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Locum tenens agreements for physicians

Conditions

August 7, 2023

Locum tenens agreements can be useful to physicians in many circumstances. In addition to serving as a way to supplement your income during vacations, physicians often enter locum tenens agreements between jobs, to provide income while waiting for interviews or for credentialing to be completed at a new position.

In many ways, reviewing a locum tenens agreement is similar to reviewing a physician employment agreement, but there are unique aspects to …

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Locum tenens agreements for physicians

Discovering healing through storytelling

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

August 7, 2023

Many arise each day with a scenario of expectations to be achieved. For those individuals of working age, some of these expectations revolve around our jobs, put into place by our employers over which we have little to no control. But what about those narratives, those stories, that we tell ourselves in the middle of the night or the ones that pop into our heads in the middle of the …

The untold struggles of a surgical fellow

Mohini Dasari, MD

Physician

August 7, 2023

My experiences with mental illness have been intimately tied with my experiences of being a surgical trainee. If you read my medical chart, you will see diagnoses like postpartum depression, generalized anxiety, and adjustment disorder. If you read my residency rotation reviews, you will read descriptors like “hardworking,” “reliable,” and “good team leader.” You would not guess that I almost quit residency less than a year from graduating because I …

Providing care to conflicting beliefs [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 6, 2023

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join Tyler Jorgensen, an emergency medicine and palliative care physician, and discover the profound insights he shares on the value of home visits in patient care. Explore the complexities of handling challenging situations, such as encountering conflicting …

Improving patient and population health insight through next-generation tokenization of real-world data

Adam Mariano, Esq., MSPH

Tech

August 6, 2023

Big Data in health care has the potential to drastically improve patient-level insights when combined with personalized patient data. Understanding a patient’s whole health journey is critical to conducting impactful research, making the right diagnosis, clinical decision support, and securing health equity for individuals and communities; however, the ability to uncover actionable insights from Big Data can prove to be elusive. To harness the full potential of Big Data, stakeholders …

Kaiser-Geisinger vs. Amazon, Walmart, CVS: Who will reign supreme?

Robert Pearl, MD

Policy

August 6, 2023

For decades, research studies and news stories have concluded the American system is ineffective, too expensive and falling further behind its international peers in important measures of performance: life expectancy, chronic-disease management and incidence of medical error.

As patients and health care professionals search for viable alternatives to the status quo, a recent mega-merger is raising new questions about the future of medicine.

In April, Read more…

Kaiser-Geisinger vs. Amazon, Walmart, CVS: Who will reign supreme?

Pain and laughter for a veteran patient

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Physician

August 6, 2023

Mr. Sampson, a 70-year-old man with a history of diabetes, was referred to us by his primary care physician for nerve conduction studies. He had been experiencing increasing numbness in his right hand for the past year and had recently started having trouble playing his beloved guitar. As a Vietnam War veteran, he had a fascinating story to tell.

As I approached him in the waiting room, he greeted me with …

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Pain and laughter for a veteran patient

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and regenerative injection therapy [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 5, 2023

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join Francisco M. Torres, an interventional physiatrist, and Felix S. Linetsky, a pain management physician, as they delve into the world of chronic pain and its often misunderstood connection to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). They discuss the challenges …

How doctors prioritize family and career with “physician third”

Stephen J. Foley

Education

August 5, 2023

As I reflect on the concept of work-life “balance,” I realize that trying to integrate clinical and home responsibilities may feel like a juggling act while unicycling on a high wire. Instead, what we need is work-life “stability”; the reassuring feeling that we are firmly planted on solid ground. To achieve this, it is crucial to be three-dimensional, with three meaningful passions supporting our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

No one …

How junk food marketers exploit children’s impact on family food choices

Monique Potvin Kent, PhD

Policy

August 5, 2023

Would you let a clown influence what brand of car you buy? How about choosing your household appliances based on the advice of a cartoon bird or tiger?

