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Is inflammation too much of a good thing?

Kara Wada, MD

Conditions

July 7, 2023

Inflammation is currently a popular topic, and I must admit that I’ve fallen into the trap of vilifying this natural physiological phenomenon. Simply put, inflammation is our body’s response to infection, injury, or insult. Heat, redness, swelling, pain, and pus signal that you are injured or sick and provide the necessary feedback to seek treatment or avoid further injury.

Human nature often leads us to categorize things as either good or …

Unleashing the power of intuition [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 6, 2023

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

Join us on this episode as we host Jennifer Shaer, a pediatrician and chief wellness officer at Allied Physicians Group. Jennifer explores the power of intuition in pediatrics and beyond. Discover the hidden neural connections in our …

Will artificial intelligence replace physicians?

Andrew Wilner, MD

Tech

July 6, 2023

A recent Goldman Sachs report determined that artificial intelligence (AI) may wipe out 300 million jobs. Jobs that require advanced education, like mine, are particularly vulnerable. This isn’t welcome news for those of us who have invested a lifetime mastering our crafts and must work for a living.

Until recently, the primary goal of medical students has been to master the science of medicine. Students spend thousands of …

Navigating the abortion debate: How physicians foster healing and bridge societal divides

Anonymous

Policy

July 6, 2023

Weighing in on abortion invites scorn and derision from all sides. However, physicians should help frame the medical context with the aim of therapeutically healing the gaping societal wounds that the abortion debate has opened.

Our Declaration of Independence identifies an individual’s unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The question arises: Who defines when a human life begins? At what point does a fetus become an “individual” …

Stepping into the unknown: reflections of an intern on July 1st

Amna Shabbir, MD

Physician

July 6, 2023

I remember it like it was yesterday. Orientation had concluded, and it was showtime. Officially July 1st. It felt like all the cramming from the last few weeks was sitting astutely in my upper chest. My breathing was fairly shallow, and my brain was in an emotional fog, resembling a salad. Internal neon flash signs were going off every few seconds.

Many of these thoughts went like, “This is where they …

Unveiling the healing power of compassion [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 5, 2023

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Join us for an insightful podcast episode with guest Kara Wada, a board-certified academic adult and pediatric allergy, immunology, and lifestyle medicine physician. Together, we explore the profound impact of disconnection in our modern existence, particularly within …

Academic hazing culture killed Dr. Nakita Mortimer

Faith Crittenden, MD, MPH

Physician

July 5, 2023

“Say her name,” “She didn’t deserve this,” and “The system failed you” were the sentiments expressed on social media by resident physicians and trainees in medicine on the death of Dr. Nakita Mortimer, an advocate, mentor, physician trainee union organizer, and Black woman resident physician who tragically ended her life on May 26, 2023.

This narrative is all too common within medicine’s ivory tower, as suicide is the Read more…

Academic hazing culture killed Dr. Nakita Mortimer

It’s time for every doctor to start a professional micro-corporation

Tod Stillson, MD

Finance

July 5, 2023

The broken status quo

The hard, cold truth is that half of you will end up teetering on the same burnout cliff that I found myself looking at a decade ago. It’s a painful abyss, and many of you will experience it.

The status quo of resigning ourselves to accepting that half of the brightest and most altruistic humans on Earth will be injured and harmed by the current health care system …

Medical reparations are long overdue in medicine

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Policy

July 5, 2023

The Philadelphia Inquirer has been covering health inequities and potential remedial solutions for years. One recent story described how a new policy requires that patients’ kidney function be estimated without taking their race into account, highlighting the case of a Black woman whose kidney transplant was delayed five years because the medical center relied on an outdated race-based formula to determine her kidney function, …

Taking charge of your future by taking charge of medical malpractice suits

Howard Smith, MD

Physician

July 5, 2023

Attention all doctors: You can be dismissed from a medical malpractice lawsuit and, at the same time, save 30% on the cost of your medical malpractice premiums per year.

