No wonder doctors feel like hamsters running on an exercise wheel to nowhere

Physician
August 28, 2022

Burnout. We define, measure, and talk about it endlessly but do little to fix it. Unchecked, it can lead to medical mistakes, career dissatisfaction, early retirement, provider suicide, and excess costs. With the recent pandemic, the public has become more aware of it, but action to fix it is still lagging.

Feeling underappreciated, feeling one’s work is meaningless, feeling powerless to make changes, and feelings of moral injury are but a …

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When my patients cared for me

Physician
August 28, 2022

As my patient’s face slowly became visible on the computer screen, I smiled and waved to her. She waved back with vigor.

She was a Cuban housekeeper who arrived in Miami during the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Now in her mid-60s, she had recently been diagnosed with leukemia and endured a two-month hospitalization during which her bone marrow grudgingly entered a remission, following an onslaught of chemotherapy. She was now back …

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Reversing the impact of the pandemic on childhood obesity [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 27, 2022
YouTube video

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“With schools closed, children spent hours upon hours sitting in front of a screen for instruction and homework. Non-academic screen time increased as well, with parents needing to work from home and thus relying more on screens …

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9 ways international medical graduates can boost their residency match outcomes

Education
August 27, 2022

International medical school graduates (IMGs) play an integral role in the health care system of the United States and constitute approximately one-quarter of the physician workforce. In 2022, fewer IMGs registered for Match than in 2021, with a match rate of 58.1 percent. The transition to USMLE Step 1 pass/fail, elimination of Step 2 Clinical Science, and implementation of secondary application will likely impact IMGs in their 2023 Match. Here …

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Just as medicine is rooted in relationships, so too is good advising

Education
August 27, 2022

“Well, you may think you want to be a surgeon, now that you’re young and think you can do it all, but that will change — once children are in the picture. You’ll see how hard it is to leave them and wish you could be with them all the time.”

As a young female medical student, I seriously considered the physician’s words. I imagined what it would be like to …

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Hope, with a ribbon of uncertainty curling gently around it

Physician
August 27, 2022

A tall, thin, down-glancing man slumped in a chair in the corner of the exam room.

His gray-haired wife sat primly next to him.

They were here with their adult wheelchair-bound daughter.

For the past two decades, the daughter had been under their constant care at home.

A chronic progressive illness had wreaked havoc on this young woman’s body.

Her adult life had been held prisoner by an insidious neurologic disorder.

She was having a problem …

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Getting an appointment with primary care is the Achilles’ heel of medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 26, 2022
YouTube video

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“‘Doctor, it’s taken so long to get this appointment with you!’ This is the opening line of so many medical visits, and I find myself constantly apologizing to my patients on behalf of our system. After the …

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Urging patience with patient self-advocacy

Conditions
August 26, 2022

One conundrum patients face is the dichotomy of trusting our doctors whilst deep diving in web searches and seeking additional opinions. Another is when our findings and experiences do not align with our doctors or established practices and guidelines.

How would you react in the first consultation with a new patient who presented as I did: with a radiation oncologist in Houston, outcome data on three curative attempts, a graph of …

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A doctor for LGBTQ+ health needs [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 25, 2022
YouTube video

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“It is uncomfortable to be publically vulnerable with my story. I wish the statistics and research were enough to change the field of medicine for patients and physicians. I want people to care about the experience of …

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As we get older and the world changes, it’s not always an easy task to say “where”

Conditions
August 25, 2022

“Where does it hurt?”

As a child, I can remember this ubiquitous question being frequently asked of me. Having grown up on a farm, there was always some trouble for me to get into. A common hazard was my older sister’s 26-inch bicycle, which had no training wheels.

At age 5, if I was to be a “big kid,” I had to master the art of riding the “big” bike on our …

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When medicine surrenders to the body

Physician
August 25, 2022

I still get chills thinking about the moment I decided to go to medical school. I was bored in my college physiology class, watching the minute hand on the round lecture hall clock.

There were just a few minutes remaining in the class, and students were starting to pack up. The professor, Dr. Adams, said, “I want to talk about hemorrhage before you go.” His voice was getting lost in the …

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Improving communication requires tough soft skill development

Conditions
August 25, 2022

If we are going to take on the challenge of improving communication and related behavior, a.k.a. “soft” skills among health care professionals, we should be realistic. As nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals, we are keenly aware of how difficult changing behavior can be. We see it daily in our patients’ efforts regarding healthy choices and lifestyles. For example, it can be hard to lose weight, exercise regularly, or …

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Who gets to go to medical school?

Education
August 25, 2022

I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I was seven years old. I excelled in school, attended a good college, scored well on the MCAT, and was accepted into medical school just as I always knew I would be. It was only as I progressed in my career as a physician that I realized that being a white, middle-class individual had given me an advantage—I had access that …

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Why you need to care about oral health [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 24, 2022
YouTube video

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“Guess what? The mouth is attached to the rest of the body. And though dentistry and medicine are typically separated from the very beginning of professional training, they are irrevocably linked for patients and have an impact …

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Putting on the mask of professionalism causes burnout

Physician
August 24, 2022

In medical school, we are not just taught the scientific information that doctors should know, we are also taught how doctors should look and behave.

I remember being shown a video on “professionalism” during our first day of orientation. It was meant to be humorous, demonstrating more extreme examples of dress code and behavioral violations.

Medical students walk into exam rooms with their bra straps hanging out.

Smacking on gum and blowing bubbles …

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Releasing survivor’s guilt

Physician
August 24, 2022

Wednesday, August 10, 2016. You called to check-in. You knew I was struggling.

Months before, I shared with you that I developed suicidal ideation and was not sure I should continue residency. The forced sleeplessness and self-doubt were getting to me.

Did I deserve to be a surgical resident? I felt worthless.

I was so damn tired.

You knew I was afraid to leave the surgery and what that would mean for my military …

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