Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes

Conditions
June 13, 2023

Calling all health care personnel: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, police, firefighters. All of you.

You’ve been cursed at, spat upon, hit, and scratched by fingernails. You never got that 30-minute break during those 12 long hours. You had to beg to use the restroom. Your staffing was minimal, and your 24/7 manager was nowhere to be found. Your fellow doctors are shouting at you, and patients’ family members are …

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The power of embracing life’s seasons: rest, reflection, and growth

Physician
June 13, 2023

If we look around and spend time in nature or just walk outside, we realize everything has a season. The trees, the flowers, the weeds—they all change during the seasons. Flowers don’t constantly bloom; trees show their beautiful display of colors on their leaves, shed them, and grow a new set of beautiful leaves each year. There is constant change. As famously said by Heraclitus, “The only thing constant is …

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Nurse-physician collaboration for superior patient care [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 12, 2023
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Join us as we host Angel J. Mena, an internal medicine physician and health care executive, along with Ali Morin, a nurse and health care executive. In this episode, we explore the importance of strong nurse-physician relationships …

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Navigating gender-affirming care: Pediatricians’ perspective on open discussions and societal fears

Physician
June 12, 2023

“We fear that CPS is going to take them away,” the mother of my patient chokes with tears. My patient on the inpatient pediatric wards looks at me with guarded eyes. I can still see the markings on their neck where they tried to strangle themselves. They were intubated in the pediatric ICU. This transgender patient and their family have gone through a living hell only to come out again …

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Unmasking the hidden mental health struggles of professionals: Breaking the silence for empowerment and healing

Physician
June 12, 2023

In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, professionals often face immense pressure to portray strength, competence, and unwavering resilience. However, beneath the surface, many individuals silently battle their own mental health challenges. According to CDC, more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness.

One of the most difficult hurdles to overcome is the fear of admitting our struggles to others. In this compassionate article, …

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Revolutionizing oral health care: the affordable solution that’s breaking barriers and boosting health equity

Policy
June 12, 2023

Concern is rising about the shortage of health care workers in the U.S. As Senator Bernie Sanders told the media, “We don’t have enough doctors. We don’t have enough nurses. We don’t have enough psychologists or counselors for addiction. We don’t have enough pharmacists.”

He should have added, “We don’t have enough dental health workers.” Because study after study shows that oral health is integral to overall …

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How an emergency physician’s knowledge and confidence save lives in high-stakes situations

Physician
June 12, 2023

I think that from time to time, everyone has had the feeling that they weren’t doing their best. Maybe something we did wasn’t the right thing at the time. Perhaps we should have thought about it longer or acted sooner. We often second-guess the decisions we make, whether they involve matters of love, career, finances, child-rearing, or even where to meet the in-laws for dinner.

While I can do that in …

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Unveiling the truth about medical cannabis [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 11, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us in this insightful episode as we welcome Peter Grinspoon, an internal medicine physician specializing in medical cannabis. Peter enlightens us on the current landscape of medical cannabis, focusing on its potential benefits for patients. We …

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Awakening the dormant elements of humanity

Physician
June 11, 2023

When I was first paged about Mr. P, I braced myself for the worst. He had already had three “code greys” called—the hospital code for aggressive behavior. When we met him on his hospital bed, he was bound by restraints on his wrists and ankles to protect the staff. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for alcohol withdrawal, though the medications used to treat his condition had …

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Breaking free from BMI’s limitations for fair and effective care

Conditions
June 11, 2023

The 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline for Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity heralds a new era of evidence-based anti-obesity treatments for children, a cause I wholeheartedly support. However, amidst these advancements, I harbor concerns about the ongoing reliance on the body mass index (BMI) as a screening and diagnostic tool.

Originally designed for population-level assessments, the ease of measuring BMI and its historical precedence has led …

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Unlock the secrets to aging gracefully: specialized care and support for elderly patients

Conditions
June 11, 2023

She sat in the hospital bed, staring out the window as the nurse flitted in and out of the room, adjusting IV lines and checking her vitals. It had been a long time since she’d been in a hospital, but at 75 years old, her health was beginning to fail. She knew that she was considered “elderly” now, but she didn’t feel old. She still had so much life left, …

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Breaking free from limiting habits: Unveiling the path to your full potential [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 10, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us as we explore the habits that might be making your life harder than necessary. Our guest, Cindy Tsai, an internal medicine physician, shares valuable insights into common obstacles that hinder personal growth and alignment. From …

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Physician excellence: Transitioning from the comfort zone to the growth zone for exceptional patient care

Physician
June 10, 2023

Health care is a dynamic, evolving field that demands a high degree of adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning from its practitioners. For physicians, improving patient care is often about the challenge of moving from a comfort zone – a place of established practices and familiar routines – to a growth zone, where they are constantly learning, adapting, and expanding their skill sets. This shift is about staying up-to-date …

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Pursuing undergrad research without misrepresenting your career path

Education
June 10, 2023


Reprinted with permission from Getting In: The Essential Guide to Finding a STEMM Undergrad Research Experience, Second Edition, published by The University of Chicago Press. © 2015, 2023 by Paris Grey and David Oppenheimer. All rights reserved.

Sometimes students disqualify themselves from participating in undergrad research because they believe (or someone …

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How healthy eating can protect us from extreme weather

Policy
June 10, 2023

Hurricane season starts June 1, and many of us in the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast are stocking up on bottled water and other supplies. As a physician focused on preventive medicine and public health, I recommend filling your pantry with healthful plant-based foods like black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, pecans, canned soups, peanut butter, oat milk, and apples. Many plant-based foods can withstand a loss of …

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Unfilled residency spots and the future of emergency medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 9, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us for an enlightening podcast episode as we delve into the challenges facing emergency medicine residency programs and applicants. With 555 unfilled first-year residency spots in the Match, we explore the factors that have contributed to …

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How excessively regulating doctors can harm patients

Physician
June 9, 2023

According to the American Board of Medical Specialties, its program for maintenance of certification (MOC) serves the patients, families, and communities of the United States and improves patient care by establishing high standards for ongoing learning, practice improvement, and assessment activities. Whether this is true or not has been a hotly contested topic in the medical profession for about two decades, when MOC was first introduced. Proponents claim that MOC …

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AI-driven solutions for burnout, patient empathy, and worker shortage

Tech
June 9, 2023

A recent Medpage Today article reviews a research article published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Nidhi Subbaraman, in a topic-related Wall Street Journal article, also reviews this JAMA article and several pilot AI doctor response programs currently undergoing clinical testing.

Both of these reviews indicate that AI-created responses to patient-driven online questions posed to doctors are viewed more favorably (by the patients) and rated …

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How modern lifestyle changes are disrupting our immune systems

Conditions
June 9, 2023

In addition to a steep increase in prevalence, in recent decades, we have seen an evolution in the ways our immune system misbehaves: eosinophilic esophagitis, mast cell disorders, and early onset colon cancer, among many others. This data alone should remind us that we are an ever-evolving species. With our rapidly changing lifestyle over the last century, it shouldn’t be surprising that we are seeing some sort of physiologic hangover.

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