Why is being a patient a difficult pill to swallow?

Physician
May 20, 2023

While being treated for an aggressive hematologic cancer, the former head of a department of medicine at a large teaching hospital told me he wished he could hang a sign on his headboard, reading P-I-P: Previously-Important-Person. Despite extraordinary achievements, skills, credentials, and status, being a patient made him feel like an amalgam of parts; limbs, bodily fluids, organs, and orifices, all now suspect, some more wayward than others — and …

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A unique method for managing chronic bowel conditions, treating fecal impaction, and preparing for colonoscopy procedures

Conditions
May 20, 2023

Fecal impaction and severe chronic constipation can have significant consequences on patients’ mortality, morbidity, psychosocial well-being, and health care costs. It is especially prevalent among the elderly and individuals with neurogenic bowel disorders. The condition can lead to life-threatening complications like bowel obstruction, intestinal perforation, fecal incontinence, and urinary retention.

Traditional treatments for fecal impaction and severe constipation include lifestyle changes, fiber supplementation, laxatives, suppositories, enemas, and digital stimulation. However, …

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The 4 stages of suicidal ideation: a physician’s experience with burnout and self-compassion

Conditions
May 20, 2023

I am a physician, a urologist, and a survivor of multiple suicide attempts related to physician burnout. In dealing with my psychopathology, I experienced a devolution in my mental status, culminating in suicidal behavior. I can remember the exact moment when I acknowledged that suicide was a possible solution to my problems. At one moment, I felt revulsion at the idea of suicide but crossed over to accept it. This …

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Mastering career transitions in the medical field: tips from a health care attorney [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 19, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, our guest Amanda Hill, a health care attorney, shares insights on navigating career transitions in the medical profession. Whether you’re burned out, seeking new challenges, or dealing with personal or health issues, leaving …

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How embracing mistakes and finding self-compassion can bring more joy and growth into your life

Physician
May 19, 2023

How do we react to them? For ourselves or maybe when kids make them. We will all make them, so we might as well make the best of it and realize they are learning and growth opportunities.

I was recently a guest on the podcast Thrive State which I was so excited about because I am a huge fan of the host and the podcast. It has many followers on social …

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Finding hope and relief: a physical therapist’s journey with chronic pain and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

Conditions
May 19, 2023

The day Ann entered my clinic, I had already been practicing pain management for over ten years. A 40-something physical therapist, she had a warm smile, a positive attitude—and chronic pain in every part of her back.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ann had been inspired to go into physical therapy to help her family members who suffered from severe chronic pain to the point of disability. However, to her dismay, upon graduating …

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Stop saying you “are OCD” if you don’t have OCD

Conditions
May 19, 2023

When people (especially women) are highly organized, hyper-focused, and efficient they often label themselves (or are labeled by others) as OCD. In essence, “being OCD” is a superpower that leaves us with clean houses, well-manicured appearances, and detail-oriented work products. A person might even flaunt their “OCD personality” as a positive in an interview. But, saying you “are OCD” takes away from the very real anxiety that people who “have …

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Revolutionizing physician work: Embracing location-independent careers and professional micro-corporations for autonomy and success

Physician
May 19, 2023

There was a time when one doctor worked one job in one geographic location where he/she was altruistically dedicated to serving a population in the practice of medicine.

For years this idea of working one job in one location was anchored within the private practice model which then gave way to the traditional employment model. The latter offered a parallel promise of a stable and long-term medical practice in one location—with …

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5 myths of treating sickle cell disease with automated red blood cell exchange

Conditions
May 19, 2023

Not all transfusion therapies are the same.

Unlike other transfusion therapies, automated red blood cell exchange (RBCX) efficiently and rapidly removes a patient’s hemoglobin S (HbS)-containing RBCs and replaces them with healthy RBCs. You may be surprised to learn that there are a few misperceptions surrounding automated RBCX. How do you think about automated RBCX today?