Probably not. But young people in your family will likely let cartoons and mascots influence where your family eats out or what cereal you buy – indeed, many of your food purchases. Those choices and many others like them will, in turn, affect …

From burnout to brilliance: How one doctor found balance

Dr. Rida Jawed

Physician

August 5, 2023

During my five-year journey as an emergency medicine physician, I have experienced the adrenaline rush and ever-changing dynamics of the emergency department. Each shift offers a chance to make a meaningful impact on those around me. However, the demanding nature of this work can sometimes challenge my motivation, making it difficult to ensure that every shift is a great one.

Throughout the years, I’ve learned some essential rules that help me …

What teens and parents need to know about nose jobs [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 4, 2023

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join Babak Azizzadeh, a facial plastic surgeon, in discussing the sensitive topic of getting a nose job, or rhinoplasty, particularly for teenagers. We delve into the importance of thorough research, honest communication with parents, and understanding the …

Embracing the Asclepion: a call for authenticity in medical symbolism

Martin C. Young, MD

Physician

August 4, 2023

At the heart of the City of London sits an imposing building with massive brass front doors. Emblazoned and embossed on both doors is a symbol – the Caduceus, which in the U.S. is associated with medicine and health care. But why is it on the doors of the Bank of England, the second-largest repository of gold in the world?

Historically, the Caduceus was the staff of Hermes/Mercury, the patron of …

Painful physician burnout truths

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

August 4, 2023

Every week, there is a new article or blog about physician burnout. According to Business Wire, nearly half (49 percent) of U.S. physicians reported burnout in 2023, up slightly from 2022 (45 percent). It’s the same ideas rehashed repeatedly – doctors are worn out, drowning in paperwork, suffering due to insurance restrictions, and considering early retirement. Even more tragically, some doctors are dying by suicide. It is estimated that …

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Painful physician burnout truths

The physician’s crucial role in combating climate change

Megan McLaughlin

Policy

August 4, 2023

Jet skis on the highway and sharks in the street: these are some of the images that may come to mind when you remember the record-breaking flash floods that occurred in Fort Lauderdale in April of 2023. Due to global warming, lethal weather such as this is becoming more common across the globe, and it is taking the lives of our patients. One of the largest contributors to the …

Examining the changing definition of medicine in health care

Rebekah Bernard, MD

Physician

August 4, 2023

An excerpt from Imposter Doctors: Patients at Risk.

On December 17, 2020, television network WGN America featured the book Patients at Risk: The Rise of the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant in Healthcare in a news segment entitled, “Families sound alarm on medical transparency after deaths of their children.” …

A physician’s rewarding medical missions [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 3, 2023

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!

Join David Alfery, a cardiac anesthesiologist and author of Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors about Life, Death, and the Balance in Between. David recounts a transformative moment from his medical mission trip to Nicaragua, where …

Juggling medicine and motherhood: a doctor’s journey

Eleanor Menzin, MD

Physician

August 3, 2023

When my children were in preschool, parents often commented at school events that they did not know I worked or was a physician. I never knew how to handle that double-edged sword. Ostensibly a compliment, their surprise at a working parent’s presence at school felt like an insult; their shock over my medical life cast doubt on my professionalism. I smiled benignly and changed the subject.

For years, I worked in …

Doctor burnout: the impact of financial fragility

Amarish Dave, DO

Finance

August 3, 2023

Feeling burned out is often a function of financial fragility. How is that possible when most doctors earn incomes in the top 1 percent?

I am both a physician and involved in finance. As physicians, we often start our careers under significant debt, start our careers at an older age, and start with less savings than many of our friends who are professionals in other industries. Starting our careers at this …

Creating an inclusive medical culture

Atithi Patel

Education

August 3, 2023

“We want you all to do better,” said the presenter to the medical students, as if only the next generation can enact change … the next time around. This session is one of many aimed at making the culture of medicine more inclusive and collaborative—less hierarchical and less patriarchal.

Medicine has a longstanding history of hazing those lower on the totem pole with scut work and authority. Unfortunately, this breeds the …

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Creating an inclusive medical culture