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How lack of access to clean water is devastating developing countries

Policy

April 24, 2023

Maybe dogs aren’t the only ones drinking water from a toilet bowl. In the United States, we have easy access to clean water. We use culinary water to do our dishes, bathe, wash our cars, and even fill our toilets. Most Americans don’t ever consider the possibility of running out of drinkable water; the same can’t be said for the friends I made in the Philippines. Let me tell you …

Binary medicine harms our gender-expansive patients

Alexandra Beem

Policy

April 24, 2023

The first time I saw a preceptor use the American College of Cardiology’s atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (mercifully, ASCVD) risk calculator, I was hooked. As a first-year medical student, data nerd, and aspiring primary care provider, I love a good diagnostic tool. Watching as he entered our patient’s pertinent medical history, I ran down the list of risk factors for cardiovascular disease we’d just learned in my …

A better future in migraine management: the essential role of primary care

Bradley Torphy, MD

A pediatrician’s memorable experience with a patient with Down syndrome

Alexander Rakowsky, MD

Physician

April 24, 2023

Recently, two of my most beloved teachers came to our continuity clinic as Mrs. Melendez brought in her daughter, Maria, for her annual physical (not real names). I have known the Melendez family for nearly the entire 18+ years I have been at this clinic, at first taking care of their four older children who were at that time in early middle school through high school. At one of the …

“Hospitalsplaining”: the condescension problem in physician employment contracts [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 23, 2023

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In this episode, we have Dennis Hursh, a physician contract lawyer, sharing his experiences in dealing with hospitals and their tendency to condescend towards physicians and their lawyers, also known as “hospitalsplaining.” He discusses a recent example …

Twenty-Six: a story from a pediatric surgeon [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 23, 2023

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

In this episode, Yael Dreznik, a pediatric surgeon and author of the book Twenty-Six, shares her personal story and insights into the life of a surgeon. From the early morning rituals to the fear of making mistakes, …

Transparency and honesty: the keys to fixing America’s broken health care system

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

April 23, 2023

When I was growing up, I remember my father saying the phrase, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” In today’s world, I find myself often recalling those words. Most of life these days should not be taken at face value.

It also appears that if you shout out falsehoods frequently enough, then it seems that members of extreme political groups will believe it as the gospel truth. …

To improve health care, respect doctors’ humanity with a living wage

Kelley Butler, MD

Physician

April 23, 2023

“What should we do?” I asked my partner. I looked down at our dog, who was limping in pain and whose treatment was just quoted at nearly $1000. Just yesterday, our brakes collapsed, and repairing our car would also be a hefty expense. He sighed, knowing we didn’t have the money for either but definitely not both. My partner and I are both resident physicians in San Francisco and here …

The secret life of physicians: work, home, and the battle for balance

Scott Abramson, MD

Physician

April 23, 2023

When we physicians discuss “work-life balance,” we often imply that our dedication to our work is so consuming and imbalanced that we end up sacrificing time with our families. To achieve a better balance and promote a healthier family life, we strive to limit our work hours to make more time for our home lives.

I wonder if the reverse can also be true. When our home life becomes overwhelming or …

The dos and don’ts of physician employment contracts: Understanding the role of letters of intent in negotiations

Dennis Hursh, Esq

Finance

April 23, 2023

A letter of intent (sometimes called a “term sheet”) can be useful for physicians and those who recruit them. The purpose of letters of intent in physician contracts is simply to ensure that both parties are “on the same page” as far as the major terms of the agreement they hope to enter. For example, if you expect to be paid $300,000 a year, but the employer is expecting …

Breaking up with nursing: a heartfelt letter

Lauren Powers, RN, CCRN

Conditions

April 23, 2023

I write this letter with a heavy heart. Our story began during my sophomore year in college, but after a decade with you, I can’t help but feel our dynamic has changed. Intrusive thoughts of leaving you have etched their way to the forefront of my mind. The harder I try to quiet them, the louder they declare themselves. They’ve grown from whispers to screams, and I can’t ignore them …

