The inherent problems with emergency medicine that make it contradict new values and behaviors

Physician
May 3, 2023

There has been much hand-wringing about the 555 (18.4 percent) unfilled match spots in this year’s emergency medicine (EM) residency match. Several long-standing, excellent programs with outstanding patient pathology and well-known faculty in major metropolitan areas did not fill.

Most hand-wringing has focused not on inherent attributes of the specialty, but temporal issues likely to fluctuate over time, including:

1. An overproduction of 8,000 emergency physicians (EPs)

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The underappreciated heroes of health care: a doctor’s appreciation for therapists

Physician
May 3, 2023

As a doctor who has cared for countless critically ill patients, I cannot stress enough how important therapists are for patient recovery. Whether it’s occupational, physical, or speech therapists, these health care professionals play an integral role in helping patients regain their abilities and quality of life after an illness or injury.

In my experience, occupational therapists are especially crucial for patients who have experienced loss of motor function from a …

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Disparities in health care: How physician heuristics can negatively impact patient outcomes

Physician
May 3, 2023

Every physician, regardless of their specialty, vividly remembers their experiences during grand rounds as a medical student or resident. A preceptor, senior resident, or attending physician would lead a pack of eager students and residents from room to room on the clinical ward. Suddenly, the pack would stop, and the questioning would begin.

“What are the top differential diagnoses?”

“What test do we need to order?”

These memories linger because they are how …

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The joy of surgery: How one doctor discovered her passion

Physician
May 3, 2023

When my now ex-husband and I first met, he asked me about my favorite things to do. At that time, I did not have a ready answer. It was my third year of general surgery residency, a time for proving that I could handle it all: being the in-house senior surgery resident on call, starting to manage surgical teams, and being responsible for lists sometimes reaching dozens of patients. I …

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A doctor’s journey through grief and writing [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 2, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, we have Ryan McCarthy, an internal medicine physician, who discovered writing as a way to cope with grief. His journey started with the death of his friend Dan from pancreatic cancer, which led him …

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Breaking free: the power of physician autonomy in patient care

Physician
May 2, 2023

What guides and directs your decisions in your private practice? As the physician owner, it should be your choices and decisions, made without influence from third parties. That is physician autonomy.

In 2012, an article by E. J. Emmanuel and S.D. Pearson defined physician autonomy as “the freedom to determine both the conditions of practice and the care delivered with the principal goal that care decisions are aimed at promoting the …

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Use ChatGPT to apply the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” in health care

Physician
May 2, 2023

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a best-selling self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey. The book outlines universal principles that can be applied to personal and professional success. This article explores how health care professionals can use these principles to improve patient care, collaboration, and effectiveness.

1. Be proactive. Health care professionals must be proactive in staying up-to-date with the …

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The 4 habits of highly effective physician leaders

Physician
May 2, 2023

How big is my ego? The trouble with a career in medicine is that you spend four years in a classroom and not managing people. It is impossible to gauge the size of your ego if you don’t have a stack of small unit leadership situations with which to calibrate it. The most needed quality as a physician leader (or any leader) is humility. Athletes and prior military folks tend …

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Reversing the aging process with neuroplasticity [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 1, 2023
YouTube video

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Join orthopedic surgeon Michael Day as he shares his insights on how to reverse the acceleration of aging through lifestyle, habits, and even thoughts. Michael explains the role of neuroplasticity in enhancing the performance of our bodies …

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Against all odds: 17-month-old defies death and improves neurologically after craniospinal irradiation

Conditions
May 1, 2023

Three months ago, a case was discussed in the multidisciplinary tumor board. A 17-month-old child was admitted through the ER with a posterior fossa tumor (brain tumor) and multi-level spinal cord compression due to tumor deposits. The tumor was so extensive that only a biopsy could be performed rather than maximum safe resection. The biopsy report was discussed in the MDT (it was medulloblastoma), and after considering the neurological deficits …

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Surviving monkeypox: a story of compassionate care and an emerging disease outbreak

Conditions
May 1, 2023

Mr. Sanchez had been feeling unwell for days before he decided to visit the emergency room. When I walked into his room, I immediately noticed that he was scared and anxious. His sore throat had been persistent for five days and was now so severe that he couldn’t eat or drink anything. He had also developed a rash covering his entire body, which was only getting worse. The lymph nodes …

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The cannabis education gap: Why patients are left in the dark

Meds
May 1, 2023

Imagine that you are suffering from chronic pain.

The pain keeps you awake at night so you don’t get much sleep. Lack of sleep most nights and the ensuing chronic fatigue causes you some anxiety during the day. Your primary care physician suggests that she is concerned with the increasing amount of aspirin and ibuprofen you are consuming to manage the pain. She can prescribe opioids to help with the pain, …

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How writing and storytelling helped me recover from burnout

Physician
May 1, 2023

About five years ago, I did the first public reading of my non-academic writing. I was a 40-something-year-old physician, and I was terrified.

It was at a narrative medicine event, and I’d been selected to read one of my personal essays. A few days earlier, an experienced performer had given me some pointers. Identified which word in each sentence should be emphasized. Where I should add dramatic pauses, I now had …

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Why doctors are burning out: the missing piece in medical education

Physician
May 1, 2023

It is staggering to think that our medical school scholars have fallen in line with the dictatorial components of the “deep state of medical education.” John Abramson, MD, a graduate scholar of Harvard, Dartmouth, and Brown medical education institutions, recently published in “Imprimis,” a publication of Hillsdale College, eloquently and astutely links the disintegration and decreasing quality of health care in our nation to the “medical-industrial complex,” let alone, the …

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Breaking into health innovation: tips and insights from a physician innovator [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 30, 2023
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, we welcome Jay Shah, a cardiologist and health care executive, to discuss the future of health care. Jay shares his personal journey and insights on how to get started in health innovation, including tips …

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The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

Policy
April 30, 2023

The ACLU is currently tracking over 400 anti-LGBTQ bills this legislative session, the highest number on record. Over 150 of these pertain to transgender people, including many targeting health care for transgender youth.

As of April 2023, thirteen states have passed laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for youth, while more than fifteen others have introduced similar bills and policies. These actions may forbid or criminalize evidence-based medical treatment for …

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How world leaders’ health has shaped history and the role of modern medicine in leadership

Physician
April 30, 2023

The health of world leaders has often played a critical role in shaping the course of history. Decisions made while under the influence of poor health or illness can have far-reaching consequences, and the untimely demise of some leaders has altered the trajectory of nations. This article explores the lives of a few famous leaders whose health issues significantly impacted their countries …

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A glimmer of hope for a child with suicidal ideations

Conditions
April 30, 2023

Eleven-year-old Abby sat nervously in the emergency department, her eyes darting around the room as she clutched Patches, her beloved stuffed sheep. Her guardian sat beside her, anxiety etched on her face as she explained the situation to me. Abby had been diagnosed with depression at the tender age of nine after suffering years of abuse and neglect at the hands of her biological parents.

A few months ago, a loving …

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Inside the life of a hospice physician: Bringing peace to the dying

Physician
April 30, 2023

“I don’t know how you do what you do.” About 90 percent of the time, this is the response I get when I tell people that I am a hospice physician. “Isn’t it sad to work with dying people all the time? You lose all of your patients… that must be so difficult.”

Having been exposed to the many different ways that people can die throughout my medical training, I see …

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