An excerpt from Beautiful Monster: A Becoming.
The day of the surgery we show up early to the small clinic. After a brief wait we are taken into the back, where the doctor draws a map of my body-to-be on my now-body, detailing the road to my new life. The anesthesiologist …
Life-changing surgery: Embracing my true self
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Join Richard A. Lawhern, a patient advocate. We delve into the critical issues surrounding U.S. policy for the regulation of prescription opioid pain relievers and the challenges faced by clinicians managing chronic pain patients. Explore the controversial …
Opioid regulations: a patient advocate’s insights [PODCAST]
No matter your politics or judgment on the COVID-19 vaccine, we can agree that the visuals of the world’s number one tennis player being detained and treated like a criminal when he went to the Australian Open last year were unsettling, and the Australian government should have better handled his case. To recap, Mr. Djokovic flew to Australia in January 2022 on a vaccine exemption as he had a COVID-19 …
The Djokovic saga: Vaccination policies revisited
Given the tax bracket most doctors are in, reducing their tax burden is a key factor in their investment success and long-term retirement plan. At this time of year, many doctors may not have maximized all of their retirement tax-deferred options. Here is a summary of different options to consider.
Traditional 401(k) plans
Benefits
Tax deductions. Contributions to a Traditional 401(k) are tax-deductible, reducing an individual’s taxable income for the year in which …
Are you taking advantage of all of your tax deferred investment options?
In today’s corporate health care world, physicians are exposed to high levels of stress in the course of carrying out the duties of their profession, making them susceptible to experiencing burnout. Burnout has far-reaching implications not only for doctors but also for patients and the health care system that employs them. Burnout among doctors increases the risk of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, fatigue, alcohol and drug misuse, premature retirement, and …
Nature’s role in relieving physician burnout
When you think about a beach vacation, what comes to mind? What do you picture?
Fish, seaweed, sharks, sea foam, water bugs, or clear sunny skies? The sound of surfing waves, the feeling of soft sand, or the desire for a perfect tan?
My daughter possesses a meticulous, organized, and clean nature. She finds solace in predictability and dislikes the uncertainty of nature. Consequently, she rarely enjoys hiking, dismissing it as “too …
Conquering fear: Embracing possibilities beyond the horizon
Looking back at my career as an emergency physician, I remember how my first year out of residency was a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs, practicing as an emergency physician in a semi-rural town in Illinois. But once I found my stride and confidence as an attending physician, I recall distinctly knowing to my core that I was a good doctor. I was strong in my clinical …
Metric shaming in medicine and 3 ways to overcome it
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We sit down with Farhan S. Imran, a hematology-oncology physician. Join us as we explore the evolving landscape of health care and technology, discussing the impact of computers on the doctor-patient relationship, the role of AI in …
AI in health care: possibilities and ethical questions [PODCAST]
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 25×5 Task Force was established in 2022 with the goal of reducing clinician documentation burden by 25 percent in 5 years. Recently, the task force found that “organizational efforts to address documentation burden … were all focused on documentation creation, not on information retrieval.” Similarly, much of the early hype surrounding large language models (LLMs) and generative …
Are we missing the mark with generative AI?
I write widely as a subject matter expert on U.S. policy for the regulation of prescription opioid pain relievers and of clinicians who employ them in managing their patients’ chronic pain. Because I am a patient advocate and the spouse of a chronic pain patient, I hear from a lot of suffering people. In one form or another, many of their pleas amount to, “My doctor has deserted me, …
25 years ago, at the age of 42, I had my first mammogram, which was part of my routine checkup. I had no symptoms at the time.
I was devastated when the radiologist discovered a shadow in my left breast. To confirm this, a biopsy was scheduled, and indeed, the biopsy confirmed that I had breast cancer.
I consider myself fortunate because we caught it early, and there was no involvement of …
My breast cancer journey: Why mammograms matter
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Join Brian Hudes, a gastroenterologist. We’ll delve into the evolving landscape of gastroenterology in the United States, exploring historical decisions, changing demographics, and the impact on physician salaries. Discover the challenges and potential solutions in this vital …
Insights into the gastroenterology workforce [PODCAST]
The practice of evidence-based medicine and lifelong learning are core tenets of medicine. Through courses, conferences, and lectures, physicians have regularly turned to their colleagues for continuing education. For decades, this reliance on physician-to-physician teaching has been a fitting choice for the subjects at hand, which usually related to clinical practice. In recent years, there has been widespread development of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Holding to previous patterns, …
Learning health equity from activists: a paradigm shift for physicians
What do you do if you get an administrative or court subpoena to produce “all” medical records on one or more patients? Are you sure that your electronic medical records can even create a true “legal” chart? With everything recorded chronologically? How would you know if something was left out?
And if you get an administrative or court subpoena for “all” medical records, what does that mean? What about access logs …
Navigating subpoenas and EHR integration
One of the most memorable scenes in Goodfellas occurs early on, when the audience is introduced to most of the crew at the Bamboo Lounge. Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) get into a tense exchange. Tommy seems to get offended after Henry calls him funny. “I’m funny how, Tommy wants to know?” “I mean, funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?”
Unknown to …
Kick start your writing with a surprise
Are you happy and satisfied with your private medical practice today? Over 65 percent of physicians admit they aren’t. Such a high percentage is indicative of serious problems within the medical profession that aren’t being resolved. These issues are increasing, not decreasing.
Some believe it’s the result of several stress factors among practicing physicians stemming from variable pressure-inciting sources inside and outside the medical practice business. Others sanctify their distress and …
Private medical practice: thriving with business knowledge
I have wanted to work in medicine ever since my eleven-year-old cousin passed out during my uncle’s birthday party. He suddenly fainted when we were supposed to cut the cake. We rushed to the emergency room. Doctors diagnosed him with blood cancer after a couple of months, which was too late for him to survive. That incident sparked my interest in becoming a physician assistant. I put all my efforts …
Turning adversity into hope: my path to a career in medicine
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Join Tami Burdick, a patient advocate and author of Diagnosis Detective: Curing Granulomatous Mastitis. Discover the ins and outs of medical gaslighting, learn to recognize the red flags, and explore how both patients and health care providers …
Unmasking medical gaslighting [PODCAST]
In today’s fashion landscape, one may wonder if size truly matters anymore. With the prevalence of spandex in clothing, determining one’s actual size has become a challenging feat. The question arises: what role does spandex play in the ongoing obesity crisis? Does it hinder our ability to make informed choices about our weight and health?
Consider this scenario: you weigh 130 lbs., but the pants you wear contain 2 percent spandex. …
The Spandex dilemma: Does size still matter?
In a world often marred by division, conflict, and hatred, the concept of love may seem like a fragile flower struggling to bloom amidst a harsh and unforgiving landscape. However, it is precisely in such a world that the power of love shines most brilliantly. Let us explore the importance of love in a world full of hate and consider insights into how individuals and communities can foster love to …
Love in a world full of hate: a beacon of hope
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