KevinMD.com

March 1, 2025Mar 1, 2025

Physician executive Timothy McDonald discusses his article, "How innovative partnerships are transforming patient safety in health care," highlighting the role of collaboration in reducing preventable harm. Timothy explores how data sharing within and across health systems can uncover insights to…

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Physician executive Timothy McDonald discusses his article, “How innovative partnerships are transforming patient safety in health care,” highlighting the role of collaboration in reducing preventable harm. Timothy explores how data sharing within and across health systems can uncover insights to enhance safety measures, emphasizing the importance of Patient Safety Organizations …

Health policy

The deadly impact of the U.S. anti-abortion funding policy

Analisa Conway & Ashley Gordon

March 1, 2025Mar 1, 20253

As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of health care not just…

On January 24, only four days into his second term, President Trump reinstated “Protecting Life in Global

…

Physician voices

The harsh reality of becoming a doctor: a dream turned nightmare

Pamela Buchanan, MD

March 1, 2025Mar 1, 2025

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was 12 years old. I revered my pediatrician, Dr. Helen Nash, who was a giant in our community. Growing up poor in St. Louis, it was rare to see a Black…

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was 12 years old. I revered my pediatrician, Dr. Helen Nash, who was a giant in our community. Growing up poor in St. Louis, it was rare to see a Black doctor. Seeing Dr. Nash—owning her own practice, helping people, and commanding deep respect—was inspiring. She was an advocate for health care in the African American community, and whenever she spoke, …

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Conditions and diseases

The untold toll of COVID-19: a doctor’s battle to save lives and family

Anonymous

March 1, 2025Mar 1, 20252

Hello! Your friendly next-door ID physician here checking in! I haven't submitted anything here in several years. I've been too caught up with my work and family to delve into my creative side. But the very recent news that we…

Hello! Your friendly next-door ID physician here checking in! I haven’t submitted anything here in several years. I’ve been too caught up with my work and family to delve into my creative side. But the very recent news that we will have a new head of human and health services (an individual without formal health care training and who has expressed a rather strong anti-vaccine sentiment in the past) paired …

Physician voices

The uncertain future of general physicians: Is it time to pivot?

Varun Verma, MD

March 1, 2025Mar 1, 20255

As a board-certified internal medicine physician and hospitalist with over 12 years of experience, I find myself grappling with an unsettling thought: I cannot, in good conscience, encourage medical students with clinical ambitions to pursue any general medicine field. This…

This may seem like a harsh assessment, but in my opinion, the writing is on the wall for general physicians. While those of us already established in practice are likely to have …

The Podcast by KevinMD

Emergency departments as primary care safety nets [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

February 28, 2025Feb 28, 2025

Family physician Pamela Buchanan discusses her article, "The ER doctor who became the new PCP." In this compelling conversation, Pamela explains her transition from emergency medicine back to primary care, driven by a growing shortage of primary care providers that…

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Family physician Pamela Buchanan discusses her article, “The ER doctor who became the new PCP.” In this compelling conversation, Pamela explains her transition from emergency medicine back to primary care, driven by a growing shortage of primary care providers that leaves many patients with no choice but to seek care …

Physician voices

Spreading hope one card at a time: How small acts of kindness can make a big difference for doctors

Dawn Veselka & Erin Hurley, MD & Kim Downey, PT

February 28, 2025Feb 28, 2025

As Doctors' Day on March 30 approaches, we are reminded of the incredible impact physicians have on our lives. But there is something often overlooked—the emotional toll the profession takes. Physicians give so much of themselves, yet their emotional needs…

As Doctors’ Day on March 30 approaches, we are reminded of the incredible impact physicians have on our lives. But there is something often overlooked—the emotional toll the profession takes. Physicians give so much of themselves, yet their emotional needs often go unrecognized. What if there were a simple, powerful way to remind them that their efforts matter?

Imagine the impact a heartfelt, handwritten note could have on a weary physician.

I …

Health policy

Chainsaw politics may cut deeply into the fabric of health care

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

February 28, 2025Feb 28, 2025

Federal downsizing, while touted as a means to streamline operations and eliminate bureaucratic waste, has significant and often detrimental consequences for the U.S. health care system. Two documents shed light on this issue from complementary perspectives. The first, a U.S. Office of Management and Budget-Office of Personnel Management (OMB-OPM) memorandum outlines an aggressive workforce optimization initiative designed to reduce federal staffing and cut costs. The …

Medical education

Residency programs value diversity and inclusivity

Lisa Sieczkowski, MD

February 28, 2025Feb 28, 2025

Residency interview season is wrapping up; applicants and programs are weighing each other's relative flaws and merits. In about a month, rank lists are due, and then the applicants' fates are up to the Match. Where they will spend the…

Residency interview season is wrapping up; applicants and programs are weighing each other’s relative flaws and merits. In about a month, rank lists are due, and then the applicants’ fates are up to the Match. Where they will spend the next three to seven years of their lives, the people with whom they will work 80-plus hours per week, and the culture in which they will be steeped will be …

Physician voices

What if a doctor didn’t wash their hands between patients?

W. Frank Peacock, MD

February 28, 2025Feb 28, 2025

I've been an emergency room doctor for 35 years. I have probably washed my hands over 150,000 times. What the heck? How much is enough? What would happen if I just didn't wash my hands? Well, first, the hand-washing police…

I’ve been an emergency room doctor for 35 years. I have probably washed my hands over 150,000 times. What the heck? How much is enough? What would happen if I just didn’t wash my hands?

