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We talk with Jordana Cohen, an internal medicine physician, about the importance of accurate blood pressure measurement. With the rise of telehealth and at-home monitoring, ensuring reliable readings is crucial. Jordana discusses concerns regarding device accuracy and …
Ensuring accurate blood pressure measurement [PODCAST]
Harvard researchers who recently wrote an essay analyzed data from Medicare to draw conclusions about hospitalists and surgeons who treat hospital in-patients for non-elective admissions. The researchers grouped the physicians by age to determine which groups performed better. The yardstick by which they were measured was mortality within 30 days of admission. The sample size was significant—over 700,000 Medicare patients, all over 65 years of age. What they found were …
Youth vs. experience: Who wins in medicine?
The debate surrounding graduate medical education (GME) revolves around whether one should dedicate themselves to their current residency or focus on future fellowship opportunities. This confusion becomes more pronounced after completing fellowship programs, especially in inpatient settings, where specialists consult with generalists who have completed residency programs and obtained board certification without pursuing further specialization.
The fundamental question is whether generalists should be regarded and treated as specialists. Looking towards the …
The transitional year: a must-have preliminary for GME
“Thank God it’s Friday.”
So many of us say it often. This resonates with many, as there is even a restaurant franchise with that name that has $2.5 billion in sales. Clearly, they are tapping into something that echoes what many think (even if they have what feels like a 73-page menu which, on Fridays when you are especially tired, can seem overwhelming, but I digress).
However, if we dig a little …
The wisdom of words: Thank God it’s Friday!
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Join Scott Abramson, a neurologist, as we delve into the complex interplay between work and home life for physicians. Scott shares his personal experiences and reflections on how challenging periods in his family and personal life led …
When work becomes an escape for physicians [PODCAST]
Reportedly, there are at least 1.6 million people who identify as transgendered in the United States. Approximately one-third of them are transgendered male-to-females, referred to as “T-girls.” These individuals have a strong desire to be passable without undergoing surgery, relying instead on hormone therapy. However, hormonal therapy is not without risks. Testosterone, used in protocols for transgendered males, can increase the chances of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Similarly, estrogen, used by …
Transgender health risks in hormone therapy
The fentanyl crisis represents a grave and lethal epidemic, marked by the illicit consumption of powerful synthetic opioids, resulting in a staggering increase in fatal overdose cases. Physician Emily Watters offers her unique insights on this critical issue through a captivating comic format. (Click to enlarge.)
A comic reveals the terrifying truth about fentanyl
America’s medical debt problem is out of control, with collection agencies holding around $140 billion in unpaid medical bills.
Some experts think the amount of medical debt may actually reach $1 trillion and affect nearly 1 in 3 Americans. That’s because not all medical debt appears on credit reports. Moreover, many people pay their medical bills with their credit card and then are forced to have those unpaid …
How AI will protect everyday Americans from overwhelming medical debt
Medical pundits are predicting that the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down race-conscious admissions will have dire consequences for medical schools and the composition of the physician workforce.
The concern is that the high court’s decision to restrict public and private higher education institutions from considering an applicant’s race or ethnicity in admission decisions will negatively impact medical schools’ diversity and the nature of future physicians.
The fear …
Medical school applicants do not need to “check” a box to succeed
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Join Don Gaede, an internal medicine and vascular medicine physician, to discuss the “existential threat of greed in U.S. health care” highlighted in a JAMA editorial. Don shares his firsthand encounters with unethical practices within his specialty …
Unmasking the threat of greed in health care [PODCAST]
Although many systemic factors universally contribute to both burnout in both male and female physicians, female physicians also tend to experience burnout at disproportionately high rates versus their male counterparts. Burnout, also known as a state of as a “state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion,” continues to grow despite being a recognized problem for decades. Burnout is a critical public health risk which not only affects …
Female physician burnout and its impact on patient care
Imagine being able to cross a chasm between a digital world and a physical world in an operative environment. The medical technology sector has only begun to tap into the vast possibilities presented by light field technology, particularly in surgery, where it offers significant advantages, including computational imaging, improved data quality, and the elimination of harmful radiation. The application of light field technology holds the potential to revolutionize the operative …
Harnessing light field technology for enhanced navigation and imaging
Physicians are respected influencers who can directly impact public opinion and drive change within the health system. If you are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, it’s time to become part of the solution. Here are some strategies you can employ to initiate health care transformations locally and beyond.
Join or form local groups with engaged patients and employers. As a health care system insider, you possess valuable knowledge about how …
6 ways physicians can change the health care system
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Join Amna Shabbir, an internal medicine physician, as she shares her personal journey and reflections on physician burnout and its impact on family dynamics. Amna opens up about her early exposure to burnout through her mother’s experiences …
Understanding the hidden effects of burnout on physician families [PODCAST]
There are a few clinical scenarios that stand out to me from my undergraduate medical education. I completed a combined MD/MPH program, and I remember coming back from the year of public health, inserted between years two and three of medical school, feeling rusty and often in the way. One conversation I’ll always remember is one I overheard between an attending on my family medicine rotation (my first rotation of …
The surprising impact of medical students on patients
The call came in during a busy workday. My comprehensive primary care clinic had been built over a decade of hard work and had a general practice clinic staffed by a very capable former surgeon and several nurse practitioners, as well as a pain management program and an addiction treatment clinic. We also had several counselors on staff. I immediately recognized the voice on the other end of the line …
The persecution of pain management doctors
As someone who had an early life in rural Nigeria, I strongly believe that the diet debates are out-of-touch elite pastimes born out of food glut in Western societies. For survival, all living things evolved and adapted to scarcity, and humans have been appropriately described as opportunistic omnivores who would eat whatever is available. How supposedly omnivorous humans turned out to be sharply divided into tribalistic die-hard vegan, keto, Mediterranean, …
The ketogenic diet: a historical perspective and survival consequences
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Join Earl Stewart, Jr., an internal medicine physician, as we discuss the critical need for electronic health record (EHR) systems to address the impact of climate change on patient health. Earl highlights the limitations of current EHRs …
How EHRs can impact climate change [PODCAST]
The old adage of “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life” may have misled an entire generation.
While researching individuals with high career satisfaction, psychologists Ryan and Deci found that the introspective “follow your passion” approach was rarely a major factor. Instead of relying on some intrinsic passion, people who loved their jobs were found to have work that fulfilled three specific psychological needs: autonomy, …
The 3 things that make people love their work (and why medicine falls short)
Recently, growing attention has been given to the fact that some types of surgery may be overrated. This article succinctly summarizes the situation, citing dozens of studies showing that some orthopedic surgeries popular in past decades had no better results than non-invasive treatments.
This issue is deeply personal to me. In 2020, during the pandemic, I sustained an injury to my left knee, experiencing severe pain, swelling, and loss of …
Optimize your knee injury recovery without surgery
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