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The power of empathy: a tale of 2 prostate biopsies

Conditions

February 25, 2024

I’m sitting in a windowless room in the hospital’s urology department waiting for my second prostate biopsy, feeling surprisingly calm and relaxed.

It’s a surveillance biopsy. Two years ago, the first one revealed “a few scattered cancer cells” while zeroing in on what turned out to be a harmless nodule. I’d learned then that a prostate biopsy will never make anyone’s list of fun things to do. In addition to being, …

Going beyond the usual advice for eating healthy [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 24, 2024

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Join Francisco M. Torres, an interventional physiatrist. As the author of Dr. T’s Drop the Fat Diet: 12 Steps to Leaner You Forever, Dr. Torres shares invaluable findings from recent clinical studies, revealing …

Surviving my nephrectomy nightmare: the night I’ll never forget

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

February 24, 2024

My first post-op night after my nephrectomy was a mix of fantastical and almost devastating.

I woke up in the PACU after my surgery, extremely confused and disoriented. I felt like I was trapped inside a video game, desperately trying to escape.

Upon entering my new post-op room on a medical-surgical unit, it had that brand-new, hotel-like decor – shiny and pristine. The nurses, techs, and NPs greeted me with words of …

Doctors speak out against toxic work conditions

Toni Brayer, MD

Physician

February 24, 2024

I’m in a global private physician Facebook group, and I learn a great deal about health care, both good and bad, from other doctors. Because it is private, doctors share a lot of personal practice issues as well as challenging cases from which we all learn. The physician who posted this message from her hospital employer gave permission for me to use …

Large language models in health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 23, 2024

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We delve into the intersection of large language models (LLMs) and health care with David Lareau, a health care executive. Since the debut of ChatGPT, the health care sector has been abuzz with …

Why immigrant physicians struggle to bring their aging parents to the U.S.

Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD

Physician

February 23, 2024

In the United States (U.S.), immigrating physicians typically fall into three categories: those working temporarily on nonimmigrant visas, those permanently residing on immigrant visas, and those who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization.

While immigrating physicians can easily move from their home countries to the U.S., they often encounter challenges when considering bringing their aging dependent parents with them. The U.S. offers temporary nonimmigrant pathways for parents of immigrating physicians who …

What does it mean to be a great doctor?

Sofia Dobrin, MD

Physician

February 23, 2024

Like most existential questions, the answer to this question really depends on who you ask.

A patient may have one answer, and a physician a completely different response.

Ask ten people, and you’re likely to get ten different replies.

What does being a great doctor mean to you?

If you’re a doctor, this is an important question to ask yourself because your answers impact how you practice and interact with your patients. Even more …

Read more…

What does it mean to be a great doctor?

Building expertise through collaboration [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 22, 2024

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Join emergency physicians Resa E. Lewiss and Adaira Landry as they delve into the power of collaboration in developing subject matter expertise. Discover how their monthly educator series led to unexpected opportunities, and …

Where do they come up with all those goofy names for prescription drugs, anyway?

Doug Bremner, MD

Meds

February 22, 2024

An excerpt from Pills, Shills, and the Psychiatry Wars: Musings from the Drug Safety & Healthcare News Blog.

I was spreading pine straw around the bushes in my yard in Atlanta, Georgia, when I started thinking about … you guessed it! The goofy names that drug companies come up with for their prescription drugs.

Folks in the blue states are often interested in the customs of us red state folks since …

How medical training indoctrinates toxic beliefs in physicians

Chelsea Turgeon, MD

Education

February 22, 2024

There’s a great irony that exists within medicine. We are taught to critically examine all scientific evidence; however, there are a series of beliefs we learn about the profession as a whole that we’re meant to accept without question.

Essentially, during our medical training, we are indoctrinated with a set of harmful beliefs about what it means to be a doctor. These beliefs harm not only us as individual physicians but …

How social media alters young brains [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 21, 2024

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Join Marc Arginteanu, a neurosurgeon, as we delve into a 2023 study revealing the alarming effects of social media and electronic addiction on the developing brains of middle school-aged children. Discover the intricacies …

Why I keep writing: a tale of birds and expression

Osmund Agbo, MD

Physician

February 21, 2024

In a recent conversation, my good friend Joe posed what I believed was a thought-provoking question: “Why do you keep writing?” This interrogation, replete with profound connotations, subtly conveyed his conviction that expending substantial temporal resources on the lamentation of the world’s ostensibly insurmountable predicaments stands as a notably futile pursuit. From his perspective, it becomes manifestly apparent that individuals like me, inclusive of those within the public intellectual sphere, …

Beyond opioids: a new hope for chronic pain relief

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

February 21, 2024

Opioids work through the mu opiate receptors throughout the body and brain, dampening pain signals being sent through the peripheral nervous system and spinal cord. It also acts on the ventral tegmental area, causing the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, creating a sensation of euphoria. It is this euphoric effect that seems to be most related to addiction potential. Opiates mimic our endogenous endorphins and have been used …

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: Overcoming doctor bias for a life-changing diagnosis

Denise Reich

Conditions

February 21, 2024

“Do you have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?”

It wasn’t a question I expected during an ophthalmology appointment. It was, however, one I’d been asked before. Two other specialists had suggested I might have connective tissue issues, but nothing had ever come of it. All I could tell my ophthalmologist, then, was what I’d said before when it had come up: “No, not as far as I know, but I’ll ask about it.”

From scrubs to success: Mastering health care attire [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 20, 2024

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Join retired cardiologist and physician coach Sarah Samaan as we explore the significance of professional attire in health care. Discover how clothing choices impact patient perceptions, gender biases, and the doctor-patient relationship. We’ll …

From trusted family doctors to silent white walls

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

February 20, 2024

The face of health care in today’s world is unfamiliar to me in many ways. When I was growing up, the family doctor was a well-known and respected member of the community. Patients trusted their doctor to help them navigate life’s challenges – the loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, a complicated pregnancy, or depression caused by life’s stresses.

The physician knew their patients, and the patients knew them …

Truth be told: We have a leadership crisis, not a health care crisis

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Policy

February 20, 2024

In the annals of history, the transformative impact of a few courageous leaders has left an indelible mark, altering the course of nations and reshaping the face of societies. From the visionary leadership of figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to the groundbreaking initiatives of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, history is replete with examples of leaders who navigated their nations through crises, leaving an enduring legacy. Unfortunately, …

Are hospital CEOs overpaid? One lawyer’s skeptical take on executive compensation.

Dennis Hursh, Esq

Finance

February 20, 2024

As somebody who has reviewed physician employment agreements for 40 years or so, I have to admit I am more than a little jaundiced when it comes to the subject of hospital executive compensation. I’m not altogether convinced that one health system CEO really “earned” the $35.5 million he was reported to have been paid in 2021. I’m sure the pandemic was hard on him. Seeing all those physicians exposing …

Dry January’s untold value for older adults: a health revolution beyond youth

Michael Pessman

Conditions

February 20, 2024

As Dry January gains popularity and inspires millions of people to abstain from alcohol for a month, its focus appears to be geared towards young adults. A demographic that is often overlooked, but is likely to benefit significantly from this movement, is older adults. The National Survey on Drug Use and Heavy Drinking found that nearly 39 percent of adults aged 65 or older drink …

Reconnecting with nature and spirituality in psychiatry [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 19, 2024

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

Join Vanessa Velez, a psychiatrist, as we explore the fascinating connection between our inner selves, the natural world, and the demands of modern life. Delve into the importance of bringing back the concept of “psyche” or soul …

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