Men in power seem to have a serious zipper malfunction problem

Physician
December 30, 2021

My respected neurosurgery colleague just ended his career inauspiciously — having had an affair with a resident.

While I don’t know the details, I do know that many a male leader, like my friend, has fallen from his perch due to “zipper malfunction.” Had they stronger zippers, maybe they would have kept their sensitive parts in their proper homes and carried on to fulfill their important jobs.

Disappointed, but not terribly surprised, …

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The death of empathy

Physician
December 30, 2021

Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this article.

You used to come to us struggling to breathe and begging for our help, and while we stood over you preparing for intubation, we would feel all the feels while looking into eyes that we knew might never open again. We would break down and cry while telling your family that you didn’t make it or …

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My grandfather’s death: What I’ve learned about life

Education
December 30, 2021

My grandfather passed in the early hours of December 11 and was buried the next day. It all happened very quickly. The last time I saw him was eight years ago. And that was the final time because I couldn’t make it to his funeral. Hopefully, when I look back at this, I’ll always remember to cherish my time with family, no matter how busy medical school or residency gets.

My …

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How writing fiction can free physicians [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 29, 2021
YouTube video

“Physicians can find — or start — writing workshops at medical conferences, or just about anywhere else, at any time. These workshops can become part of wellness or burnout-prevention events. To interact with other writers, all you need is a champion―someone to organize a time and space for you …

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The U.S. doesn’t have enough faculty to train the next generation of nurses

Policy
December 29, 2021

Despite a national nursing shortage in the United States, over 80,000 qualified applications were not accepted at U.S. nursing schools in 2020, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

This was due primarily to a shortage of nursing professors and a limited number of clinical placements where nursing students get practical job training. Additional constraints include a …

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Inequity contributes to burnout among new academic physicians

Physician
December 29, 2021

I was still a resident in May 2013. My new long-distance girlfriend gave me directions to take the train from the airport to the opposite side of her massive metroplex. As is likely common for a hayseed like me, I got lost finding the correct rail station and instead walked through the city’s large academic medical center by accident. With luggage in tow, I walked past a 900-bed county hospital …

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How telemedicine ruined a physician’s career

Physician
December 29, 2021

Doing side gigs is in vogue now. I want to tell you my story. It has to do with how one of the leading telemedicine companies ruined my career. I hope that my story will help many of you navigate this tough economy, especially those who are coming out of residency.

I started working as an independent contractor about ten years ago when it first came to the forefront. I worked …

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Climate change through the lens of an emergency physician [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 28, 2021
YouTube video

“The worst part of the climate crisis is that our kids, my kids, may never get to witness the most beautiful parts of our world because they may, and will, cease to exist without our action and power. As I watch my own kids looking out over the ocean on …

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How drug distributors contributed to the opioid crisis

Meds
December 28, 2021

A recent headline in my neighborhood newspaper read, “A Dentist Became a Top Opioid Buyer in W. Va. Now a Drug Firm Faces Penalty for Ignoring Red Flags.” The drug firm sent 25,400 hydrocodone pills and 3,600 Xanax to one Huntington, WV area dentist. The DEA raided the dentist’s office and shut it down. The dentist admitted to ordering the pills for personal use.

This summer, also right …

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Emotional epidemiology of disease is as critical as clinical epidemiology

Physician
December 28, 2021

At this point in the COVID vaccination campaign, nearly all American adults who want the vaccine have gotten it, and are gratefully snapping up their boosters. Those who decline vaccination are largely impervious to public service announcements, community pressure, and case counts turbocharged by the Omicron variant.

Public health experts emphasize that primary care doctors and nurses are the key to this last mile of the vaccination effort. …

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Don’t be anti-vax in name only

Physician
December 28, 2021

The following article is satire.

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
– Thomas Paine

Happy holidays as we continue our long walk with COVID. A unique walk where each new step is only half as long as …

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Don’t pay off your student loans early [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 27, 2021

“In 2010, a landmark study from Princeton was published “proving” that money just doesn’t buy happiness. Study participants were asked to compare their emotional well-being from yesterday to today, and it appeared that making more than $75,000 a year didn’t lead to concurrent increases in well-being. Since then, Americans have been flooded with the …

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A satirical response to an orthopedic surgeon’s letter to radiologists

Physician
December 27, 2021

A satirical response to “An open letter to radiologists from a jilted orthopedic surgeon.”

“I feel as though there is a deepening rift between our two specialties.”

You ask why the chasm has widened between our specialties. Well, maybe if you paid attention to me, you’d know. I’m an introverted radiologist, you’re a domineering surgeon, and neither of us specializes in communication. Our marriage – like an arthroplasty – …

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Why health care delivery is an exceptionally different industry: Why does it matter?

Policy
December 27, 2021

Third in a series. Please read part 1 and part 2.

We expect that most readers have noticed the differences in health care delivery compared to other industries that we discussed in part 1 and part 2. Those differences relate to board governance, health care leadership, infrastructure, and operations. Readers probably also noticed that these differences …

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Attack COVID like the terrorist it is

Conditions
December 27, 2021

More than 1,100 in the U.S. are still dying every day from COVID-19. Every three days, we are losing more Americans than the number that died on 9/11. Just because we don’t see it sneaking up on our families does not mean the COVID terrorist is defeated. While deaths are mainly in 12 northern states, it is highly likely we will again experience a similar problem in Texas and across …

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Groomers at PetSmart have more autonomy than physicians

Physician
December 26, 2021

“You do not rise to the level of your goals.  You fall to the level of your systems.”
– James Clear, Atomic Habits

I had a bit of a revelation recently when I brought my dog in for grooming. Some background: My dog is ten years old and has a double coat from hell (although very pretty). She also had a spinal cord injury in November 2019 and has residual weakness in …

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There is no other body part that has filled me with such a roller coaster of emotion

Physician
December 26, 2021

Their absence makes me feel sad,
I look around at my peers, envious and curious,
Obsessing over when they will show up.
When they do, they never seem to live up to expectations,
Too small, too uneven, but what’s sure is it’s a sign I’m no longer a child.

It adds to my wardrobe in a hushed way,
I don’t know whether to be proud or embarrassed that they’re finally here.
I look at magazines; should I …

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Sustaining mental health during the holidays and starting strong in 2022

Conditions
December 26, 2021

The holiday season was notorious for causing loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and a sense of loss even before adding the COVID-19 pandemic to the mix. The pandemic has only served to magnify many of these feelings, as gatherings with loved ones are postponed or canceled. The stress of getting everything done on time and navigating family dynamics can lead to struggles that can benefit from support and self-care. In 2021, support …

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Why storytelling is critical in medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 25, 2021
YouTube video

“I love stories, either told, written, or listened to. Songs tell stories, as does art. Blogs such as the rich content open so many doors for rich conversations. Telling stories is part of who I am. My father loved to tell them, as did my grandfather, whose name I took. …

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