Is medicine right for you? Exploring the benefits and challenges of a health care career.

Education
February 16, 2023

As a current medical student, I often encounter students considering a health care career. Understandably, this career is appealing. Being a physician lets you make a positive impact on people’s lives, along with many other benefits. However, becoming a physician is not a straightforward decision and requires a lot of thought, consideration, and sacrifice. This blog post, written for anyone considering medical school, will explore the pros and cons of …

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Understanding the memory loss of aging: How to tell normal forgetfulness from brain disorders

Conditions
February 16, 2023

An excerpt from Why We Forget and How To Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory.

“I’m so worried about my memory,” says the 82-year-old accountant and mother of three. “All of my friends are having memory problems. Many of them have dementia, and some even have Alzheimer’s disease. I think I’m …

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Food allergy tragedies: the reality that haunts us

Conditions
February 16, 2023

Food should not kill, but in the last three weeks alone, the food allergy community has grappled with three food-induced anaphylaxis deaths. All were young adults in the prime of their lives; one in middle school, another going to a school dance, and one just engaged to the love of her life.

No one is perfect in how they conduct themselves daily, but for those with food allergies, falling short of …

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Empowering Type 2 diabetes patients with innovative insulin management tools [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 15, 2023
YouTube video

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Our guest today is James Malone, an endocrinologist and health care executive with over 30 years of experience in the field of diabetes.

James has seen firsthand the challenges that many people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) face …

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Why doctors must speak out on political issues impacting patients

Physician
February 15, 2023

As a physician, I was taught to remain neutral in the public eye regarding political issues. My viewpoints and opinions do not enter my work because the work is not about me but about the person sitting across from me who seeks help. As a psychiatrist and ethicist, I treat all people with respect, compassion, and dignity. I believe in my duty to treat patients, regardless of who they are, …

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Breathing your way out of stress: the simple solution to a growing epidemic

Conditions
February 15, 2023

Stress is ubiquitous, and Americans are struggling to deal with it effectively. The tag #mentalhealth on TikTok has amassed 65.5 billion views and counting.

Still not sure about that?

Answer this question quickly:  What do you do when you’re hungry? Many would respond that they eat; it’s a straightforward answer to a common experience.

But what if you tweak the question with one word: What do you do when you’re stressed? This, …

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The fall of the patient-doctor bond: How corporate medicine is changing health care

Physician
February 15, 2023

Fifty years ago, medical graduates’ licensing required membership in the AMA, the state, and the local county societies known as organized medicine (OM). Physicians, through their OM, wrote the rules and guidelines of the practice of medicine, controlled the hospitals through their medical staff organizations, and jointly approved what health insurance covered with the insurance carriers.

In the last 40 years, gradual changes in our country have affected our patients and …

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Navigating the new norm: a physician’s perspective on caring for sick patients in the age of COVID

Physician
February 15, 2023

I have three adult daughters, all college graduates. All are in long-term relationships with men, children, dogs, and careers. I am “Dad” and will always be Dad. I additionally happen to be a physician who cares for adult patients. If they are ill or have a medical problem, their first phone call is to my cell phone. If it’s not a phone call, it’s a text message. I do not …

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Lessons from a civil rights icon: How to lift as we climb

Physician
February 15, 2023

Mary Eliza Church Terrell famously wrote, “And so, lifting as we climb, onward and upward we go, struggling and striving, and hoping that the buds and blossoms of our desires will burst into glorious fruition ‘ere long.”

Lift as we climb.

Terrell lived her life by this motto, as an organizer in the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements, and as a founder of the National Association of Colored Women and the …

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Navigating institutional betrayal in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 14, 2023
YouTube video

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

In this episode, we’re joined by Susan MacLellan-Tobert, a pediatric cardiologist, to discuss the issue of institutional betrayal in health care. The pandemic has put a strain on health care systems and workers, leading to a term …

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A dentist’s journey to improving oral health for special needs patients

Conditions
February 14, 2023

When I was a dental student, a 5-year-old child with special needs started coming to the clinic for dental care. I remember him as inquisitive but lacking the ability to focus or respond correctly to some verbal prompts. He would sit quietly in his mom’s lap on the dental chair, but when we approached him holding any instruments—including a toothbrush—he would fight so much that once he even vomited. Three …

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6 tips to make a lasting impact in the medical field

Physician
February 14, 2023

We were best friends and classmates in elementary school until the Persian revolution hit in 1979. We both escaped Iran with our families, emigrated to Los Angeles, and have been friends ever since. Our experiences early in life provided us with the life lessons needed to find success, and we hope that by sharing our lessons, we can help impact the next generation. Below are some tips we wanted to …

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Hug it out: the power of oxytocin on Valentine’s Day

Physician
February 14, 2023

Valentine’s Day marks the most romantic day of the year. For this Hallmark holiday, this country displays our love for each other by spending approximately $25 billion on cards, roses, chocolates, and dinners. Why so much? WTF!

Like one’s dating status on Facebook, the origin of Valentine’s Day is “complicated.” Formal messages or valentines appeared as printed cards in the late 1700s. Today, Hallmark sells about 145 million cards at an …

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Proposing solutions to end bias in the medical residency selection process

Education
February 14, 2023

Getting into medical school is arguably the largest barrier to entry into the physician profession, but it is not the only one. Previously, I covered who gets to succeed in medical school and who gets to graduate. In this article, I look at who gets to be a resident.

After completing medical school, the next step for a graduate is residency—the post-graduate training that every new physician goes through to practice in …

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How can a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease help patients and their families? [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 13, 2023
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning, an independently owned and operated full-service medical education company that has been developing certified health care education for nearly twenty years.

With a special thanks to …

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Breaking the stigma: Why doctors are afraid to seek mental health treatment

Physician
February 13, 2023

We are over 25 years apart in our careers. One of us began her medical career in a time before the internet and email. The other is a digital native. Remarkably, though, our experiences have been very similar in one respect. We have spoken with colleagues who decided to avoid seeking care for their mental health concerns. Why? Due to fears that this type of medical care might adversely impact …

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Holding my Black son tight: a mother’s reflection

Physician
February 13, 2023

In the wake of Tyre Nichols’s murder, I find myself wanting to hold onto my Black son a little tighter.

He is 7.

Young enough to still be deemed cute by some, but old enough to not be given as much grace for simply “being a kid” by others.

Sometimes I spoil him a bit more than I’d like to.

It’s only really because even though I know technically he’s a kid until age …

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