Well, first, the hand-washing police (yes, there is such a thing … they wander around the hospital watching for clinicians who don’t wash their hands) would record that I had committed a violation, and I would …

The Podcast by KevinMD

Enhancing early language skills with focused attention [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

February 27, 2025Feb 27, 2025

Pediatrician John D. Michael discusses his article, "How attention therapy transforms speech delay in young children." In this engaging conversation, John explains that sustained attention is crucial for developing effective speech and conversation skills in young children. He outlines how…

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Pediatrician John D. Michael discusses his article, “How attention therapy transforms speech delay in young children.” In this engaging conversation, John explains that sustained attention is crucial for developing effective speech and conversation skills in young children. He outlines how attention therapy teaches children to focus on adults rather than …

Physician voices

Why many hospitals refuse to pay market value for radiology until it’s too late

Anonymous

February 27, 2025Feb 27, 2025

Nationwide, radiology groups are approaching hospitals and asking for massive subsidies to maintain their radiology coverage. Much of the time, hospital administrators and CEOs balk and would prefer to drag their feet or try to replace the group rather than pay market rates for radiological services. These hospitals end up paying double or even triple for worse coverage with some of the same radiologists—while those radiologists end up making much …

The buzz around GSI disability insurance for residents: Why it’s gaining popularity and how to take advantage

Set for Life Insurance

February 27, 2025Feb 27, 2025

This article is sponsored by Set for Life Insurance, helping over 30,000 physicians with life and disability insurance needs since 1993. Get the best available policies at discounted rates. Request a quote today. For physicians in training, few financial decisions…

For physicians in training, few financial decisions are as important as securing disability insurance. Your future …

Physician voices

A cold evening and the lesson a child selling eggs taught me

Dr. Damane Zehra

February 27, 2025Feb 27, 2025

I was leaving the mall after purchasing a gift for a friend. Her birthday was the next day, and after spending hours searching for the perfect present, I finally bought an expensive wallet that I was sure she would love.…

It was a chilly evening, and as soon as I left the mall, I immediately felt the real intensity of the cold. The heating system inside the mall had masked the …

The Podcast by KevinMD

Tobacco tactics in modern cannabis marketing [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

February 26, 2025Feb 26, 2025

Pediatrician Gary Kirkilas discusses his article, "Cannabis advertising takes a page from the tobacco playbook." In this conversation, Gary explains how legal cannabis companies are adopting tactics once used by tobacco companies to target young users, drawing parallels between historical…

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Pediatrician Gary Kirkilas discusses his article, “Cannabis advertising takes a page from the tobacco playbook.” In this conversation, Gary explains how legal cannabis companies are adopting tactics once used by tobacco companies to target young users, drawing parallels between historical cigarette advertising and current cannabis marketing practices. He highlights the …

Physician voices

The cost-driver in every medical malpractice lawsuit

Howard Smith, MD

February 26, 2025Feb 26, 2025

"Whatever is measured is managed" is the fundamental principle in management science. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in a small, obscure reciprocal insurance company in Washington, D.C., once the provider of choice for two-thirds of all doctors in Washington,…

“Whatever is measured is managed” is the fundamental principle in management science. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in a small, obscure reciprocal insurance company in Washington, D.C., once the provider of choice for two-thirds of all doctors in Washington, D.C.

For it, the writing is on the wall in 2001. It is rated “AMB3” by AM Best. This corresponds to an “adequate ability to pay short-term financial obligations.” In 2004, …

Physician voices

How do you know when it’s time to leave clinical practice?

Maureen Gibbons, MD

February 26, 2025Feb 26, 20252

Some physicians have a clear moment when they know they're done with clinical practice. A good friend of mine left emergency medicine just five years after residency—she simply knew it was time. There was no doubt, no wavering. She saw…

Some physicians have a clear moment when they know they’re done with clinical practice. A good friend of mine left emergency medicine just five years after residency—she simply knew it was time. There was no doubt, no wavering. She saw the road ahead, and it wasn’t one she wanted to keep traveling. When I said my ego loved the job, one of her comments resonated deeply: “But there’s more to …

Physician voices

Patient choice vs. patient life: Which is the greater good?

M. Bennet Broner, PhD

February 26, 2025Feb 26, 2025

In a 2023 study, researchers explored the medical needs of elderly, mentally deficient individuals who lived alone. A common comment by interviewed physicians was that they knew some patients required greater supervision or care, but they acceded to patient choices to return home. Are clinicians placing too great an emphasis on competency and patient rights rather than on patient well-being?

Everyone knows the phrase: “First, do no harm.” Yet today, deciding …

The Podcast by KevinMD

Exploring the long-term impacts of physician suicide on patients and doctors [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

February 25, 2025Feb 25, 2025

Physician advocate Kim Downey and family physician Todd Otten discuss their article, "Long-term impacts of physician suicide on patients and doctors." In this engaging conversation, Kim shares her personal experiences with the departure of trusted health care professionals and the…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

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Physician advocate Kim Downey and family physician Todd Otten discuss their article, “Long-term impacts of physician suicide on patients and doctors.” In this engaging conversation, Kim shares her personal experiences with the departure of trusted health care professionals and the resulting emotional impact on patient care, while Todd reflects on …

Conditions and diseases

How DNA and hormones shape who we are

Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD

February 25, 2025Feb 25, 2025

We move into every new year carrying beliefs from previous years. Scientific confusion and unresolved questions can sometimes cause society and families to become intellectually and emotionally divided. Centuries ago, we thought the Earth was flat and the center of…

Centuries ago, we thought the Earth was flat and the center of the universe, and we feared that sailing exploration would send us over the edge of a cliff. Sir Isaac Newton tried to explain gravity, but now this discussion extends even further …

Read more…

How DNA and hormones shape who we are

Real physician voices, twice a week

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