Focus on the rheumatoid arthritis patient, not on their disease

Conditions
September 16, 2022

Medical school, residency, and fellowship taught me pathophysiology, diagnosis, and the most advanced treatments for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. As an attending physician, seeing my own patients, I noticed that targeted therapy is not able to control the disease in all patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results varied. I could not stop asking myself, why is it so different?

In my previous article, I wrote about one of my patient’s …

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Women doctors face challenges globally

Physician
September 16, 2022

As I looked around the hot, humid room at the male doctors in their white coats, I couldn’t believe I was actually participating in a medical training mission in Rwanda. After months of planning and securing equipment, I was actually in Africa. I watched as the medical residents listened intently to the lectures United States physician volunteers provided.

Forty-two Rwandan OB/GYN residents came to the University Hospital in Kigali for a …

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Why are women leaving medicine? Gaslighting. [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 15, 2022
YouTube video

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“We cannot change societal norms, gender biases, childhood needs, the education system, or stop a pandemic. But, we can stop gaslighting 50% of the population. We can start acknowledging that the simple fact of gender does greatly …

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Don’t give up on private practice just yet

Physician
September 15, 2022

The medical landscape for practicing physicians is changing. Seemingly the option of “hanging one’s shingle,” being your own boss, setting your schedule, and providing personalized care in a warm and cozy environment, “Marcus Welby style,” isn’t a viable option anymore.

Rather, graduating physicians are choosing between the options of becoming a hospital-employed physician, hospitalist, employed physician in a large multispecialty group, joining the faculty at an academic institution, or, sadly, electing …

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Death is what gives life meaning

Physician
September 15, 2022

“He knew it was his time a month ago. We were sitting at the kitchen table, and he told me he couldn’t feel half his face. He kept tapping the left side and saying he couldn’t feel anything. I knew he had a stroke because my daughter had one. He was stubborn, didn’t want to go to the doctor.”

One week ago, I saw Mr. Samson for the first time in …

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How pediatricians can get involved with behavioral health

Conditions
September 15, 2022

Boom! Crash! Ow!

That was the feeling of many pediatricians nationwide as we were hit in the face with the bomb of the COVID pandemic and all of the challenges it would bring, notably in the demands for mental health care. This skyrocketing demand led to the declaration of a state of emergency by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2021 and a call for pediatricians to do more to address …

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Why physicians require business skills [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 14, 2022
YouTube video

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“There are two valuable reasons why all physicians, especially medical students, should obtain or demand from their medical school academic business education.

About 98 percent of physicians and medical students have never had an academic business education. About …

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Endometriosis is often misdiagnosed. How to get the right diagnosis.

Conditions
September 14, 2022

The six to ten percent of women in the U.S. who are living with endometriosis have to deal with not only the pain and complications the disease causes, but often also with exceptionally long delays before receiving a diagnosis—an average of 8.5 years from first seeking care to diagnosis. One study revealed that more than 75 percent of the women who participated in the study were first …

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Care coordination for obstetrics teams is crucial

Conditions
September 14, 2022

Maternal health has been a trending topic in the news due to increased maternal mortality rates due to challenges in accessing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is deepening concerns surrounding this issue. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of undeveloped countries, with an alarming 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. My wife, Parissa, could have been part …

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A friendly battle with a patient’s potassium

Conditions
September 14, 2022

“By God’s grace, Dr. Sal!”

“Yes, T.J.! What’s the good news?”

“Guess what Mr. Thompson’s potassium is now?”

“3.1 …”

“Wrong! 4.1!”

We high-fived each other immediately and breathed a huge sigh of relief. For six days straight, we’ve been giving Mr. T potassium through an IV and by mouth with little to no change in his potassium level.

He came to the hospital after being found passed out in his home. Very low initial blood …

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A nut allergy nightmare at 35,000 feet [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 13, 2022
YouTube video

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“People developing anaphylaxis will not always have five extra minutes to spare. I do appreciate that auto-injectors are expensive, but it is not at all expensive to have an ampule or vial of epinephrine on board, which …

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A patient gave this physician her humanity back

Physician
September 13, 2022

I am a physician.

We are always taught to see our patients as more than their state of illness or diagnosis. “Speak to the patient,” “listen,” “look them in the eye,” “do not put one foot out the door,” the list of do’s and don’ts, while self-explanatory, is long. A good doctor is considered one who is able to view the person behind the symptoms and offer a shoulder, not just …

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The recent closing of Amazon Care shows the magnitude of the challenge in changing health care

Tech
September 13, 2022

Amazon recently announced plans to shut down Amazon Care, an in-home and virtual health care service.

The reasons cited were attributed to a significant overlap of services with the One Medical chain of clinics, which Amazon purchased in July of this year for 3.9 billion, as well as Amazon Care not being a complete enough offering for large enterprise customers for which it was targeting.

This is the third health …

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Negotiating employment contracts from a place of strength [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 12, 2022
YouTube video

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“The most important lesson when negotiating contracts is picking your battles and coming at them with optimism and positivity. Yes, you can and should be excited about this new opportunity, but you need to receive what’s fair …

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The Inflation Reduction Act: Can it build back medicine better and reduce climate change?

Policy
September 12, 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 is an ambitious piece of legislation that was signed into law on August 16 of this year.  This was a revised, negotiated version of the Build Back Better Plan that failed to pass in December 2021.  Like many pieces of legislation, this is a complicated bill, 730 pages in length, with a very broad scope.  Although controversial, the costs of this bill will …

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The impact of a single COVID infection

Conditions
September 12, 2022

This piece started out focusing on the impact of colds on our lives, particularly if COVID is now “just a cold.”

But now it’s personal.

My husband and I escaped COVID until now by being very careful until we got vaccinated. Once vaccinated, we focused on living our lives safely – no eating at indoor restaurants (there are plenty of outdoor venues to choose from), masking indoors and testing when gathering with …

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What to do if you’re involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 11, 2022
YouTube video

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“The worry and anticipation of getting sued are heightened more than ever in the wake of the pandemic. It is in all physicians’ minds. I recently did a quick poll in some of my physician groups on …

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