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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 …
A physician’s rewarding medical missions [PODCAST]
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 …
Juggling medicine and motherhood: a doctor’s journey
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 …
Doctor burnout: the impact of financial fragility
“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 …
Creating an inclusive medical culture
Dealing with a toxic person close to you is traumatic, draining, and upsetting. My older sister is a toxic person, and I endured her behavior for over 40 years. I recommend making a clean break from a toxic person around the holidays and birthdays when their behavior is at its worst. You may blame yourself for tolerating the behavior for so long. For the longest time, I blamed myself for …
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Alan Lindemann, an obstetrics-gynecology physician, exposes the overlooked side of state medical boards. Join us as we shed light on the damage done to physicians and patients. Discover the need for transparency, accountability, and improved oversight to …
A physician versus his state medical board [PODCAST]
Separately, we discovered many of the same helpful tips that neither of us learned in a combined fifty-six years of education and training; we have each found comfort, sustenance, and direction from them. When we recently discussed wellness in our department, Alicia shared resources she had found useful in navigating the stressors of physician life. Christine was reluctant to talk about the subject at all, and together we found commonalities. …
Transform your life with 10 powerful tips for health and happiness
An excerpt from The Game Plan: A Woman’s Guide to Becoming a Doctor and Living a Life in Medicine.
Relationships are complicated for many women and can have an even greater complexity for the female physician whose life and time is scheduled for upwards of a decade during medical school and …
The impactful relationships of female physicians
Though I studied medicine and was never really a science buff, I remain in awe to this day of algebra, calculus, theoretical physics, and quantum mechanics. I am fascinated by the great Greek mathematicians of yore, from Archimedes to Theaetetus, Euclid, and yes, Pythagoras of Samos, who is also a philosopher and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. Oh, my Pythagoras! The Pythagorean theorem, a beacon of inspiration, ignited my passion …
The surprising link between science and art: lessons from Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei
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We discuss the striking similarities between the Kentucky Derby and the challenges of medical training. Our guest, Corinne Sundar Rao, an internal medicine physician, shares valuable insights based on her expertise. We explore the shared traits of …
Physician burnout and the Kentucky Derby: a shocking parallel [PODCAST]
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recent decision to move away from the “wait and see” philosophy to a more proactive intervention when dealing with childhood obesity got me reflecting on how “wait and see” is still used in many other aspects of children’s development.
As a speech therapist and a mother of a child who was at risk for developmental delays, I had personal experience with this approach. My son …
How early intervention can transform a child’s speech development
When I started visiting patients in nursing homes, a good many of them had some degree of dementia. In its earliest form, a person with dementia could recall what they were doing when they found out about 9/11, or when Kennedy was shot, or when Pearl Harbor was bombed in the Second World War. However, they couldn’t recall their most recent …
How dementia and COVID-19 robbed the baby doll of love
Ask Alex what cuddly toy they slept with as a child, and you’ll discover that it was a soccer ball – real, not plush. This was by choice; they assure me. We sit at a small corner table in a local coffee shop in Ann Arbor, MI. With exposed brick walls, mix-and-match seating, and the latest pride flag in the window, it’s no wonder that two queer millennials choose this …
Orthopedists’ role in gender diverse athletes’ care
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Join Harry Severance, an emergency physician, as we explore the factors contributing to this issue, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demonization of health care workers. Discover the alarming statistics and consequences presented by …
Health care workers under attack [PODCAST]
As a member of the Washington D.C. Center for AIDS Research, I’ve been deeply grateful to see how medications such as PrEP are significantly reducing the toll of HIV. Additionally, we have made great strides with limiting the transmission of HIV. A plethora of research has proven that if HIV is undetectable in your system, it cannot be spread to others. This is known as “U …
Patients aging with HIV: What role can doctors play?
In the rapidly evolving health care landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant strides, transforming how we approach patient care, medical research, and health care operations. One such advancement is the introduction of code interpreters in AI systems, such as the one recently introduced in ChatGPT. This powerful feature opens up many …
As the world becomes increasingly digitized and economic realities continually shift, there has been a growing conversation among medical professionals regarding investing, particularly in digital assets like Bitcoin. The appeal of Bitcoin is substantial, especially in an era marked by high inflation rates. Bitcoin is the first “programmed” money that relies on math and code. It has an open public and simple code and has never been hacked. This is …
Bitcoin investment for doctors: risks, rewards, and the necessity of diversification
I am a clinically retired orthopedist who completed my residency training in the mid-80s. I trained at a university residency program with faculty who were both forward-thinking and innovative, yet always grounded in evidence-based medicine. It was understood that many traditional concepts in orthopedic surgical care had not been challenged and lacked convincing clinical data to justify their continued advocacy. Examples included post-operative immobilization, avoidance of internal fixation in the …
How unproven orthopedic treatments impact health care costs
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Join Meredithe McNamara, a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, in discussing the challenges adolescent medicine physicians face due to the current political climate. We explore the impact of unfilled pediatrics residency spots and the importance of their …
Adolescent medicine at risk [PODCAST]
The applicability of add-on payment/reimbursement qualifiers/modifiers for emergency procedures should not be limited to patients’ emergency conditions alone. They should also be applicable to situations where arrangements are made for procedures outside regular office hours or on weekends. This includes cases where proceduralists choose to schedule procedures during after-hours or patients choose to have procedures during these times. Additionally, these qualifiers/modifiers should apply to proceduralists who work during after-hours or …
Ensuring fair reimbursement for emergency procedures
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