Breaking the silence on the harmful effects of the EMR
Well, it finally happened.
To me.
A physician.
I became an MD 30 years ago, long before the EMR existed. This was also well before Dr. Google appeared on the scene. A time when medical records existed only on paper.
I remember getting frustrated when I had to see a patient without their paper chart, as it was still in another physician’s office. I was griped about not being able to find a particular …
Why would a pediatric neurosurgeon go crab fishing in the Bering Sea?
At one point, many of us will ask the questions, “Am I going to die? Am I safe? Who can I count on? It could be as you face your mortality or find yourself in a dangerous situation. Or, as it has been for many frontline health care professionals while facing a job-related risk like contracting COVID-19. Medical professionals are not the only ones who have experienced high levels of …
The culture of my health care organization is broken. Is there hope?
A strong organizational culture is considered the secret sauce of successful organizations. But the Latin term, “Abyssus Abyssum Invocat” (“One Hell Calls Forth Another”), explains perfectly why it is increasingly difficult to maintain optimized organizational cultures in health care organizations.
Hell #1: Pre-pandemic, health systems and their workers in both Canada and the United States were highly stressed. The reasons were different; the end-consequences the same. And then, as predicted, this …
Physicians cry too: 6 tips for coping with death and grief as a health care worker
“FYI, your patient died.”
This message from another physician sat in my Epic inbox. Feelings of disappointment and sadness surfaced as I prepared to start my overnight shift in the emergency department. The death of a child simplified to an Epic chat message felt eerily impersonal and distant.
Months prior to receiving this message, I had another traumatic patient experience in the same emergency department. I will never forget the feeling …
Breaking the silence on infertility: a urologist’s journey through IVF [PODCAST]
Breaking Bad: the antihero’s journey through cancer
An excerpt from From Whispers to Shouts: The Ways We Talk About Cancer.
“Walt, is that you?” Skyler asks her husband in the final scene of the Breaking Bad pilot. They’re in bed, she’s pregnant, and he’s come toward her in a new way. He’s changed, and she doesn’t yet know …
AI and health care: the elephant in the board room
In recent years, the health care industry has undergone a significant transformation, and one of the main drivers behind this change is artificial intelligence (AI). As the adoption of AI continues to accelerate, it is becoming a topic that cannot be ignored. However, despite its potential to revolutionize health care, it remains the elephant in the board room – a topic often …
When losing a patient is more than just a defeat: a doctor’s story
“I feel tired,” said Mr. T. Mr. T was a 72-year-old man who came to our ED. For the last three days, he had been passing reddish urine. Two weeks before this, he had a bout of bronchitis that did not require hospitalization, just ciprofloxacin. He had made a full recovery. The emergency department ordered many tests, among which was a comprehensive metabolic panel and a complete blood count. It …
What was right with me when I developed severe depression?
For several years, I fixated on what was wrong with me rather than seeing what was right with me when I developed symptoms of severe depression.
If you’re struggling, too, you’re not broken, either. What is your brain telling you?
While I am not a mental health professional and strongly advocate for people to get the support they need, as I have done throughout my journey, I share this reflection as a …
Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]
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In this episode, psychiatrist Maryna Mammoliti discusses the importance of collaborating with occupational therapists. Occupational therapists are health care professionals who can help assess and accommodate patients’ daily activities, including work and home life. Maryna shares her …
Breaking the cycle of failure in modern medicine
The allopathic medical system has failed me – as a patient, mother, and physician. Like many physician peers, I entered the health care world with grand visions of healing others. I quickly learned during my clinical rotations in medical school that healing (in the truest sense of the word) was less likely but that helping was still possible. So I rolled up my sleeves and entered pediatric residency, where I …
ChatGPT: the Napster of the AI world?
The rise of the digital age brought with it various breakthroughs that have fundamentally changed the way we live and interact with technology. Among these breakthroughs are Napster and ChatGPT, two innovative technologies that potentially transform industries. Napster revolutionized the music industry in the early 2000s, and ChatGPT, an advanced AI language model, is poised to create a similar impact across multiple …
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The missing piece of physicians’ financial plans
What is the purpose of a financial plan? I believe that it’s ultimately a plan for using your money as a tool to live out your best life. Financial plans done right are fantastic at accomplishing this. But unfortunately many plans are missing an essential component. I’m going to be sharing what this missing piece is, why it’s the most important component in actually improving your life, and then I’ll …
Counterfeit drugs: a hidden danger lurking in your medicine cabinet
The timing of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s One Pill Can Kill campaign is crucial, considering the recent Carrollton teen tragedy in which Fentanyl-laced pills posing as oxycodone were distributed through a “juvenile dealer” to high school students who then sold the deadly drugs to high school and middle school students. Commenting on the dramatic increase in drugs laced with Fentanyl in North Texas, Nexus Recovery Center’s …
How understanding cultural backgrounds can lead to better patient care [PODCAST]
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Joining us today is Raj Sundar, a family physician with expertise in cultural humility and safety.
Raj explains that the traditional approach to such situations tends to ignore the patient’s cultural values and beliefs, with the health care …
From license to loneliness: the dilemma of retired physicians
My email delivered a terse reminder. The board of medicine notified me that they had not yet received my license renewal application, just one month until the expiration of my current license. For a mere $100, I could sit through the required online child abuse reporting course and answer the questions as they arise. My CME is more than ample, as my other state license requires far more and is …
Tackling the health care crisis with artificial intelligence: Combating physician and nursing shortages in the United States
The United States is grappling with a significant health care crisis as physician and nursing shortages impact the nation’s ability to provide adequate care to an aging population. A combination of factors contributes to these shortages, with consequences that can be far-reaching. This article will explore the factors contributing to these shortages, their potential impacts, the ongoing efforts to address them, and …
From hope to heartbreak: a story of loss in the ICU
Ms. Laura was a vibrant and feisty lady with a personality that filled the room. She had been my patient two months ago when she was admitted for an irregular heartbeat and COPD exacerbation. She was a smoker, and despite her heart issues, she had a strong will to live. I had advised her to quit smoking, but it was a habit that was hard to break.
When I saw her …
Unlearning our habits: a journey from intelligence to wisdom
Not too long ago, I was struggling over a plate of meatloaf in the doctor’s dining room. Fortunately, the table conversation was better than the food. Somehow it turned to how early career doctors tend to mirror the culture and clinical habits from their training program and how it often takes years to unlearn habits that don’t serve us well in the long run, particularly habits related to work-life integration. …
Past Week
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How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders
-
Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
-
How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]
-
Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink
-
Past 6 Months
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Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients
-
What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
-
Why medical students are trading empathy for publications
-
Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty
-
Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]
-
How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight
-
Recent Posts
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
Generative AI 2025: a 20-minute cheat sheet for busy clinicians
-
Why public health must be included in AI development
-
International doctors blocked by visa delays as U.S. faces physician shortage
-
A world without vaccines: What history teaches us about public health
-
Combating physician burnout with a coaching leadership style [PODCAST]
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Past Week
-
How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders
-
Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
-
How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]
-
Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink
-
Past 6 Months
-
Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients
-
What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
-
Why medical students are trading empathy for publications
-
Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty
-
Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]
-
How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight
-
Recent Posts
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
Generative AI 2025: a 20-minute cheat sheet for busy clinicians
-
Why public health must be included in AI development
-
International doctors blocked by visa delays as U.S. faces physician shortage
-
A world without vaccines: What history teaches us about public health
-
Combating physician burnout with a coaching leadership style [PODCAST]
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