The first day I came to the liver service, I met Mr. S, who was struggling with complications of liver disease. In the long term, he required a TIPS procedure that would better distribute his abdominal pressure and eventually a liver transplant. He was at high risk for the procedure and was struggling to maintain the fluid restriction necessary to prepare him for it.
Mr. S was entirely despondent when I …
When I was an OB/GYN intern, I made the mistake of admitting that I was able to get a short nap during my night shift. I was immediately met with comments that made it clear that rest during downtime was not something to be proud of. I felt so ashamed that once I became an attending, I was always afraid to admit when I had a relatively “easy” call shift …
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Join us for an insightful podcast episode as we delve into the significance of cultural competency training for physicians in providing health care for LGBTQ+ individuals. Our guest, Michael Pessman, a gerontologist, shares his expertise on the …
He was 82 years old when he came into our ER, writhing in excruciating abdominal pain. After an ultrasound and a subsequent CT scan, the devastating diagnosis was revealed—end stage pancreatic and liver cancer.
Despite enduring a pain level of 10, he managed to maintain his sense of humor, joking about “biting the bullet.” However, he admitted that the pain had become unbearable.
This resilient individual was not just any patient; he …
Imagine not being able to fully feel a hug from your loved ones.
Not being able to feel your baby’s head nuzzled against your chest.
Feeling like a part of your body doesn’t belong to you.
These side effects are common following a mastectomy—and often permanent. Chest numbness is the result of nerves being cut during a mastectomy. When the severed nerves are not reconnected, they cannot transmit a signal to the brain, …
Although it could be said that I’ve been very “unlucky” over the past couple of years due to surgeries and treatments for three separate cancers, I feel blessed by how “lucky” I have been to have had a combination of outstanding doctors.
Dealing with ongoing medical issues, as a health care professional, I fully appreciate the challenges facing patients and physicians alike in the current health care climate.
Thank you, doctors, for …
Over a million intelligent American physicians are walking around in the medical practice environment today, patting themselves on the back while believing they have reached their ultimate success in medical practice. They have absolutely no idea that they have never come close to their optimal potential. It’s a tragedy that has been disregarded yet tolerated by medical school scholars and administrators for at least the last century.
What every physician should …
Emotional intelligence (EI) represents an essential suite of abilities that dictate our capacity to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others. This skill set significantly influences our decision-making process, conflict resolution abilities, empathy towards others, and how we handle stress. EI plays a fundamental role in entrepreneurship and forms the bedrock of successful leadership, effective team dynamics, and robust client relationships.
Pioneered by psychologist Daniel Goleman, …
Value-based care (VBC) holds the opportunity to re-create partnerships designed to increase health care sustainability by strategically improving processes, care delivery, and patient outcomes. However, the potential of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Triple Aim framework will never be optimized until the major stakeholders are identified, connected by a common goal, and willing to participate equally. Thus, the movement toward VBC delivery models is found mainly in …
I was doing laundry last week when my engagement ring snagged on a shirt. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the four prongs holding the diamond in place was sticking up and on the verge of breaking.
Quickly, I took off the ring and placed it in a safe spot, relieved that it hadn’t accidentally gone down the drain.
Shortly after, a …
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Join us for a thought-provoking podcast episode as we dive into the critical topic of mental health and suicide among health care providers. Our guests, Jessica Singh, an experienced emergency physician, and Lorenzo Norris, a psychiatrist, provide …
An excerpt from Mindful MD: 6 Ways Mindfulness Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout.
For Mira, the inner chatter started when her alarm buzzed at 5:15 a.m.—and it was anything but calm and friendly. When she didn’t get out of bed to exercise: I’m such a slug. Why …
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Each day, as an internal medicine specialist who practices primary care, I care for patients who are experiencing the brunt of climate change. These patients have various medical conditions due to different causes. However, it is evident that greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, extreme weather, and heat-related illnesses are major contributors to the development and worsening of chronic medical conditions in the adult population. Electronic health record (EHR) systems are …
You are called by the bedside nurse that your patient arrived on the floor from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). The nurse tells you that the patient was delirious and agitated after anesthesia, pulled out their IVs, and was sedated by the PACU team. They are …
I never envisioned a business trip could result in a diagnosis of a rare, under-practiced, poorly understood, and emerging chronic inflammatory breast disease affecting 2.4 women per 100,000 and growing. Two months after my return from that business trip, I started experiencing a multitude of symptoms, including breast pain. During a self-breast exam, I discovered a lump. Wasting no time, I called my primary care physician, who ordered both a …
I’ve spoken at many medical conferences since co-founding the Peggy Lillis Foundation for C. diff Education & Advocacy following my mother’s death from a C. difficile infection in 2010. Unfortunately, I am often the only patient advocate. The pressure of representing patients in a group of hundreds of clinicians, scientists, and administrators can be intimidating. But for the most part, I have always felt welcome and valued.
One of my favorites …
It is challenging to open a medical journal in any specialty without coming across an article on burnout. These articles present statistics, trends, and various causes in detail. Some even propose sensible solutions such as flexible scheduling, peer support, delegation of clerical work, and an increased focus on personal well-being activities as steps in the right direction.
I have previously emphasized that “the absence of burnout does not equal wellness,” …
A lot of my patients take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They generally work pretty well for their intended use. By limiting the secretion of gastric acid from the stomach, they can effectively blunt uncomfortable symptoms of erosive gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, H. pylori infection, and peptic ulcers. However, without further evaluation, these medications are not designed to be prescribed indefinitely, or for more than a two-month period. When patients experience …
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