An excerpt from Rearranged: An Opera Singer’s Facial Cancer And Life Transposed.
In the usual post-op haze after reconstructive surgery, in a wide-open, multi-bed recovery room partitioned by wavy muslin walls, I heard one strangled sentence rise above the racket of skittering curtain hooks.
“Honey, I’m a monster!”
My gaze swiveled toward a …
Exploring disfigurement and self-worth
For the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been proving itself as an effective tool in breast cancer screening. An ever-growing list of research studies has shown that using AI in mammography can safely and efficiently reduce patient wait times while reducing the pressure on in-demand radiologists.
This is significant, as early detection greatly improves patient outcomes and long-term survival. Imagine how much more significant it would be if AI …
AI is living up to its promise as a tool for radiology
The field of gastroenterology in the United States has undergone a significant transformation over the past 5 to 10 years, driven by a confluence of historical changes in training programs, changing demographics among GI doctors due to the relatively new specialty of GI endoscopy, and a dwindling supply of gastroenterologists. These factors have culminated in a notable impact on gastroenterology physician salaries and have raised important questions about the future …
The shifting landscape of gastroenterology manpower and compensation
As I pull into clinic, my intention is always the same: be fully present with each patient. By the time I’m two patients in, the reality is always different.
We’ve all read the mindfulness quotes about the virtues of being “in the moment,” but somewhere after the first couple visits of the day we face a decision—to shift our attention away from patients and toward the computer screen with the aspiration …
I’m tired of being a distracted doctor
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Join Cobin Soelberg, an anesthesiologist and financial planner. Discover the secrets to achieving financial independence as a physician, the importance of consistency in wealth-building, and the myriad paths to financial freedom. Gain valuable insights into managing your …
Diverse paths to financial freedom for doctors [PODCAST]
Years from now, the notion of simple telemedicine will seem quaint. Keep in mind that as recently as a decade ago, most physicians would have denied that telemedicine could ever play a role in the medical profession. Physicians would have argued that this would dismantle the fundamental unit of medical care – the in-person office visit.
Physicians would have rigidly maintained that they had to be face-to-face with their patients. Doctors …
AI-driven diagnostics and beyond
For those of us in the field of medicine, the differential diagnosis method is second nature. It involves considering a list of potential causes (differential diagnoses) for a patient’s symptoms and systematically narrowing down the possibilities through evaluation, testing, and clinical judgment. This method helps us arrive at the most likely diagnosis and, subsequently, the most appropriate treatment plan.
Now, let’s apply this concept to investing.
Symptom recognition in investing
In medicine, patients …
Applying the differential diagnosis method to investing
“My best friend was murdered while we were walking home from school.”
The once lively thirteen-year-old boy now slumped in the chair across from me, his words spilling out with newfound heaviness. As I looked at him during what was supposed to be a routine well-child check, I couldn’t shake the air of depression that suddenly choked the room. In the months that followed, I received a call from his school: …
Pediatricians grapple with guns in America, from Band-Aids to bullets
Americans die younger than people living in other wealthy nations. A lot younger. That’s been the case since the early 1980s, and it’s getting worse. A lot worse. Since 1980, 13.1 million American lives have been lost relative to other wealthy nations.
Did we even see this in the news? The entire population of the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area lost in a little over 40 years. Over 2 million were …
13.1 million missing Americans since 1980. Where’s the outrage?
Inpatients require surgical procedures, raising the question of whether these procedures should be scheduled as elective or emergent. Traditionally, surgeries were deemed emergencies solely when there were physical, psychological, or rarely, spiritual imperatives, necessitating immediate action to avert irrevocable harm to patients’ bodies, minds, and souls. Now, the debate centers on whether surgical procedures can be considered emergencies to mitigate socioeconomic risks. These risks could lead to profound and lasting …
Surgical procedures for inpatients: Addressing socioeconomic urgencies
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Join Eleanor Menzin, a pediatrician, to explore the intricate dance of motherhood and medicine. In this heartfelt discussion, we delve into her personal journey, navigating the dual roles of a working parent and health care professional. From …
Balancing motherhood and medicine [PODCAST]
One in five adults in the U.S. suffers from chronic pain. We see these patients every day—but do we really hear them when they confide in us about their pain?
As health care providers, no matter our discipline, we can do more to truly listen and consider the best referral pathway for pain sufferers. We should never assume they’re making it up, that it’s in their heads, or that nothing …
Are we doing enough to help chronic pain sufferers?
In the demanding world of health care, physicians often dedicate their lives to patient care and burdensome administrative work, leaving little time to navigate the intricacies of their compensation and how it has stayed the same over the years. Many physicians unknowingly leave significant sums of money on the table, uncertain about how to maximize their earnings.
A goal for all physicians should be to understand their true market value. You …
Unlocking your full earning potential: a physician’s journey to a $70,000 salary boost
Albert Einstein determined that time is relative. And when it comes to health care, five years can be both a long and a short amount of time.
In August 2018, I launched the Fixing Healthcare podcast. At the time, the medium felt like the perfect auditory companion to the books and articles I’d been writing. By bringing on world-renowned guests and engaging in difficult but meaningful discussions, I hoped the show would have …
Health care wins, losses, and lessons
There is an alarming health crisis happening in the U.S.–– Black women are dying at a disproportionate rate during pregnancy and childbirth.
According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. Though childbirth complications are not exclusive to Black women, these shocking statistics underscore systemic challenges and distinct issues that other racial groups may not encounter. These …
I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth
Recently, after a week of a viral illness that I most likely picked up from one of my patients as a pediatrician, I noticed that one side of my tongue felt as though I had dental anesthesia. During the day, this slowly progressed, but as night came, the progression rapidly intensified with my lips and eyelids on this same side now drooping. While I suspected Bell’s palsy, considering that I’m …
Lessons taught by Bell’s palsy
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Join Samuel Shem, a renowned novelist, playwright, activist, Rhodes Scholar, and professor in medical humanities at NYU School of Medicine. We’ll dive into his latest novel, Our Hospital, which marks the culmination of The Healing Quartet, spanning …
Samuel Shem on 50 years of American medicine [PODCAST]
It was during my general surgery rotation that I had an encounter with a urologist attending while waiting for pending surgery to occur. As we made small talk about the medical field, our conversation gravitated toward the topic of medical school admissions. The attending shared their opinion on the pressing issue of diversity among medical students, specifically in terms of socioeconomic status (SES). They discussed how the lack of representation …
The role of income in medical school acceptance
Wait times to find high-quality mental health support continue to be an issue, lagging from weeks to months in, leading to primary care physicians (PCPs) assuming a large role in addressing the pressing shortage of mental health services. Acting as the point of entry into the mental health care system, PCPs are encountering patients with complex mental health challenges who are often unable to secure appointments with specialists for …
Ketamine for mental health conditions: What every primary care physician needs to know
Since the pandemic, the shortage of behavioral health professionals has become more dire as the need for more comprehensive mental health care has increased. As of March 2023, 160 million Americans lived in areas with mental health professional shortages. 55% of counties in the U.S. have no psychiatrists, and 77% report a severe shortage.
In some states, such as Maine, there was a 50% drop in the number of …
Maximizing care amidst provider shortages: the power of measurement-based care
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