Coronavirus and the duty to treat
For the first time since graduation from medical school, stirred by the courage of my colleagues in the ICUs and emergency rooms during the COVID pandemic, I looked back at the Hippocratic oath to reassess its charge to physicians. My wife and I, both doctors, studied and trained for a long time, and we considered the years spent and the effort put forth to be a calculated sacrifice. But amidst …
Let’s meet in child’s pose and welcome the day
Anyone who has ever practiced yoga knows what that means. Child’s pose. Kneeling with toes untucked. Upper body hinged over the hips with arms outstretched and forehead resting against the mat. Breathing. In and out. In. And. Out. We are told it’s a recovery position, a safe place.
Whenever we are feeling overwhelmed with another position, or even if the position is not just clicking, we can find rest in something …
Amazon, CVS, and Walmart are playing health care’s long game
In recent months, three of the nation’s largest retailers have stirred up a frenzy on Wall Street with a string of high-profile health care deals.
Amazon bought primary-care company One Medical in early August for $3.9 billion. That was a month before CVS spent $8 billion to acquire Signify Health and its network of 10,000 clinicians who make home visits (both virtually and IRL). A day later, Walmart inked a 10-year …
Habits of highly effective interns [PODCAST]
It’s not brain surgery: People with Parkinson’s need better care in the hospital
One year ago, I had brain surgery. The surgery was a success, and the hospital stay almost killed me.
I am one in a million; one of the 1 million people in the U.S. diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a degenerative neurological disorder that currently has no cure. It is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world, with the prevalence Read more…
Overcoming the trauma of a fatherless childhood
An excerpt from Absent-Father Syndrome: Overcoming the Trauma of a Fatherless Childhood.
“I’ve sat face to face in front of many adults who were crying their eyes out,” says Rachel Norman, founder of A Mother Far from Home. “They needed healing tools and positive coping mechanisms. They had low self-worth, nonexistent …
On my hard days, my patients are my heroes
I was standing outside the patient room, feeling slightly restless that day. A few days ago, I had just received some news from my doctor that I was not expecting. My mind sifted through the various possibilities and directions this could take me. When will I get to see my doctor to discuss this? What does this mean? As my brain was walking through the various unknowns, my physical body …
A cancer patient’s last wish [PODCAST]
Adverse childhood experiences: Can government policy reduce trauma?
One of the most radical implications of the literature on early childhood trauma is that abuse needs to be eliminated from all of our relationships: our families, teachers, colleagues, and government. When government leaders create a new policy, they can proceed in a way that disempowers constituents, or they can proceed in a way that fosters dialogue and shared decision-making. Ironically, the development and implementation of California’s policy …
Institutionalized racism in psychiatry: a doctor’s experience
I was sitting in front of a panel of six people for my psychiatry training interview in Wellington, New Zealand. Two community members, two psychiatry consultants, and a senior psychiatry registrar, all of which were of Caucasian ethnicity.
I can recall talking about cultural differences in my upbringing and how that has helped me to connect to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Samoan culture is adherently based …
Making it work when you’re married to a medical student
My husband’s medical school offered a “key supporters” session during his first-year orientation week. Each student’s family or significant other was invited to attend a two-hour session to learn the schedule of a student doctor and for a panel discussion from current students and their key supporters.
Most people walking out of the room afterward were really nervous. It sounded like students were studying 15 hours a day with no more …
How AI-based technology can help improve hospital capacity management [PODCAST]
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“Health system leaders can master this ‘chess game’ by anticipating the next several moves well in advance with the assistance of AI-based predictive analytic tools. This adoption will lead to dramatically better outcomes than a purely reactive …
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Physicians with mental illness shouldn’t hide
Doctors with mental illness don’t need more suicide awareness — we’re aware. And we don’t need confidential treatment opportunities. What we need is assurance from all invested parties — our employers, credentialing bodies, and licensing officials — that it will be OK if we need help, we can get what we need, and that everything for the job can be sorted out once we’re well. Because it turns out, in …
The national strategy on hunger, nutrition, and health offers hope
The announcement of the Biden-Harris Administration’s national strategy on hunger, nutrition, and health is a critical step toward building a healthier nation. For the first time in half a century, the administration announced more than $8 million in private and public sector commitments to help end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030. The focus on food security, nutrition, and health is encouraging, as public health champions have …
Mental health is a slippery slope when it comes to physicians’ well-being
I applaud the efforts of several states that have enacted legislation to make it easier for physicians to get mental health treatment without incurring the wrath of physician health programs (PHPs). PHPs, while well-intended, are notoriously disruptive to the lives and careers of physicians struggling with depression, substance use disorders, and other mental health conditions. PHPs have a reputation for implementing unreasonable requirements and being coercive, sometimes worsening …
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How the internet broke parenting [PODCAST]
Why physicians never reach their career potentials
Talk to physicians in private medical practice today, and you will discover that they will affirm that their medical practice is financially satisfactory, stable, and doing well financially.
Private practicing physicians know that they have no measurable standard to use to verify what they just told you except for their profit and loss statements from their CPA. And even if they believed they could be in a much better position financially, …
13 tips for depressed doctors who need confidential mental health care
I just got this email from a physician: “Hi, Pamela. I wonder if I could curb you on seeking mental health services as a physician. I am not suicidal or impaired but considering a consultation with a psychiatrist for medication. Any chance you would be able to chat with me for a short bit to discuss tips for seeking consultation while avoiding stigma and labeling?”
Sadly, most medical professionals fear seeking …
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Giving language to empathy: lessons from palliative care
The value of empathy in medicine is seldom debated. Just as the art of medicine is taught as the balance of knowledge and application, so has empathy been recognized as both a value to be fostered and a skill to be learned. Medical curricula have reflected this, and while didactics are increasingly filled with various conversational frameworks and behaviors that convey empathy, rarely do they include specific language to convey …
Past Week
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Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol
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A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?
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The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
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DSM-5 doesn’t name it, but moral distress is everywhere in medicine
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How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care
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Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]
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Past 6 Months
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What happened to real care in health care?
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Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
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Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
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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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Recent Posts
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How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care
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Why your emotions are your greatest compass in therapy and life
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Patients are not waiting: What MCDA twin parents teach us about shared decision-making
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Nurses are the backbone of medicine—and they deserve better
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How to change the world: Start by making your bed
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Understanding therapy beyond crisis management [PODCAST]
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Past Week
-
Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol
-
A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?
-
The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
-
DSM-5 doesn’t name it, but moral distress is everywhere in medicine
-
How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care
-
Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
Recent Posts
-
How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care
-
Why your emotions are your greatest compass in therapy and life
-
Patients are not waiting: What MCDA twin parents teach us about shared decision-making
-
Nurses are the backbone of medicine—and they deserve better
-
How to change the world: Start by making your bed
-
Understanding therapy beyond crisis management [PODCAST]
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