Empowering anesthesia residents: lessons in trust from an anesthesiologist [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 22, 2023

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

In this episode, we speak with George Tewfik, an anesthesiologist, about the importance of recognizing and addressing knowledge gaps in anesthesia residents. George discusses how new residents may arrive with a sense of false confidence that can …

Understanding the end of the COVID public health emergency

Steven Marshall, DNP, RN

Conditions

April 22, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented event for worldwide health care. The call to action for organizations included setting up mass testing sites to serve their communities. I helped set up multiple locations across several counties using a mobile model. We tested hundreds of patients each day in various places. Once the vaccine was approved, we began our vaccination efforts using our mobile model and mass vaccine sites, including …

A veteran’s battle against possible lung cancer

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Conditions

April 22, 2023

During my night shift at the emergency department, I encountered a 72-year-old decorated war veteran named Mr. Sun. Accompanied by his concerned wife, he came to address a year-long struggle with fatigue and a non-productive cough he’d been experiencing in recent weeks. Initially resistant to seeking medical attention, Mr. Sun finally gave in to his wife’s insistence.

As I entered the room to assess Mr. Sun, it was immediately apparent how …

How data and technology influence health in ways that doctors don’t

Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Jr., MBA

Tech

April 22, 2023

In theory, the widespread adoption of health information technology (HIT) and integrated applications can improve patients’ access to their health information and facilitate patient-centered care. In reality, this increased reliance on patient-facing technologies and data derived from connected devices, machine learning, and artificial intelligence can widen gaps in access, create new barriers to health equity, and generate biases that influence research and clinical decision-making that negatively impact the patient experience …

Physicians in crisis: How wage-fixing in health care is limiting compensation and driving doctors away

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Allison Nazinitsky, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

Physician

April 22, 2023

Physicians are frustrated, and rightfully so, by the number of individuals and companies that do not provide direct medical care to patients yet profit off our services. Salary suppression is one of the many reasons physicians are leaving traditional medicine and seeking alternative careers. Although physicians have seen an increase in pay over the past 20 years, it has not matched the inflation rate. For example, Medicare reimbursement lags over …

How the NFL could have boosted CPR awareness

Harrison Bell, MD

Physician

April 22, 2023

January 2nd was a rough day for the sports world. People were captivated by the on-field “death” of a player. Players, coaches, fans, and staff were stunned by seeing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in real-time, maybe even for the first time. Thankfully the NFL had excellently trained teams on the sidelines prepared for these emergencies. Chest compressions were started in seconds, and spontaneous circulation returned in less than ten minutes. Damar …

Why pizza and thank you emails don’t cut it: a pediatrician’s take on physician appreciation [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 21, 2023

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

In this episode, pediatrician Wendy Schofer discusses physician appreciation. She emphasizes that appreciation is an offering of love that fulfills the psychological need for belonging and love. Wendy relates the five love languages to how physicians can …

The current political climate is leaving youth and their physicians behind

Meredithe McNamara, MD and Joseph Waters, MD

Physician

April 21, 2023

This year’s Match Day for graduating medical students had the highest number of unfilled pediatrics residency spots in recent years. Fewer pediatricians means fewer pediatric subspecialists. Like too many of our deepest health disparities, this hurts teens the most and the current political climate may be to blame.

About 1 percent of pediatricians pursue fellowship training in adolescent medicine, a board-certified subspecialty devoted to …

AI vs. human doctors: Why patients prefer the real thing

Jeanne Sandella, DO

Tech

April 21, 2023

In a Black Mirror-esque video I watched recently on YouTube, a young man with a persistent cough notices a booth labeled “Instant Doctor” as he’s waiting in a train station, and decides to give it a try. The somewhat pleasant robot voice immediately recognizes him and dutifully (creepily?) reads off his age, height, and weight. She then tells him he has two diagnoses: the first, a mild bronchial infection, is …

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