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Joining A.J. Reid Finlayson, a psychiatrist, Jeffrey A. Singer, a general surgeon, and Peter R. Martin, also a psychiatrist. We’ll be discussing the case of Dr. Ralph Thomas Reach, an addiction medicine physician …
Addiction treatment, legal troubles, and the role of the DEA [PODCAST]
One doctor I’ve worked with had gotten caught up in the idea of being a doctor. She realized, during her training with us, that she had stopped looking her patients in the eye. In fact, she had stopped making eye contact with her patients when she was in residency. She had to tell these two parents that their baby had died in the womb, and she did not know how …
Embracing vulnerability: a doctor’s journey of healing and connection
Adapted from Narrative Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling through Essays, on the occasion of Passover.
“The Greatest Story Ever Told” is a phrase often used to refer to stories that have had a significant impact on humanity and continue to resonate across cultures and generations. Paul Simon’s song “Old” praises the Bible as the greatest story ever told. …
The greatest story you never tell: It’s yours
I understand it well. You persuade yourself that everything is fine. And then you persuade others that your marriage is perfect.
You’re facing a terminal illness, but you’re the exception because it surely can’t happen to you.
You’re in poor health with unexplained aches and pains, but you avoid visiting your doctors, instead praying to Jesus to alleviate your pain. To heal you of whatever it might be.
Denial. I was a workhorse. …
Breaking free from denial: Embracing the truth
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Join Aysun Alagoz, an associate chief medical officer, to unravel the chilling reality of the medical peer review process. In a candid discussion, Aysun shares her firsthand experience of facing unjust disciplinary actions, …
My buddy John and I fortuitously found ourselves enacting roles in an impromptu theatrical production last week. As medical practitioners, the thematic essence was predictably centered around matters concerning patients. The scene unfolded thus:
“So, this person’s name is Emily, but her pronoun is ‘they,'” John started. “She identifies as a therian belonging to the Elf theriotype. Emily explained to me that though she was born human, she is an inseparable …
Medical ethics in a changing world: Navigating identity and patient care
I’ve always been afraid of driving. My home is quite far away from my hospital, and for the past eight years, I’ve been traveling via Uber for my daily commute. I don’t have a good memory of roads, lanes, and streets, even in my own city. I just rely on the driver and Google Maps. This experience with Uber and online taxi services is comfortable for me for two reasons: …
A Pakistani oncologist’s journey: Navigating commute challenges
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Join Elizabeth Landry, a certified coach, as we explore practical strategies to support medical resident families during the challenging transition into residency. Discover how spousal support programs, inclusive social gatherings, and mentorship initiatives …
Supporting medical resident families [PODCAST]
In a recent cybersecurity breach, Change Healthcare, one of the largest health care technology companies in the United States, fell victim to a sophisticated cyber-attack. This incident has sent shockwaves through the health care industry, significantly impacting revenue cycles for numerous health care providers who rely on Change Healthcare’s services for billing, claims processing, and health care operations. The breach has exposed vulnerabilities in traditional health are payment systems and …
The Change Healthcare hack: a wake-up call for the health care industry
More Americans are seeking mental health care than ever before, but many people receiving treatment have never met their psychiatrist in person—or even at all.
Telemedicine has been growing in popularity for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic sent tele-health care utilization rates through the roof. Now, after sharp increases brought by COVID-19 lockdowns, American telehealth utilization has stabilized at levels a staggering 38 times higher than before the …
Venture-backed telemental health care companies are creating a new opioid epidemic
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Join Benita Talati, a patient advocate who illuminates the biases health care providers may hold toward patients unable to adhere to traditional appointment hours. We explore how limited paid time off, extended wait …
Working patients and health care [PODCAST]
There’s a condition that is crippling Black and brown communities at a disproportionate rate and causing 400 amputations each day in the U.S. That may sound scary, but the most frightening part? A new consumer survey found that 70 percent of Americans have never heard of the most common vascular disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD) – PAD kills more people than three of the top cancers (breast cancer, …
Preventing amputations and saving lives starts with bringing PAD into the 21st century
I’ve been inspired by a recent New York Times article that came out about IUDs, better known as intrauterine devices, and how painful and horrible some of the experiences for women have been over the years. Since writing some of these thoughts, I saw that a Cosmopolitan article recently chimed in on the topic. I figured it was time for me, as a medical professional, to share my thoughts on …
Optimizing IUD placement: prescribed medications and timing tips
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We sit down with Carlo Mahfouz, a technology executive and author, to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care communication. Carlo delves into AI’s historical roots, its recent acceleration …
AI’s role in simplifying communication [PODCAST]
Patience is a notoriously hard skill to master. When working in health care, your patience is constantly tested, a lesson I have repeatedly learned in my time as a medical assistant in a large orthopedic surgery practice. Whether it is taking the time to reexplain instructions to a patient when I know am running behind in clinic, waiting on hold with another doctor’s office to obtain pertinent information regarding a …
Practicing patience with patients
Lizzie is a 13-year-old with a great sense of humor.
She tells it like it is, especially to her Mom, Jackie, who admits to being a bit of an Almond Mom (the parent who is stuck in a weight-focused diet culture). Jackie leads a very healthy lifestyle and has never had to deal with being overweight. Jackie is different from other Moms I work with because she isn’t telling me that …
GLP-1 medications like Wegovy are effective metabolic health tools for teens with insulin resistance
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Join Caissa Troutman, an obesity medicine physician, as we delve into the intricate relationship between self-perception, mistakes, and personal growth. Caissa shares insights on how our beliefs about perfectionism shape our reactions to …
Embracing imperfection: strategies for growth and self-compassion [PODCAST]
The red climbs up.
She just delivered, and the arm of my gown. It seeps under the glove, soaking the cuff.
She’s still bleeding.
No worries – I call for the postpartum hemorrhage meds in the order I’ve memorized and used successfully hundreds of times before.
It’s always stopped before.
I trust my training.
She peers over the side rail toward her baby, trying to look past her partner and the nurse and the baby nurse …
Post-delivery complications: a glimpse into obstetric care
A recent New York Times opinion piece detailed a lack of available pain medications. While the DEA claims that it is not purposefully restricting legitimate medication availability, even the names of its own operations belie this statement. On Halloween 2023, the DEA launched Operation “Bottleneck,” serving immediate suspension orders to six large pharmaceutical supply companies. These companies were accused of having failed to account for “a million doses” of …
Elite access vs. public scrutiny: Medication disparities exposed
Measles is on the rise in more than a dozen states, an alarming surge for a vaccine-preventable disease eliminated in the United States nearly 25 years ago. Meanwhile, young women exposed to relentless unscientific deception by social media algorithms are abandoning hormonal contraception in favor of significantly less effective methods that result in more unwanted pregnancies. In Louisiana, women with nonviable …
The Supreme Court must consider science, not pseudo-science, in public health rulings
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