Receiving feedback and critique is a complicated art

Physician
June 12, 2022

In the mid 16th century, surgical education was that of a true apprenticeship. The student learned through direct observership and imitation of a skilled, elder surgeon. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that surgical education evolved into a formalized and structured program. Dr. William Osler introduced the concepts of specialty clerkships and bedside rounds in the late 1800s. Graduated autonomy, introduced by Dr. William Halsted in the …

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Thoughts of a retired physician [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 11, 2022
YouTube video

“COVID-19 melted down the world at a very inopportune time in history. Just as medicine was getting a handle on previously intractable conditions, from sophisticated diabetes management to less invasive surgical procedures, a new threat that devastates our population with few good treatments overwhelms health care.

Medical workers come to the rescue, …

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The cost of cosmetic procedures resulting in short-term disabilities

Conditions
June 11, 2022

In a viral video shared on Twitter in 2021, we see a line of women waiting to board a flight from Santo Domingo to Atlanta. Airline staff in safety vests stand around the women, all of whom are sitting—in wheelchairs. These women had recently undergone the popular Brazilian butt lift or “BBL” surgery, where fat is transferred from one part of the body to the buttocks, despite …

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How the EHR is like a growing blob

Physician
June 11, 2022

I’m not sure about you, but May 27 cannot come soon enough for me. Finally, after three years, we will get the next installment of Stranger Things and another round of monsters, friendships, and 80s memories.

For those of us Gen X-ers who grew up when all that retro fashion and music wasn’t retro, it’s a return to simpler days. Thankfully we didn’t have to worry about demogorgons IRL back then.

Now …

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Simple solutions for social connections

Conditions
June 11, 2022

When Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa acquired the company that makes Lovot,  a pet-sized robot for emotional support, it spoke about more than a financial investment in robotics. The news was tied to love, companionship, and healing. It also revealed the global loneliness and social isolation pandemic. The use of assistive robots is gaining popularity in Japan and China to deal with the caregiver shortage because social isolation is …

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Nurses are struggling in isolation [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 10, 2022
YouTube video

“It’s apparent to most that the dark clouds and stormy waters in the business of health care continue. There is much that needs attention from both health care workers and consumers.

We have learned that when we work together, strength, creativity, and energy multiply exponentially.

We need to move forward and create a …

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Burnout is a sign of something more sinister

Physician
June 10, 2022

Burnout is a sign of something even more sinister. It’s a sign that our society is out of balance. We’ve become a society that values productivity above all else. We’re always working, hustling, and trying to get ahead. And, as a result, we’re burnout. We’re exhausted, anxious and depressed.

We’re struggling to keep up with the demands of our jobs and our lives. And, worst of all, we’re not even sure …

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Shift from fighting for reproductive rights to fighting for reproductive justice

Policy
June 10, 2022

Although feminist movements include the fight for reproductive rights, they tend to forget to center on justice. Historically, the protection of women’s reproductive rights has not been a priority for governments; however, the drive and the act of attacking and dismantling a women’s bodily autonomy and dignity has been and continues to be. In the U.S., the Second Great Awakening, a period in the late 1800s that …

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A psychiatrist presenting emotion [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 9, 2022
YouTube video

“Many families still prefer their providers to wear a mask. I have no way to know who carries what political or health views around their mask-wearing. Their masks were off, and mine was on. When I asked them for their preference of whether they feel comfortable with me wearing a mask …

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Nurture yourself, get rest, and allow yourself the space you need to heal. #MeFirst

Physician
June 9, 2022

An individual crisis unfolds daily. Each starts small. When I learned about epidemics in medical school, I thought they were uncommon. I was wrong.

COVID has taught us what happens if we do not address a crisis with the urgency it deserves.

The COVID crisis quickly became an epidemic and then a pandemic.

The obesity crisis is now an epidemic.

The substance abuse crisis is now an epidemic.

The mental health crisis is now an …

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Transition planning: financial moves for medical residents and fellows

Finance
June 9, 2022

The unpaid time between training and practice is probably the one area of planning that catches most residents and fellows off guard. Transition planning involves preparing for the financial and lifestyle changes as you transition from training to practice.

Many new decisions will need to be made during this time, such as:

  • Determining which benefits you can and should continue from your former employer.
  • Electing benefits offered by your new employer.

    • …

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A physician’s infertility story [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 8, 2022
YouTube video

“My IVF baby turns 12 this week — and having attempted frozen and fresh IVF cycles six years ago, which did not result in pregnancies — I can also hold tenderly the space for those who have heard those words, ‘Only one child?’

Yes. Only one. Only one, magical, amazing, child destined …

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Physician choose wisely: 4 tips when choosing your next job

Physician
June 8, 2022

Choosing your employer is the most important next decision you will make for yourself. Signing that employment contract is the single most important use of your signature you will ink and affect your happiness for years, even the rest of your career. PAs and NPs: This applies to you, too.

1. Decide where you want to live. Location matters, and in today’s polarized political environment, choosing a state or region to …

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The conundrum of feeding our minds and our babies

Conditions
June 8, 2022

In 2022, you might have never envisioned that the United States of America would be among other countries struggling to feed its babies. As of the first week of May, more than 40 percent of formula brands are out of stock, and many families are desperately searching high and low, near and far, to find substitute options. In the background of this chaos, I cannot help but consider how we …

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The past, present, and future of fitness

Conditions
June 8, 2022

Before the contemporary context of spandex and exercise trends, physical activity and exercise were integral to daily life for most human beings across historical contexts. In this piece, we explore the historical roots of physical fitness born out of necessity for combat and survival.

Ancient fitness

The earliest evidence of fitness training dates back over three thousand years before the rise of the Greek Olympics, in 4000 BCE. Ancient civilizations residing in …

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The extortion of physicians: If doctors don’t pay up they don’t work

Physician
June 8, 2022

I am a former associate director in a state physician health program (PHP). I also hold faculty appointments at Baylor College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School in ethics and psychiatry. I started writing about PHPs a decade ago. Almost immediately, I started receiving emails and phone calls from physicians and their lawyers that had a disturbing theme. They’d been referred to their state PHP for a relatively minor issue, …

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Burnout follows from physician to wellness director [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 7, 2022
YouTube video

“Over the years, trainees poured their hearts out. I began developing wellness electives and curriculum. I ultimately became a founding co-chair of faculty wellness at one institution and the director of wellness at another. This “’final” evasive strategy, working on physician wellness and resilience. Over the years, I have increased the …

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The MMI: 3 strategies to help you prepare

Education
June 7, 2022

You’re feeling pretty confident as you walk into your medical school interview– but then you meet your interviewer. “Why did it take you so long to get here?! I’ve been sitting here, waiting and waiting, and I’m in so much pain.”

Welcome to the world of the MMI. The Multiple Mini Interview, commonly known as the MMI, is a newer type of medical school interview, and it’s increasingly being used in …

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Distrust in science is a cancer to public safety

Conditions
June 7, 2022

When a congressional candidate was recently cheered on after demanding the execution of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, it was another reminder that civil discourse and trust in science are continuing to dwindle.

A controversial household name in the sciences, Dr. Fauci was the first scientist to make the cover of Time Magazine in its 100-year history. Well-established scientists can easily recognize Fauci’s important contributions to …

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“My doctor made me cry”: Headlines that are examples of victim-blaming

Physician
June 7, 2022

This health policy consultant may have never cried in a doctor’s office before (“My doctor made me cry. It summed up everything that’s wrong with health care“), but I can practically guarantee that her doctor has. I know this because throughout my 20 years as a primary care physician, I have cried many times in my office, and so have most of my colleagues. I’m not talking …

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