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An awkward conversation with a friend might just save someone’s life

Physician

September 22, 2022

There is something special about that childhood friend. It’s a bond that lasts a lifetime, something we can only experience fully in our formative years. My friend was Richard. We were inseparable in school growing up, then roommates in college, growing into manhood together. When it came time for medical school, I went to Dallas, and Richard to Houston, where he would start his career. We drifted apart in those …

The ramparts of the neurosurgeon’s mind were unassailable

Marc Arginteanu, MD

Conditions

September 22, 2022

An excerpt from Azazel’s Public House.

Pete tried to invade Tommy’s brain and force an oops moment. But the ramparts of the neurosurgeon’s mind were unassailable.

Clancy, unaware he was battling on two fronts, tried to spare any brain that had a …

How to change your specialty during residency

Danielle Kelvas, MD

Education

September 22, 2022

There are no clear statistics, polls, or studies to know exactly how many physicians each year, or within their working lifetime, switch specialties. But with physician dissatisfaction scores steadily rising, this is becoming a very common sentiment.

First, I want to normalize and encourage everyone to practice self-compassion during this process.

I personally changed specialties early in my career and have numerous colleagues who also changed. We all profess immense happiness in …

Walk to reduce your loneliness and improve your well-being [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 21, 2022

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

“Just before the pandemic, I walked 96 miles (154.5 km) in seven days on the West Highland Way in Scotland, though I was hardly alone in this endeavor. About 250 people start the walk each day, including …

Shame not on us: Diagnoses and treatments need to be transparent

Susan Salenger

Conditions

September 21, 2022

In Australia recently, a woman successfully sued a hospital for $2.4 million for a series of misdiagnoses that left her quadriplegic. A London woman was recently misdiagnosed four times before doctors discovered she had cervical cancer.

A Canadian woman recently filed a $3.5 million lawsuit claiming she was misdiagnosed and ignored when relaying her symptoms to doctors; she could have died. A 26-year-old woman nearly died after a …

Making death conversations fun!

Althea Halchuck, EJD

Conditions

September 21, 2022

“Arriving at an acceptance of one’s mortality is a process, not an epiphany.”
– Atul Gawande

Imagine a group of old (mature) friends gathered for a “girls” weekend in balmy Florida. The friendships started in grammar school and have continued for the better part of 50 years. These women have met at least once a year for more than 25 years and shared life’s ups and downs. On this trip, one of …

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Making death conversations fun!

The nicest patient I’ve ever met

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Physician

September 21, 2022

The nicest patient I’ve ever met was Mr. Harris.

I first met him in the ED with his son and daughter by his side, noticing a foley bag filled with bright red blood.

He was an elderly gentleman with ALS and was brought by his children for hematuria and blood clots overnight. Never happened before, and we were all unsure of the cause. Urinalysis soon showed likely UTI, so we started antibiotics. …

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The nicest patient I’ve ever met

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 20, 2022

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“ME/CFS is a complex multi-system illness that destroys lives (essentially killing the person yet leaving them alive). It leaves patients with unimaginable fatigue, post-exertional malaise (meaning that minor exertion makes them feel worse), cognitive deficits, cardiovascular dysfunction, …

Is your smartwatch smart about your health?

Rushi Nagalla

Tech

September 20, 2022

Your smartwatch talks a lot but may not say as much as you believe with regard to health. Constant data collection from wearables claims to improve medicine at large. Is the “quantified self” the next evolution or a gimmick for patients?

Imagine your sleep and heart data beamed straight to your medical record. Your care team might notice a red flag and schedule a virtual appointment immediately. Health care wearables, meaning …

Don’t let vindictiveness creep into medicine like it has in politics

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Policy

September 20, 2022

The callous and inhumane dislocation of migrants recently perpetrated by governors of the states of Florida and Texas reminded me of an equally disdainful and appalling tactic utilized by health care workers since the 1960s: “Greyhound therapy.”

Greyhound therapy refers to attempts by health care workers and administrators to remove undesirable patients from emergency rooms, hospitals, and other types of facilities by providing them one-way tickets on a Greyhound Lines …

Giving up the knife: Saying goodbye to surgery

Randall S. Fong, MD

Physician

September 20, 2022

This year, I stopped doing surgery — giving up the knife, so to speak. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. I’ve been a surgeon for 32 years since graduating from medical school. It’s been a distinct part of who I am for most of my life.

This doesn’t mean I’ve retired. I’m still practicing in a clinic-based setting and still do procedures in the office. I just no longer operate …

Emotional eating: Why you always want food

Katrina Ubell, MD

Conditions

September 20, 2022

An excerpt from How to Lose Weight for the Last Time: Brain-Based Solutions for Permanent Weight Loss. Copyright © 2022 by Katrina Ubell. Reprinted with permission of Balance Publishing. All rights reserved.

“I just really like food.”

“Eating at a beautiful restaurant or tasting something different and special while traveling is one …

What is ambient clinical intelligence – and how is it transforming health care?

Kenneth Harper & Microsoft & Nuance Communications

4 steps to de-escalate hostile people [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 19, 2022

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

“The boundaries of unacceptable behavior have eroded in the past few years. Politicians, law enforcement, movie stars, health care providers, the health care system, and society, in general, are all acting badly occasionally. I’m amazed but no …

Football pervades our society so we must be prepared to deal with it

Harriet Levy

Conditions

September 19, 2022

It’s not that I hate football; truly I don’t. I try hard to get into it. I scan the sports page to become familiar with names, rivalries, predictions, and opinions. I tune in to Sports Extra on Sunday nights for the weekend analysis and wrap-up. I watch the introduction to televised games for the opening excitement and colorful background of the teams. I’ve enjoyed a few episodes of Hard Knocks.

Why …

The most important tool a medical student can have is the ability to reflect on experiences

Elizabeth Dorchuck

Education

September 19, 2022

Throughout my life, I have been trained by Jesuit institutions. I have loved all of what they have prescribed – to “find God in all things,” to “care for the entire person,” to “be a woman with and for others.” But the most important pillar that I have gained from these educational institutions is to have a reflective mind – the ability to ask why and dig deeper into a …

Should all health professionals be teetotalers?

Steve Adelman, MD

Physician

September 19, 2022

I recently published “Avoid ‘Shots in the Dark’ to Maintain Pristine Professional Boundaries” in Psychiatric Times to demonstrate how drinking alcohol in public may lead well-meaning licensed health professionals onto the slippery slope of boundary violations and costly career jeopardy. Across the United States, millions of doctors, nurses, and other licensed health professionals are permitted to perform the sacred work of healing others because we have been authorized to …

Lessons from Radonda Vaught: Nurses need to raise their voices [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 18, 2022

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

“One thing is hard to ignore – nurses need better treatment. Nurses need a seat at the table and advocacy. Nurses need to raise their voices, listen to each other, and unify to achieve the progress that …

How this primary care doctor found his dream practice

John Machata, MD

Physician

September 18, 2022

Eleven years ago, I escaped the drudgery of the corporate medicine hamster wheel to set up a solo family practice where I could be my own boss and practice medicine my way.

After 38 wonderful years as a family doctor, I am ready to retire. I hope to gift my practice to a doctor eager to be independent, well compensated, and enjoy a balance between work and life.

Who might be the …

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