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
Firefighters and doctors stand beside you on your worst days. On our best days, we help you sidestep disaster. On our worst days, we make gruesome decisions, so you don’t have to.
Andrea’s family barely survived the pandemic. Her husband lost his job and her beloved grandmother lost her life. But after years of setbacks, today was move-in day.
The seaside bungalow was not as big as she’d hoped, but still perfect. …
Unthinkable choices in childbirth emergencies
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Join Anjani Mahabashya, a physician advisor, as she shares her remarkable journey from hospitalist to her current role. Discover how hope, networking, and empathy played pivotal roles in her transformation. Explore the power of compassionate leadership in …
How compassionate leadership saved this physician [PODCAST]
How many rabbits have you seen with crooked teeth? How about bears or dogs? Why are humans the only mammals with crooked teeth?
An orofacial myofunctional disorder, or OMD, describes abnormal lip, jaw, or tongue positions during rest, swallowing, or speech. There are many distinct points at which a child or adult’s system may experience a breakdown, leading to subsequent events known as craniofacial sequences. Allowing these events to persist without …
The link between orofacial myofunctional disorders and dental health
Physicians are struggling with challenges navigating the health care system while trying to provide the best possible care for their patients. Sometimes, struggles at work are compounded by struggles at home as we all face stressors during our travel through life; doctors are no exception.
Many physicians who went through a period of burnout have sought and are seeking help. They are feeling hope for the future. I asked three physicians …
A message of hope for physicians
Several years ago, I cared for a young man who crashed his motorcycle at highway speeds. He arrived, slightly dazed, with a few broken bones. Because he was wearing a full-face helmet, he had sustained only a concussion. The paramedics brought in his helmet as they often do, this one with the metal side buffed down to the inner plastic cushion from the grinding contact with the asphalt. Had he …
Motorcycle helmet laws: Balancing freedom and financial impact
I am struck by how often crying is overlooked or trivialized by doctors despite its therapeutic value and need for recognition. Crying can play a significant role in healing and overall well-being. Research has shown that crying serves as an emotional release, provides pain relief, reduces stress, improves mood, and enhances communication. Encouraging a culture of acceptance and understanding around crying in medical settings can contribute to holistic and empathetic …
Crying to be heard: women in emotional pain
Though often described as friendly and a great team player, I sometimes find myself harboring strong opinions. When pushed, my personality occasionally veers towards the rebellious. I disdain formal meetings, struggle with office politics, and lack the art of flattery. These qualities collectively render me less than an ideal candidate for any conventional employment, or so I surmise.
Antecedent to the culmination of my residency and fellowship, a pivotal decision crystallized …
From aversion to office politics to embracing independence
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Join Vickie Leff and Terry Altilio, both palliative care social workers, as we delve into their book, Mirrors and Windows: Reflections on the Journey in Serious Illness Practice, which offers a profound exploration of the experiences of health care professionals, including palliative social workers, in the world …
Empathy and compassion in palliative care [PODCAST]
Recent op-eds have questioned medical billing and doctors’ pay, as both seemed high. Medical “greed” has become more apparent in the past two decades and has been well highlighted by two of my Dartmouth MPH Professors, Elliot Fisher, MD and Thom Walsh, PhD, DPT. Dr. Fisher has documented that higher billings compound the U.S. health care crisis, including medical debt, and …
Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed
“Ms. Smith is going to the MICU,” the resident on the other end of the line informs me. My stomach tightens as that visceral sense of guilt and frustration sets in, familiar by now but this time with a newfound intensity. It is my second week as an attending physician during my chief residency year, and Ms. Smith will now be the first patient transferred to the intensive care unit …
Navigating medical decision-making: Embracing limits and growth
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
Whether you are the dying or the caregiver, living life to the fullest remains your goal, but somedays it’s just too darn hard. When you are so busy that it doesn’t seem you have time to take a breath, where does living …
Three nurses are at the nurses’ station. Two are talking about managing a patient’s pain, and a third, Donna, is reviewing a patient’s lab results and finding it difficult to concentrate.
Which is Donna’s best statement?
1) Shhh, stop talking!
2) I’m frustrated with your talking. It’s hard to concentrate, and I’d appreciate it if you would quiet down.
Answer: It depends on the relationships and Donna’s preferences. If Donna has a positive history …
The importance of “I statements” in health care settings
In 2022, over 500,000 people in the United States found themselves homeless, without a permanent shelter to offer a sense of stability in their lives. This poses a far-reaching problem for the individuals who find themselves in this situation, but also for our society as a whole.
Homelessness can be caused by a combination of factors, such as poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, mental and substance disorders, trauma,, and violence, …
Chronic health issues and homelessness
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Join Lee Scheinbart, a medical oncologist, as he shares his transformative experience during the height of the COVID pandemic. Discover the power of intrinsic motivation, advocacy, and empathy in health care. In this episode, we delve into the lessons learned from a …
Transformative lessons from a pandemic experience [PODCAST]
I recall a particularly tense interaction on my surgery rotation in medical school. The sub-intern on our team, a dedicated classmate of mine, was instructed to carry the call pager one Friday afternoon, to the undue chagrin of the team’s nurse practitioner. With an irritable toss of her blonde hair, eyes rolling with exasperation, the NP snappily handed off the pager to our sub-intern. “Ugh, this is going to slow …
Balancing tension and kindness in medical education
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