Intimate partner violence and abuse is a hidden reality for many physicians

Physician
March 11, 2022

This article may be emotionally distressing and triggering for some readers. Please speak with your therapist, physician or support if you are in distress or local crisis line or the ER.

February: a time when the stores are bursting with pink and red, marketing pitches for gifts and “romantic” dates for your special Valentine.

For many, February is a heavy month, reminding them of the contradiction they have lived or continue living …

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Cancer treatment and tumor-informed residual disease testing [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 10, 2022
YouTube video

“Life can feel full of uncertainty when battling cancer, with few guarantees. ‘Is there still cancer in my body?’ and ‘Will it come back?’ are common questions that have long been difficult to answer confidently until recently. Advances in next-generation sequencing — and a growing understanding of how our bodies …

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How much pressure is good pressure?

Physician
March 10, 2022

“Block the player,” and “hustle” were some of the words that hit my ears as I entered the court to watch my daughter’s basketball game. I felt the sensation of stress. There was the coach on one side of the court with some of the players waiting for their turn to join the game and parents were watching from the other side. Whereas the coach was guiding the players and …

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Addressing burnout in the time of COVID

Physician
March 10, 2022

I’m hearing from my physician coaching clients that they are beyond exhausted by this pandemic. They experience judgment toward people who won’t get the vaccine. They are frustrated and angry with the situation. And then they feel guilt or shame for feeling this way.

Both doing the actual work and being a witness to human suffering had already worn doctors out. The additional emotional toll caused by these uncomfortable feelings occurs …

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Glowing and beaming represent physical evidence of joy in life

Physician
March 10, 2022

Glowing and beaming.

Applying these terms to people has become somewhat dated, but to students of human nature, and especially doctors who meet people under all sorts of unusual circumstances, they still apply.

A former colleague of mine, who worked in general practice in Kansas in his early medical years, went on to an OB/GYN residency and practiced obstetrics until his retirement. He swore that he could tell when a woman was …

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It goes without saying: a residency interview

Education
March 10, 2022

Describe a challenge and how you overcame it.

Is this an interview? It is. I see. Yes, the way you are looking at me like I should be providing an answer. OK, well. You see this is a challenge right here because you are two-dimensional and yet I have been told that you are three—and you look like you could have human-like qualities and maybe a cat—but right now I see …

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Coming back from the brink of burnout [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 9, 2022
YouTube video

“I understand what it feels like to be in the depths of depression and hopelessness. I have had a lifelong battle with stuttering, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, depression, and suicide.

I continually fight these battles and have learned to heal and recover through family, friends, and ultra-running. Since attempting to take my life …

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Let it go: A pediatrician reflects after a difficult conversation

Physician
March 9, 2022

I walk into the patient room, “Hello, I’m Dr. Seabury. What can we do for you today?” As soon as I see the unbundled child, I know there is a problem. I examine the patient fully. Carefully. The conversation that comes next is a challenging one.

“Strong concern.” “Slow growth.” “Percentiles.” “Development.” “Admission to the hospital.”

There is silence, then the words from the family flow forth. Angry, accusatory, confused, dismissive, worried, …

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The case for ending printed medical journals

Physician
March 9, 2022

For the better part of two decades in medicine, I considered printed journals an old friend. Getting my latest medical journal in the mail, opening it, enjoying the feel, look, and even the smell of the journal was almost like getting a monthly present. During training, Journal club was the substitute I needed for the Book of the Month clubs I could not attend with other friends. To this day, …

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I’m covering the practice of a “Dr. Feel Good”

Physician
March 9, 2022

Every now and then, a physician in a group practice or clinic setting disappears abruptly. Sometimes this is due to illness or a family problem; occasionally, the doctor has encountered a professional difficulty of one sort or another that precludes them from continuing to practice. The abruptly disappearing physician’s patients must be cared for by covering colleagues. This is especially important for patients who are being treated with controlled substances …

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Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, so let’s talk about it [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 8, 2022
YouTube video

“I was diagnosed over 20 years ago, and looking back, I feel privileged that I did meet the stereotype for anorexia and be forced into treatment. However, along the way, I have gained insight that people of all bodies share my struggles. And the use of weight/BMI to determine whether …

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The missing doctors’ goodbyes

Physician
March 8, 2022

There is a particular pang of regret I get when I think about the patients who I have failed to say goodbye to.

By this, I mean when a physician leaves a group or practice, they are often prevented from sharing their next destination. Like most young physicians, I had left my first employer within five years and was barred from sharing my next job details. I had learned in training …

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Why always being positive might be the worst thing for physicians to do

Physician
March 8, 2022

During the current COVID-19 pandemic and with staffing shortages, you’ve probably heard the phrase “stay positive.”

Perhaps this message comes from well-intended institutional leadership, mentors, colleagues, family members, friends or even yourself.

On the surface, the mantra of “staying positive” sounds appealing. Of course, I want to be positive for my family, patients, colleagues, learners, or people whom I lead, right? But what does “staying positive” really mean? And what might be …

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What the Friday 5 p.m. consult says about your priorities

Physician
March 8, 2022

Everyone dreads the Friday 5 p.m. consult.

As a physician-in-training, I had more than one of those. But having young kids waiting to be picked up from daycare made that decision tougher.

In one particularly memorable event, I left work, picked up my daughter from daycare, and headed to catch the commuter train when I received the consult. In those days, bringing your infant with you to work would have been deemed unprofessional. …

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An epidemiologist talks about the “next” COVID-19 pandemic

Conditions
March 8, 2022

An interview with Rich DiPentima, MPH, former chief of communicable disease epidemiology at the New Hampshire Division of Public Health.

Rosenberg: As the former chief of communicable disease epidemiology at the New Hampshire Division of Public Health and deputy public health director in Manchester, NH, you wrote an op-ed a few months ago that compared COVID-19 with previous pandemics. Can you elaborate?

Dipentima: With smallpox, the only reservoir was …

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Tax planning tips for physicians

Sponsored
March 7, 2022
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by Wall Street Alliance Group, specializing in physician financial planning.

Often, physicians only give minimal attention to their financial futures, but potential federal changes could make tax planning even more important. The proposed infrastructure …

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The latest plague of the pandemic: a smartphone app

Physician
March 7, 2022

Just as we begin to exit the latest surge of the global COVID-19 pandemic another challenge to health care is appearing—the efforts to combat physician burnout.

One example of a proposed solution is the Clinician Experience Project, which is now marketed to improve health care organizations’ patient satisfaction scores. In the midst of the worst global pandemic in 100 years, it is widely recognized that physician burnout is a widespread problem. …

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When it comes to diet culture, it’s time to end the abuse

Conditions
March 7, 2022

When you hear someone talk about a relationship that is oppressive, shameful, controlling, and detrimental to the person’s physical, mental, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing: How would you define the relationship? Would you want the person to stay?

If you heard someone say that their relationship made them isolated, depressed, disconnected: Would you encourage them to stay?

This is the type of relationship people are often pushed into when subject to weight biases …

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3 ways interoperability will improve health care

Tech
March 7, 2022

In health information technology circles, interoperability has become quite the buzzword. A Google search for “Interoperability in Healthcare” yielded 28 million results. Given its pervasiveness, it’s not surprising that the precise meaning of the term is often obscured. The 21st Century Cures Act defined three key components of interoperability: “(A)… the secure exchange of electronic health information with, and use of electronic health information from, other health …

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