Myth #1: RBCX is only for acute patients

Reality: Automated RBCX is recommended by …

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From stroke survivor to mental health advocate: one cardiologist’s journey to recovery [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 18, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us in this episode as we talk to Mike Campsey, an interventional cardiologist who shares his inspiring journey of resilience and recovery after suffering from a massive stroke. Hear his advice on what stroke victims and …

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Inside the psychiatric unit: a PhD’s god-like status, ECT, and the harsh reality of mental illness treatment

Conditions
May 18, 2023

PhD, the big man on the psych unit’s eighth floor, puffed on his pipe while listening to the dialogue of the broken, misfits, psychotics, schizophrenics, and bipolar patients. Many were beaten at birth, both physically and emotionally. In this land of serpents, he felt like a god. He’d select patients one by one for ECT, electroconvulsive therapy, with electrodes attached to their heads and a mouthpiece in place. They were …

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The ABCs of parenting an LGBTQ+ child

Physician
May 18, 2023

Today’s politicians have gone amok with their unchecked and uninformed rhetoric and have decided to turn a blind eye to the new number-one killer of children in America. They have chosen to focus on matters that don’t matter, such as my child’s gender.

Supportive families like mine are persecuted daily, and affirming physicians like me are being threatened with the worst nightmare of any physician: the loss of our license to …

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Why a business education is essential for financial stability and cutting-edge medical care

Finance
May 18, 2023

Physicians today are being flooded with information about finding the best ways to increase their practice incomes. Secondary employment may be appropriate for desperate physicians in financial distress, but the usual short-term nature of such employment is shrouded with low income, covering unexpected hours outside agreements, weekends working, management issues, and being labeled as the “fill-in” doctor.

I say that because I worked at the local Planned Parenthood clinic for a …

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How I overcame a heart attack and health challenges with the help of faith, family, and skilled doctors

Conditions
May 18, 2023

I stood outside in my yard, which had been dormant during the winter season and was now awakening to the spring. Yard work was a familiar and enjoyable activity for me, one that I had been doing for years. But as I walked across the yard, I found myself out of breath and fatigued, to the point of needing to see if taking a nap would help. It did not. …

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From cancer survivor to health care advocate: a touching tribute to an irreplaceable radiologist [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 17, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us on this emotional episode as we hear the touching story of a patient’s journey with cancer and the irreplaceable radiologist who played a crucial role in her care. Our guest Kim Downey, a physical therapist …

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Adapting to health care’s financial maze: Anesthesiologists tackle AI, competition, and soaring costs

Physician
May 17, 2023

In the health care business, as in other industries, there are marginalized and privileged payers. The number of patients covered determines which health care payers can sell at wholesale pricing, benefiting themselves while expecting providers and institutions to make up for lower reimbursements with patient volume. Uninsured patients typically pay retail prices unless they can secure rare waivers from providers or institutions. These waivers are uncommon due to the complex …

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The myth of wealthy doctors: Why business education is vital for every physician

Finance
May 17, 2023

“Money makes the world go ’round.”

Whether you believe this this figurative adage or not, it is a hard truth. Money is ubiquitous; it pervades everyday life. And money is the cornerstone of business. So I’m shocked to hear “pretty much nothing” when I ask residents what they’re taught about business and money these days.

Not to insult anyone’s intelligence, but I’ll venture an assumption. If you are a medical student, resident, …

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Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

Physician
May 17, 2023

For years, I have tried to interest journalists in the machinations of state medical boards, but all we ever see in the media are notices of doctors sanctioned by state boards. Unfortunately, when journalists report only on sanctioned physicians, the public has little understanding of how medical boards really function.

So, I am delighted to see Scott Jensen go after the Minnesota Board of Medicine (MNBOMP) for singling him out time …

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Why perfect parenting is a myth and how choosing love over judgment can save your teen’s future

Physician
May 17, 2023

As a new parent you look at your baby with a bright full future ahead of them. So much potential there swaddled in your arms. You look at parents of troubled teenagers and secretly look down on them; your perfect baby will never do anything like that. They must be poor parents. Too easy on their teenager. Not enough structure in the house, no rules or oversight. There is no …

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