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In this episode, we talk to Holly MacKenna, an integrative psychiatrist, about her experience as a chronic patient in the health care system. Holly shares how emotional and overwhelming the process was, and how she was able …
Navigating the health care system as a chronic patient and physician [PODCAST]
Tax benefits are one of the primary reasons many doctors invest in real estate. The U.S. government incentivizes real estate ownership as it is considered starting a business, which creates jobs and increases tax revenue. One way to achieve significant tax savings is by becoming a real estate professional, but this is impossible for those working full-time. An alternative option for these individuals is short-term rental properties.
A short-term rental (STR) …
The short-term rental tax loophole: a game-changer for physicians
Recently I was scrolling through posts from a physician leadership Facebook group. I came upon one that caught my eye. It said something like, “Does anyone have information I can share with my radiologists to show them the impact of working through lunch?”
I was happy to see a post that focused on physician well-being. A leader who cares enough and wants her physicians to take a break. And then …
Breaking the burnout: How health care leaders can support physician well-being
I wrote an article on letting grief make you stronger and talked about a trip to the grocery store where I was not as strong as I hoped. I walked by the Cream Puffs and broke into tears. My husband passed away almost four months ago, and he always used to ask me to get cream puffs when I went to the store. I didn’t even think about it until …
Cream Puff Days: Coping with grief and finding comfort
“Life is about taking chances, trying new things, having fun, making mistakes, and learning from them.”
– Anonymous
Early journey as a science nerd
In high school, science was my thing. I wasn’t like the others. I wasn’t interested in teenage drama. The boys didn’t chase me, and I didn’t chase them. I was that nerd; I was committed to science. My love for science drew me to a degree in biology which …
From science nerd to accomplished ballroom dancer: my story as a hospitalist
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In this episode, we welcome Cindy Perlin, a licensed clinical social worker and chronic pain survivor, to discuss the ongoing issue of prescription painkiller abuse and the dangers of relying on medication to treat pain. Research shows …
Pain management beyond prescription pills [PODCAST]
Sharon Stone has publicly said that medical professionals missed a large fibroid tumor. This followed a prior incident where she reported that she was given larger breast implants without her knowledge while undergoing reconstruction surgery. We all know that Michael Jackson was killed by his personal doctor, who failed to monitor him while he was given Propofol (an anesthetic that is never used at home). Dr. Murray was on the …
The dark side of celebrity medicine
Psychosis is a broad term that describes a change in the perception of reality. It can be caused by various conditions, including metabolic, psychiatric, neurologic, genetic, and other medical conditions, as well as licit and illicit substances, particularly cannabis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) states that abnormalities define these disorders in one or more of the following five domains: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking (speech), …
The dark side of cannabis: increased risk of psychosis
This article is sponsored by Prepared Physician laceration repair kits. Sourced from U.S. suppliers, they are hospital-grade, disposable, sterile, and complete.
As a physician, I know all too well the feeling of being caught off guard when a loved one comes to us with a laceration. We have the skills to repair it, but often don’t have the supplies …
Be a prepared physician: laceration repair kits for your home, vacation home, and cars
I have to respond to and correct the recent article and podcast about a doctor having his first colonoscopy in his late 60s without anesthesia. There were multiple factual errors and misstatements by the doctor author, which may well dissuade doctors and laypeople from colonoscopies in the future.
First, he notes the reason he’s thus far not had a colonoscopy: he has no family history, and he’s athletic and overall …
Why skipping your colonoscopy could be a deadly mistake
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In this episode, we hear from Alen Voskanian, a palliative care physician, who shares his personal experience with COVID-19. Dr. Voskanian reflects on the mental coping mechanisms he used to try and understand how he contracted the …
I have undergone numerous IVF cycles. It is a heart-wrenching experience. Infertility is a pain that is difficult to describe unless personally experienced. I have never truly known heartbreak until the failure of IVF embryo transfers. Three preimplantation genetically tested normal embryos failed to implant, and knowing my three perfect embabies (embryos that were transferred but not implanted) will not be in my arms still hurt my heart. It took …
Infertility: Navigating the challenges of IVF and the importance of self-advocacy
It is well-recognized that there is a large number of physicians leaving medicine or preparing to do so. This is not to be debated!
Many physicians are retiring due to age, and others have accepted early retirement as their best option with the current state of health care. Beyond those retiring, it is concerning how many young physicians are leaving medicine and no longer want to stay in the current health …
Why are so many physicians quitting medicine? The real reasons revealed.
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I’ve had the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of patients. Along the way, I’ve heard some pretty memorable and interesting things. I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorites.
One of the most common things I hear from my older patients is something like, “Doc, it’s just hell getting old!” Our standard response is usually …
Patients’ hilarious comebacks: a doctor’s perspective
The COVID ICU is abuzz with monitors beeping and doctors and nurses rushing from bed to bed to care for critically ill patients, most on ventilators. The machines – dialysis, vents, pumps – sound off their rhythmic repetitions; breaths are pushed in and pulled out, and meds are dripped. Only the patients themselves are silent. We know this, and we hear this, but we are not there. It’s thhe height …
The isolation of the COVID ICU: the need for patient advocates
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Join us on our latest episode as we explore the importance of addressing violent behaviors in health care settings. We’ll be discussing the role of Behavioral Emergency Response Teams (BERTs), trained in non-violent intervention techniques, in managing …
Innovative strategies for managing disruptive behaviors in health care settings [PODCAST]
“My parents abused me as a child. I went no contact with them over ten years ago, but now my dad is in the hospital with a serious diagnosis and the discharge planner keeps asking me to be involved. I don’t want to. What are my rights?”
I read the lengthy message several times, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. I was in the same “no contact” situation with my own …
Forgiveness vs. self-preservation: the difficult decision of caring for an abusive parent
Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating illness without effective treatment. Yet it may, in fact, be largely preventable. The first shocking fact to absorb is that the pathogenesis is largely extracranial, though assuredly not entirely so. That clearly defies the conventional pharmacologic wisdom, which has obsessed with amyloid-beta as the offending agent and has approached it by crafting and evaluating antibodies against it. The FDA has even bought into that theory …
Challenging conventional wisdom: How to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
A good cup of soup can be comforting during illness. It’s like a form of medicine. Soups have many vitamins and minerals, protein and carbohydrates, and of course, water or cream to help stay hydrated. Salt makes a sore throat feel better (like warm salt water gargling) and heat clears nasal congestion (which relieves pain and sinus pressure). As such, a typical cup of restaurant soup costing $5 or $10 …
The $6 soup that saved a pregnant patient $20,000
We don’t talk about burnout.
I recently reunited with a former medical school classmate for lunch and realized that I talked more to him in two hours about my experiences over the past few years than with my hospitalist colleagues at work or my closest friends. I’ve only ever dared to mention anything to my wife and brother (both physicians).
Lots of sources define burnout as the accumulation of stress over time …
The unspoken epidemic: Why health care professionals aren’t talking about burnout
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