From medical student to MS warrior: Navigating life with multiple sclerosis

Conditions
July 22, 2023

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during my second year of medical school. It happened while I was on a neurology rotation when I approached the neurologist after a lecture and expressed my suspicion of a flare-up. Subsequently, a lumbar puncture and a contrast brain MRI confirmed the diagnosis, leading to my treatment with IV steroids and later disease-modifying medications.

It has now been 18 years since my diagnosis, during which …

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The core problem behind physician burnout: loss of independence

Physician
July 22, 2023

Physician burnout and the shortage of physicians are pressing issues within the health care industry, often unnoticed by the general public until their own health is at stake. The erosion of the title “doctor” and the increasing encroachment on physician authority have contributed significantly to this problem. Physicians have allowed the interference of the federal government, burdensome regulations, and insurance company restrictions to impede their ability to provide quality care. …

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How artificial intelligence is transforming radiology [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 21, 2023
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Join Brett Mollard, a radiologist who delves into the exciting future of radiology and the role of artificial intelligence (AI). As we explore the impact of AI on radiology, Brett answers the recurring questions about the potential …

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I am one of those women who left academic medicine

Physician
July 21, 2023

Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, anecdotal evidence and small survey-based studies show that women were leaving academic medicine in droves and were not returning— up to 40 percent of women leave medicine or go to a part-time position within six years of finishing residency. One landmark study pointed out the rarity of women in leadership positions— thirty-five years ago, less than 11 percent of women faculty were …

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The struggle is real for patients and doctors

Conditions
July 21, 2023

If you are a patient, we all are at some point. Undoubtedly, you have experienced some of the difficulties patients face today in getting approved for and receiving medical care in a timely fashion. From scheduling doctor visits to undergoing tests, procedures, obtaining medications, and even surgeries, the process can be challenging.

It’s easy to be tempted to blame your doctor for the long wait times to schedule an appointment, the …

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Coaching medical students: a game-changer for the profession

Education
July 21, 2023

Medical school is a wild ride, filled with anticipation and unforgettable experiences. From the excitement of the first day of orientation to the white coat ceremony and meeting new people, every moment is etched in your memory. Endless hours of lectures followed by late nights of studying at home, the thrill of dissecting for the first time, and the camaraderie of study groups and problem-based learning create a unique atmosphere. …

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Improving the financial struggles of resident physicians [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 20, 2023
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Join Kelley Butler, a family medicine resident and member of the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, as we delve into the financial struggles faced by health care workers, focusing on the experiences of resident physicians. We discuss …

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The evolution of lighting vs. cholesterol treatments: a tale of innovation and value

Policy
July 20, 2023

An excerpt from Why Not Better and Cheaper: Healthcare and Innovation by James B. Rebitzer and Robert S. Rebitzer with permission from Oxford University Press, © 2023 by Oxford University Press.

In a famous essay, Nobel prize-winning economist William Nordhaus studied the evolution of lighting. From medieval times until the …

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How masculinity expectations impact men’s mental health

Physician
July 20, 2023

A recent conversation about a young man’s reluctance to seek help made me reflect on society’s attitude regarding expectations for men and their impact on their mental health.

Lately, there has been growing recognition of the importance of mental health and well-being. However, despite the progress made in understanding and addressing mental health issues, there still persists a significant disparity in how men approach and perceive mental health. Men’s attitudes towards …

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What an occupational health lens reveals about clinician burnout

Policy
July 20, 2023

Clinician burnout is one of the most tenacious problems facing the contemporary health system. Recent years have seen a plethora of guidance on reducing burnout and improving health care workers’ well-being following the pandemic, but little evidence of improvement. Seeing the problem through an occupational health lens can reveal different solutions.

Occupational health is a subfield of public health concerned with promoting workers’ health, safety, and well-being. From …

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Closing the empathy gap in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 19, 2023
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Nicole Rochester is a pediatrician and advocate for improving the doctor-patient relationship. She shares her personal experiences and discusses the importance of intentional human connection in clinical encounters. We delve into the root causes of the empathy …

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Gender-neutral registration for unresponsive individuals

Physician
July 19, 2023

When registering individuals who are unresponsive to stimuli, unconscious, unaware, or lacking alertness, it has been customary to assign them the names John Doe or Jane Doe, based on physical characteristics, while also assigning their sex accordingly. If their family members or legal guardians arrive or are contacted, their sex is determined based on their recollections until the individuals themselves awaken and become capable of expressing their gender preferences, affirming …

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From doctor’s journey in ICU to unveiling poisoning mysteries

Physician
July 19, 2023

Through a combination of coincidental privilege, silly circumstances, hard work, persistence, and perseverance, I ended up becoming a doctor. The journey post-graduation is a difficult one, as it introduces you to a world beyond books and examination halls. It’s a world where people are in agony and depend on you for every single ray of hope—a task that is both immense and heavy on the heart.

Being a doctor who takes …

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It’s time to stop stigmatizing long COVID patients with mental health conditions

Conditions
July 19, 2023

Mental health conditions are common among individuals with long COVID due to various factors. These include the direct effects of COVID-19 on the body, such as neuroinflammation, as well as the circumstances often associated with the condition, such as job loss, reduced income, disconnection, isolation, chronic pain, immobility, and the persistent feeling of being unwell. Alongside cognitive impairment and fatigue, mental health issues form what I call the “unholy trinity” …

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Innovative solutions for the growing mental health crisis in children and families [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 18, 2023
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Join Monika Roots, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and health care executive, who explores the concerning rise in diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems, the shortcomings of the current mental health care model, and the potential …

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My experience with repeating a year of medical school

Education
July 18, 2023

On a hot and humid July afternoon, the white coat ceremony for the class of 2025 at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine was in full swing. As I walked onstage, slipped into my brand-new white coat, and accepted the coveted “medical student” title I had spent years working for, I thought about why I was embarking on this journey: my family of Vietnam War refugees, my brother who has …

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An elder mentor’s message to new medical students

Physician
July 18, 2023

For 21 years, I have had the privilege and honor of coaching and mentoring medical students. Most of this mentoring takes place in my outpatient internal medicine-pediatrics practice, where each student spends two to three days with me every week for a month-long rotation. Additionally, I have been fortunate enough to work with students from all years as a facilitator in the REACH and 4C coaching programs. Throughout these experiences, …

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Why oncology is ripe for digital innovation

Tech
July 18, 2023

In every aspect of our lives, whether it is online banking or shopping, we rely on technology to make things better, more convenient, and more efficient. Yet in health care, and particularly cancer care, that is not the case. Oncology has been revolutionized in recent decades by therapies targeted to specific biomarkers and immunotherapy. Despite being a leader in therapeutic innovation, oncology lags behind in adopting easy-to-use apps and other …

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Chronic constipation treatment with pulsed irrigation evacuation [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 17, 2023
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In this episode, we delve into the serious consequences of fecal impaction and chronic constipation on patients’ well-being and health care costs. Our guest, Mahesh Moolani, an internal medicine physician and author of Tough Decisions In Care …

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Why digital health startups still need banking partners like SVB and First Republic

Finance
July 17, 2023

The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and First Republic Bank understandably spurred concern among industry and regulatory leaders about the health of the overall banking industry. Certainly, investigating the reasons leading to their collapse is important so we can identify and prevent it from becoming a larger trend.

The reason to prevent future losses of similar banks, however, has microeconomic impacts that go beyond the dollars-and-cents and market-confidence impacts …

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