Just as no physician is immune from a complication, none are immune from a resulting malpractice lawsuit. As of now, you stand a 5% chance each year of a medical malpractice lawsuit that has a 70% chance of being frivolous. A 70% …

Unmasking OCD: Separating fact from fiction [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 4, 2023

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

Join us for an episode with guest Brandi Lawless, an associate professor of communications, as we delve into the misconceptions and realities of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Through her personal journey and expertise, Brandi challenges the …

Philadelphia’s devastating gun violence epidemic: a wake-up call for action

Lauren Burgoon, MD

Policy

July 4, 2023

It’s become my morning ritual on the way to the hospital. Cruising down a main Philadelphia stretch, just as the road crests and the hospital becomes visible, I steel myself for the line. Is it going to be long today? In just a few more blocks, my second reflexive check-in: Are there news vans outside of the hospital?

Both glances are woven into the larger story of Philadelphia’s gun violence epidemic …

It is time for the FDA to re-evaluate metrics for weight loss drugs

Tatum R. Dam, Diana A. Hla, Aditya Narayan, and Ank A. Agarwal

Meds

July 4, 2023

Between 2013 and 2016, 49.1 percent of U.S. adults surveyed had attempted to lose weight within the last 12 months. Weight loss medications have reached the public eye in popular culture and practice. To be considered effective in a clinical trial by the FDA, the drug candidate must demonstrate a statistically significant difference in mean weight loss between the active product and placebo-treated group of at least five …

C. difficile: a dangerous bug takes hold in communities

Larry K. Kociolek, MD

Conditions

July 4, 2023

Carol Raye’s devastating Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) experience started with what she thought was a stomach bug after a dental visit. She took the antibiotics prescribed by her dentist and thought a weekend of rest would make her feel better. Soon, she was debilitated by the severe diarrhea from a C. difficile infection that left her weak, confused and barely able to get out of bed. Fortunately, she made it …

Navigating youth mental health [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 3, 2023

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

Join us for an insightful podcast episode with guest Eliza Humphreys, a pediatrician and certified life coach, as we explore the challenges faced by young teens and their families in navigating mental health issues. Through a poignant …

Unveiling the ever-evolving truth: a transformative journey beyond boundaries

Osmund Agbo, MD

Physician

July 3, 2023

Not too long ago, I found myself immersed in a profoundly thought-provoking encounter that ignited a cascade of reflections on the intricate interplay between truth, faith, and the essence of what we hold dear as our ultimate truth.

It was a casual evening spent with a group of friends, a mix of familiar faces, and some new acquaintances. Our host, a genuinely compassionate man, had inadvertently sparked an impassioned conversation on …

Fourth of July daredevil fireworks mishap: a tragic tale of loss and redemption

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

July 3, 2023

Jason had always cherished the Fourth of July—it was his moment to shine. At 19 years old, he saw himself as a real man, a car mechanic who garnered the attention and admiration of the ladies. With a fit and muscular physique, he relished his workouts and delighted in showcasing his daredevil spirit.

The day was marked by a grand cookout, where Jason reunited with his high school friends. The smoky …

Triathlete defies odds, qualifies for world championship after grueling half Ironman race

Dinesh Arab, MD

Physician

July 3, 2023

Rick Taylor was swimming the race of his life. The Virginia half-Ironman (70.3 miles) was underway, and Rick swam the 1.2-mile course in the Carvin Cove Reservoir in 30 minutes and 43 seconds, coming out of the water first in his age group at a blistering pace of 1 minute and 35 seconds per 100 m (1.36/100 m). What was more incredible was that his heart rate through that effort …

Unmasking physician burnout: a survivor’s story and solutions for a healthy medical profession

William Lynes, MD

Physician

July 3, 2023

I am a physician, a urologist, but what most people don’t know about me is that I am a survivor of mental illness, physician burnout, and multiple suicide attempts. Today, I write about the condition of the medical profession, its problem with burnout, and its solutions.

I began practicing general urology in 1987. My subsequent life as a physician can be divided into two very different eras. In the first era, …