Focused to a fault: Medical education and how it holds us hostage from living well

Education
February 10, 2023

One of the head-scratchers about American culture is that anxiety, depression, unwanted weight gain, and a soaring prevalence of lifestyle diseases clearly plague our society. Yet, the primary metric we use to measure our country’s “success,” GDP, doesn’t even account for this suffering.

Society has a variety of needs that must be met to be truly successful, not just economically productive. As Senator Robert Kennedy memorably said, “GDP measures everything …

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Only physicians can find the balance between tradition and active disruption

Physician
February 10, 2023

It is clear to most of us who practice medicine that the medical system is at a crossroads unlike any other in recent history, between competing crises of uncontrolled medical costs, escalating administrative burdens, consolidation and employment of physician practices, burnout, and the rapid development and entrance of new, largely untested technologies. I am sure that I am not alone as a physician who wonders what will the medical system …

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Doctors and dating: the challenges of balancing a demanding career and personal life

Physician
February 10, 2023

The word “career” has two meanings. A career in medicine fulfills both meanings quite neatly. In the traditional sense, it can be defined as an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life. On the other hand, it can mean moving swiftly and in an uncontrolled way. As in, “Her car careered across the road and into a ditch.”

Being a physician is a blur of late nights, cold …

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How female physicians are changing the game for women entrepreneurs [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 9, 2023
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In this episode, we have Samantha Lai, a medical student as our guest. She will discuss the disparity in venture capital investment for startups led by women, and how this gap can be narrowed by encouraging female …

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The unexpected gift of friendship in trying times

Conditions
February 9, 2023

I spotted her on the opposite sidewalk, standing right next to the idling police cruiser. Petite. Brunette. Late 80s and leaning over her red walker as she stared, transfixed, as the EMTs eased her husband into the back of the ambulance.

A few minutes earlier, one of the many sidewalk onlookers had explained: “Poor old man was just crossing the street. Someone said he’d just gone to buy a bagel for …

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Why the name “emergency medicine” is no longer adequate: a call for change

Physician
February 9, 2023

I am an emergency physician in training. It’s a thrilling and rewarding job learning to treat the severely ill and injured. But it is also a rare clinical shift when I don’t treat patients with life-limiting alcohol and drug addiction, people struggling with homelessness, those whose behavior does not allow them to safely be in a shelter with others, undocumented immigrants with nowhere else to turn for aid, uninsured patients …

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Trauma motivated me to become a doctor

Physician
February 9, 2023

“Raise your hand if you said you wanted to become a doctor to help people during your medical school interview. I see practically every hand in the room raised. Keep them raised if you told your interviewer you also wanted to become a doctor to overcome personal trauma.”

Everyone lowered their hands.

“I’m dismayed there are no honest people here,” I joked to attendees at an annual meeting of the American Psychiatric …

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Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

Conditions
February 9, 2023

My husband was clearly losing his independence after a terminal diagnosis and many hospital visits. I was getting more and more responsibility, which I didn’t mind, but the best way we could handle it was just to let it happen. There was no way to stop it, so we just had to live with it. The changes were slow in coming, and eventually, my being responsible for everything just fell …

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A thank you to those who take care of us

Physician
February 9, 2023

As patients, we often think of our health care providers as infallible beings who can easily handle their profession’s emotional and physical tolls. However, the reality is that health care professionals are human too, and they are not immune to the effects of burnout, depression, and even suicide.

One forgotten fact about our health care system is that providers are constantly exposed to the suffering of others and are faced with …

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How occupational therapy can help the anxiety epidemic [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 8, 2023
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In this episode, we have Taylor Gurley, a professor of occupational therapy as our guest. She will be discussing the new recommendation by the United States Preventive Services Task Force for primary care physicians to screen their …

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A doctor’s journey: Navigating chronic disease and empowerment through life coaching

Conditions
February 8, 2023

On January 2020, I got the dreaded call:  You have Type 1 diabetes. The rest is a blur. I went into a global pandemic, one of the highest risk categories, a red lab value that stared at me “HgbA1c > 15.”

As a family physician, I was supposed to manage patients and ease their fears. I was supposed to know all about the disease management of a “bread and butter condition” …

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AI in health care: Meeting HIPAA standards with ChatGPT

Tech
February 8, 2023

New technologies are introduced to enhance the quality of care and make the work of health care professionals more efficient. ChatGPT is one such technology; it is a robust language model that can comprehend and respond to input in natural language. ChatGPT has the potential to significantly enhance the work of health care professionals and improve patient care, even though some may be concerned that the use of such technology …

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Navigating the gray area: a doctor’s perspective on treating a colleague

Physician
February 8, 2023

“Musta been the ham sandwich,” he said as he leaned onto the operating table and belched a couple of times. We were halfway through an operation, and Doug, my partner, didn’t look all that good. I’d been in practice for all of a year, still greenish, and he, ten years my senior, was my guardian angel, my guide through the vagaries of the world of private practice, and the best …

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The effects of the nationwide stimulant shortage on a private psychiatry practice

Meds
February 8, 2023

I have a solo outpatient private practice focusing on psychiatric medication management and brief therapy for adults. Early on, I decided to accept insurance to help address the shortage of psychiatrists in this country. Because of the advances in telemedicine since the pandemic, I can see patients throughout the state where I am licensed. This should be the happiest time in my career. After several years of working as an …

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The hidden toll of racism in medicine: a doctor’s perspective

Physician
February 8, 2023

It felt like a monumental moment when I started my career in medicine. I grew up largely on the borderline of poverty; my parents lived check to check with my sister and me. Neither of them had gotten a college education, and they sacrificed much of their lives to support my ambitions. So to see their son realize his dream was a proud moment for them. But as a Hispanic …

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Leading through burnout: How health care executives can address burnout in the workplace [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 7, 2023
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In this episode, we welcome Nicola F. De Paul, a clinical psychologist and health systems leadership consultant. Together, we dive into the topic of burnout among health care leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic has put immense stress on …

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How physicians can use writing to share their expertise and impact the lives of others

Physician
February 7, 2023

Oh, the stories we hold.

As physicians, we sit in the front row for many defining events in a person’s life. In our offices and hospitals, we bear witness: to whispered fears, hopeful moments, trauma unfolding, death, birth, and life events we could not make up. Whether that is a privilege or a burden depends on the instance or the telling.

And only one person can tell your story.

Many have …

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Geriatric foot care 101: How shoes can help reduce the risk of falls

Conditions
February 7, 2023

If you did not know all that I know about feet, you would think geriatricians (doctors for patients 65+ years old) have a foot fetish. We are obsessed with feet, but in a good way. You see, feet play a big role in balance and preventing falls. We really care about our elder patients’ health, which is why we care about what our patients wear. Falls kill, and if one …

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Say “no” to APNO and say “yes” to breastfeeding medicine

Conditions
February 7, 2023

It is common to get some nipple discomfort at the start of breastfeeding. Babies and moms are learning how to do this new skill, and sometimes they just don’t get it right, and nipple damage can occur. If caught and adjusted early, this can clear up quickly, but in the meantime, women can have cracks, bleeding, and extreme sensitivity to their nipples.

All-purpose nipple ointment – otherwise known as APNO – …

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