On the day before the last day at my last job, I reviewed my patient roster. Five of my seven most worrisome teenagers were currently admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a suicide attempt. This was not completely surprising. It is the fall. Teenagers notoriously struggle two to three months after starting school, getting into academic work, falling prey to bullying and stress, or not meeting their goals. But I …
Twenty years as a medical malpractice defense attorney has given me a superpower. I’m an extraordinary translator. In the courtroom, we occasionally hire translators to interpret when a witness speaks a language other than English. They help the jury understand the witness and collect the information they need to make a decision. But we need someone able to translate for the jury when a physician starts speaking “medicine.” This also …
I read an article recently suggesting that physicians were burned out from hearing about burnout. The proposed solution was to create systemic changes to help alleviate the burden of complexities of care that have polluted health care delivery. The solutions involved adding a team of individuals, including nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, pharmacy assistants, and other physician extenders.
Once again, rather than focus on the physician-patient relationship on which medicine is based, …
They loved long walks through the woods in California. They were sweethearts in high school through college. If they wanted to take a break from their walks, the dogs would gang up on them and insist on continuing.
The trees, the skies, the quiet, the fresh smell of pine and wildflowers.
And on one clear blue sky day, Bill dropped down on bended knee and proposed to Jennifer. The breeze gently blew …
Dear Art:
On Friday, June 11, 1982, members of the faculty convened to discuss the performance of the psychiatric residents during the last six (6) months. The following is a summation of their comments as they apply to your performance.
The faculty’s reaction to your performance was uniformly excellent. There was some comment on your earlier fear of the psychotherapeutic role, but the consensus was that this has improved markedly and that …
Unfortunately, at least from where I sit, suboptimal medical care seems to abound. And every encounter of my family members with the health care behemoth is an opportunity for them to become a recipient of it.
When it comes to shielding them, I have had some failures in the past — it took a minor stroke in my father, who lived in England, for me to realize that he had never …
There has never been a better time to be a woman entrepreneur. With ever-growing numbers of venture funds specifically for women and nonprofits dedicated to advancing women in tech, the next Apple is ripe for the picking. However, there remains a wide chasm to cross. Currently, startups led by women command less than 3 percent of venture capital investment dollars.
Upon diving deeper into this disparity, a 2020 paper published by …
Six seconds is the amount of time it would have taken for him to render me unconscious.
Shortly thereafter, I might have lost my life.
One month before I finally found the strength to leave an abusive ex-partner, he rushed at me with unexpected force during an argument and wrapped his hands around my throat. I kicked desperately at his chest, terrified, heart racing, during what I believed might be my final …
Close to 6 million adults in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia, according to CDC data. And that number will grow as the U.S. population ages. The number of people with Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia is projected to increase to approximately 14 million over the next 38 years.
Dementia impacts not only the people who develop this condition but also …
I’ve spent years deeply uncomfortable in my skin.
Wanting to disappear.
Last night, a wave of anxiety hit me as it often does when the world gets quiet.
In tune with my body for a brief moment, my heart ached.
Why?
I envisioned that moment when we ponder what we would regret on our deathbeds.
And I saw the years many of us spend hating our bodies.
Our glorious bodies that make being present in this world …
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Everyone knows the terrible toll the opioid epidemic takes on our society. It doesn’t matter where you live and how wealthy or educated you are, no one is immune. I watched as a colleague tried to help a child struggling with addiction, spending countless hours of worry and thousands of dollars, only to have the child succumb to an accidental opioid overdose. The emotional and financial cost on individuals and …
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans got accustomed to regularly answering a series of questions about our risk of exposure to COVID and our possible symptoms. For more than two years, our country remained laser-focused on this protection, demonstrating our health care system’s ability to mount a strong response to a public health crisis. So why haven’t we taken similar precautions in the face of other crises, particularly HIV?
For too long, …
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“The art and craft of being a physician and finding meaning in our care of others are to make poetry out of our lives.”
Steven Kamajian is a family physician.
He shares his …
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Grief is powerful and can break your heart for the rest of your life, or you can learn from it and become stronger. Losing a loved one is something that everyone will go through, but not all come out as survivors in the end. It’s part of life, but a very difficult part. Think of your loss as a lesson to help you live the rest of your life.
How do …
Medical support staff is leaving in droves and leaving patients’ health at greater risk. Calls and messages to doctors’ offices have surged as patients try to access care. Wait times skyrocket to book visits.
News stories about the current state of the health care system typically focus on the plight of doctors and nurses. Studies detail the “Great Resignation” impairing the health care industry–a new report published …
An excerpt from Doctor and Goliath.
We’ve all heard about David and Goliath, correct? In one of the most epic underdog stories ever written, a young boy defeats a giant Philistine warrior. But how did that happen? What tools did David employ to win his battle? Was it the five round …
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