The evolving role of physicians in health care
Health care has changed dramatically in the last decades, from the introduction of electronic medical records to the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for telehealth and virtual care options to the increased familiarity with digital therapeutics, etc. Just as the industry has transformed over time, the physician’s role has similarly evolved.
Traditionally, those of us who attended medical school have had just a handful of career options to choose from …
Speak up for safety in health care
A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
A nurse is assisting the attending physician in placing a central line in the intensive care unit.
It’s 3 a.m., and the attending is clearly tired, having admitted eight patients so far on her shift. The nurse notices the physician pushing her eyeglasses up her nose – after …
A hospitalist’s struggle to find teamwork in academic medicine
After a couple of hours of back and forth, I can finally complete an oxygen assessment on a patient ready to be discharged home. The conversation had concluded on a somewhat sarcastic note. I was left feeling guilty of having almost coerced someone to stay beyond their designated duty hours to attain a desirable outcome for a patient. While this was not entirely true, the encounter had brought forth a …
Can the Inflation Reduction Act build back medicine better and reduce climate change? [PODCAST]
So what if cry with my patients?
Ashley, one of my colleagues, and I discussed whether or not a doctor, nurse, or other providers of care should cry or show emotion with a patient or client. We’re not speaking of meltdowns or becoming so emotionally involved that it impairs our judgment or makes it difficult for us to render effective care, but simply being able to show a human response in the presence of your patient at …
Punishing doctors for spreading misinformation
When I was in high school, I read George Orwell’s 1984, a novel about a dystopian future where the government (a.k.a. Big Brother) monitors everything the citizenry says or thinks. Anyone deviating from government “doublespeak” is swiftly and severely punished. I recall my horror as the main character, Winston, a former government official who joins the anti-Big Brother underground, is arrested by the “thought police.” His mind is then reprogrammed …
Provider me not
I am not your provider.
There are days I loudly scream silently within the profundity of my soul, “Lord, please do not let them call me ‘provider’ one more time.”
I do not merely present to you to give you something you can use for your own personal subsistence.
Provider comes from the Latin verb “providere,” which means “to foresee.” Our beloved and storied profession’s effective and evidence-based practice does not merely imply …
A Hungarian Jewish man’s fight for freedom [PODCAST]
Things to know before signing an academic physician employment agreement
If you are considering accepting an academic appointment, you need to be cognizant of the special issues involved in contracts in academia. You must know these things before signing an academic physician employment agreement.
An academic physician employment agreement is usually light on provisions.
Unlike most hospital physician employment agreements, an academic physician employment agreement tends to be very sparse on contractual provisions. Typically an academic physician employment agreement will just be …
How you’re being tricked into buying lotions, potions, and wrinkle cream
An excerpt from The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream.
Why do accomplished, intelligent women spend so much money on skincare products that don’t work? Why do they put so much energy into looking a certain way? These questions hover in the back of …
We need to stop treating diabetes (without a prevention plan)
The recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics on declining U.S. life expectancy painted a bleak picture, fueled in large part by the impact of Covid-19, but not exclusively. Many of the contributing factors are deeply systemic – poverty and health disparities among them — but other longstanding health issues, including high rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, are contributing factors.
More than 34 million people – one …
Why psychological explanations for long COVID are dangerous [PODCAST]
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“Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and their allies will rally in DC, London, and Edinburgh this September to “demand bold, urgent governmental action” for the millions of people living with ME, long COVID, and other infection-associated, chronic …
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Who gets to graduate from medical school?
Getting into medical school is only the first step of an intense journey. Undergoing the admission process and being accepted into medical school can be an exceptional challenge, especially as a student of color, but it isn’t the only hurdle. In a previous article, I outlined the medical school admission process, its reliance on MCAT scores, and key experiences, which are highly influenced by unequally distributed opportunities. I also shared …
Lessons in avoiding compassion fatigue
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
Caregiver burnout is a real and serious problem for those caregivers in for the long haul. It is a serious issue if you go to bed each night in anguish over the next day’s chores and wake up each morning with a …
Having more doctors to assess rare, multi-system illnesses
From an Indian parable dated from before 500 BCE:
A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: “We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable.” So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. …
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When patients want their doctors to heal [PODCAST]
Building individual health equity
Buying health insurance is a lot like renting an apartment. Finding the perfect place is hard, and the price is always higher than you expect. But if it is conveniently close to your employer and there are few other affordable options, you sign the lease and agree to all of the terms. Only after a few monthly payments do you realize electricity, heat, water, and snow removal are not included. …
Stop and smell the cadavers
Medical students are an odd bunch. At least in my day. Warning: The following may seem a little distasteful, violating the doctrine of proper decorum expected of medical professionals. I feel your anguish for those bent to the more sensitive side, but to sugar-coat a narrative only robs it of its essence.
I attended the Medical College of Wisconsin in the late 1980s, so what follows may not represent medical training. …
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Beyond comfort: a treatment for OCD and a recipe for a better life
When I was a child, I recall my mother telling me that to live a successful life, you must do one thing every day that scares you. I remember not fully understanding this piece of advice’s magnitude or real significance, yet it still resonated. It’s funny, what stands out to us, what we remember, and why. Little did I know at the time that these words represented the very premise …
Past Week
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A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?
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Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol
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A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care
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When doctors die in silence: Confronting the epidemic of violence against physicians
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Doctors speak out: Why we’re saying no to burnout
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Avoiding leadership pitfalls: strategies for success in health care [PODCAST]
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Past 6 Months
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Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
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What happened to real care in health care?
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
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How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
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How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
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Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
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Recent Posts
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A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care
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Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put [PODCAST]
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In the absence of physician mentorship, who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians?
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Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.
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What independent and locum tenens doctors need to know about fair market value
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Health care’s data problem: the real obstacle to AI success
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Past Week
-
A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?
-
Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol
-
A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care
-
When doctors die in silence: Confronting the epidemic of violence against physicians
-
Doctors speak out: Why we’re saying no to burnout
-
Avoiding leadership pitfalls: strategies for success in health care [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
Recent Posts
-
A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care
-
Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put [PODCAST]
-
In the absence of physician mentorship, who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians?
-
Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.
-
What independent and locum tenens doctors need to know about fair market value
-
Health care’s data problem: the real obstacle to AI success
-
