Fighting for life: inside an emergency room during a medical crisis

Conditions
April 16, 2023

The emergency room was bustling with activity as the medical staff worked to stabilize the patient, who was lying unconscious on a hospital bed. His wife sat anxiously by his side, tears streaming down her face.

It wasn’t the first time 70-year-old Mr. Smith had been to the emergency room. His past medical history included high blood pressure and cholesterol, but his non-compliant attitude towards medication had put him at risk. …

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Healing the healer: How physicians can overcome the struggle of caring [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 15, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us in this insightful podcast episode as we welcome Karen Leitner, an internal medicine-pediatrics physician and life coach, to discuss the unique challenges physicians face when their loved ones need medical care. Karen shares her personal …

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Why weight loss drugs are not the answer to obesity

Conditions
April 15, 2023

Drugs that cause weight to melt away sound more tempting than chocolate cake, but weight loss drugs won’t cure obesity. And that’s OK, because obesity isn’t a disease to be cured. Obesity is just a risk factor for more important risk factors. Fat people are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, conditions that can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes – but it’s …

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An anesthesiologist’s story: Going beyond the protocol to save a life

Physician
April 15, 2023

I was waiting for my son at the ice rink in one of Chicago’s northern suburbs. Hundreds of people had gathered to watch the Illinois State Championship games. A parent, who knew I was an anesthesiologist, grabbed me by the elbow and said, “Hey, Doc, someone in the lobby is not feeling well.”

I went to the lobby, where I saw my firefighter friend performing chest compressions (CPR) on an older …

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The true value and power of respect is too often undervalued

Conditions
April 15, 2023

Everyone recognizes that respect is essential in critical relationships with colleagues, patients, their families, and others. So why should the topic deserve closer scrutiny?

Seven Ways to Fix Policing NOW: Building Trust, Authentic Partnerships, and Safe Communities was authored by Kathleen O’Toole and my colleague Robert Peirce. They describe why a Chicago detective had such an exceptional gift for handling even the most fraught situations.

He explained that “everyone was born a …

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Professional creep in medicine challenged by AI: How ChatGPT is revolutionizing medical diagnosis

Tech
April 15, 2023

Professional “creep” refers to the phenomenon where the responsibilities and expectations of a particular profession gradually expand beyond their original scope and begins to overlap with other professions. This can occur due to various factors, such as technological changes, societal expectations shifts, and personal and financial gains. Professional creep can be both positive and negative.

Goodbye, WebMD … and hello, ChatGPT!

As physicians, we are accustomed to hearing from our patients about …

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The rise and dark side of fungi: Exploring health benefits and pathogenic threats

Meds
April 15, 2023

Fungi have a well-deserved surge in popularity. More mushroom varieties have found their way to grocery store shelves, shopping lists, and food blogs. Mushroom foraging is a trending activity as people endeavor to connect to nature. There is a growing market of mushroom coffee shops touting health-related boosts and “medicinal fungi” being sold as herbal teas and supplements. Innovative products have hit the market, from …

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Physician and nursing shortages: How AI can help [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 14, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, we talk with Harvey Castro, a physician and health care consultant, about how artificial intelligence (AI) can help tackle the physician and nursing shortages in the United States. We discuss the contributing factors behind …

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Rural America’s health care crisis: Unmasking the physician shortage epidemic

Physician
April 14, 2023

Data published in 2021 by the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could experience a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2033. Rural America is struggling, as the majority of graduate training facilities are disproportionately located in metropolitan areas. This geographic imbalance directs doctors and residents away from already underserved and marginalized populations, leading to poorer health care access and increased morbidity and mortality rates. …

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The invisible epidemic: How physician burnout is affecting the medical community

Physician
April 14, 2023

Physicians dedicate their lives to the well-being of their patients, often neglecting their mental health in the process. The demanding nature of their profession, coupled with long hours, emotional exhaustion, and immense responsibility, can result in physician burnout, depression, anxiety, and even suicide. In this article, we will discuss the importance of mental health and self-care for physicians and provide some actionable …

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Why physicians are losing autonomy

Physician
April 14, 2023

There are difficult issues confronting physicians generally, regardless of whether they are primary care physicians or specialists or employed or in private practice. The list is long and growing as more and more requirements, costs, mandates, and regulations are being inflicted in an environment of decreasing compensation. All of these lend to the rapidly lost freedom and autonomy for a medical profession where these are foundational.

It seems clear that the …

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Physicians take a stand against anti-LGBT laws: a call to action

Policy
April 14, 2023

In the 1970s, my brother and I were raised as twins. He’s a year older than me, but we wore matching denim outfits, had thick side-parted hair, and worshiped The Beatles. Near identical though we were, only one of us was queer. And America was lying in wait.

When I was a toddler, the American Psychiatric Association de-pathologized homosexuality, but nearly 40 percent of its members fought that decision. Many of …

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United by medicine: a journey of friendship, success, and the power of character [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 13, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us in this episode as we dive into the incredible bond between Sharyar Baradaran, a periodontist, and Arya Shamie, an orthopedic surgeon. Despite their different religious backgrounds and specializations, these two childhood friends from Iran have …

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Doctors: We must fight against frivolous lawsuits

Physician
April 13, 2023

Lawyers assert that they never file a frivolous lawsuit. All malpractice claims are legitimate because there is a reasonable suspicion of fault when a case is filed.

On January 21, 2022, at 11:40 a.m., I received a call from my attorney, who represented me in a frivolous malpractice lawsuit, informing me that I was unconditionally dismissed. I never doubted that dismissal with prejudice was inevitable.

For a lawyer, a …

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Strategies for effective patient communication: a guide for physicians with the aid of ChatGPT

Tech
April 13, 2023

Effective communication is the cornerstone of the patient-doctor relationship, fostering trust, empathy, and understanding between both parties. As a physician, honing your communication skills helps to facilitate accurate diagnoses and treatment plans and improves patient satisfaction and adherence to medical recommendations. This article will explore strategies to help you communicate more effectively with your patients as a health care professional and discuss …

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Why doctors are experts at dissociating

Physician
April 13, 2023

When you think of the word dissociate, it likely conjures up images of someone stumbling up a beach with no recollection of their life before being washed up on shore. Sure, dissociative amnesia is a (rare) phenomenon. But dissociating is not.

In fact, doctors are trained to do it.

When I was in clerkship in Toronto, Canada – I started working night shifts. Learning to ignore my body’s signals that it was …

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Physicians: Don’t believe these career transition myths

Physician
April 13, 2023

Are you a physician looking to explore nonclinical career options and make a fresh start? While the thought of transitioning away from your current job might be daunting, these five myths about career transition should not hold you back – there are actually many opportunities available for advancing professionals like yourself who have the courage to seize them. By shifting our perspective on traditional notions of success and progression, we …

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Hospitalsplaining: a lawyer’s perspective on condescension in the medical field

Finance
April 13, 2023

It will come as no surprise to anyone reading my articles that hospitals can be extremely condescending to physicians. As a physician’s lawyer who spends his days reviewing and negotiating physician employment agreements, I am also frequently “treated” to this phenomenon.

My firm has coined the phrase “hospitalsplaining” to describe how hospitals routinely talk down to physicians and their lawyers. A recent example illustrates the problem nicely.

We were reviewing a …

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Psychological safety: the unspoken key to health care success [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 12, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, we are joined by clinical psychologist and health systems leadership consultant, Nicola F. De Paul, to discuss the importance of psychological safety in health care environments. Nicola shares her personal experience of addressing psychological …

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