question I’ve asked in today’s session, but my tutor doesn’t mind the repetitiveness.

“Yes, performing blood work is a reasonable approach to help …

Read more…

How AI became my medical tutor

Lung cancer in Asian American women: Don’t be a statistic (never smoked)

Alice S. Y. Lee, MD

Conditions

May 28, 2024

May is AANHPI Heritage Month so it’s a good time to share again my journey from nonsmoker to lung cancer survivor. It is such an important issue to bring awareness to this little-known and potentially deadly health disparity because, according to the 2020 census, 6.2 percent or 20.6 million people identify as AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander).

Wait. How can you have lung cancer? You’re not a …

The unseen work of women surgeons

Carmen Fong, MD

Physician

May 28, 2024

I always said yes, taking on numerous tasks and roles, but now I question the value of unpaid work in my career trajectory as a colorectal surgeon. I always said yes. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Always say yes because you don’t know which opportunity will be “the one” that launches your career into orbit. So I said yes to organizing the lunch orders when the drug reps …

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The unseen work of women surgeons

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