An organizational solution to lactation support for women physicians

Conditions
April 27, 2021

In a previous post, I recognized lactation support for women physicians as an equity issue. Many of the women physicians I’ve interviewed have identified returning to work while breastfeeding as a major challenge and a major source of stress. Providing accommodations to ensure that these professionals have access to the resources they need to do their work is essential to creating an equitable workplace.

Soon after I published …

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Does your reaction to COVID reveal your political leaning?

Conditions
April 27, 2021

COVID-19 is the first-ever “politicized pandemic” in human history. COVID-19 happened in an era of widespread social media which helped the general population to understand the disease better and faster. However, the public also formulated an opinion about it. The problem was that their opinions were distilled by the information they were exposed to. And a large chunk of the information available was not scrutinized or scientifically proven.

This is a …

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3 ways technology in the ER boosts the patient experience

Tech
April 27, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the vital roles effective communication and reliable technology play in the patient journey, starting from the moment a patient is on the way to the emergency department (ED) through to discharge. There are many moving parts during an ED visit, and the process of keeping the patient, their family, and other departments within the hospital or health system informed is no small feat …

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Why quitting medicine is hard

Physician
April 27, 2021

This is a message to any medical doctor who is unhappy with their career. The individual reasons for this dissatisfaction will vary. Whatever the issue, it is important to ask, “Is the problem correctable?” If yes, then you must act and secure your happiness. If no, you must consider other options. One uncomplicated choice is to stay in medicine and practice somewhere else. However, you may also be unhappy in …

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My Klonopin withdrawal story [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 26, 2021

“Our relationship with Big Pharma is a dangerous, nasty, and abusive one, and it can prove to be fatal too. Benzos aren’t limited to a specific class, race, gender, creed, etc. Many stars have died from mixing benzodiazepines with opioids or illegal drugs.

It has been a little over a year that I have been …

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Let’s talk about vanishing twin syndrome

Conditions
April 26, 2021

This letter serves to provide my story for other women who may experience vanishing twin syndrome (VTS) and the providers that care for them, especially given how common VTS is and will continue to be.

For the folks who are either physicians or becoming care providers, I hope you choose to familiarize yourself with this odd yet common form of loss. I encourage you to respect a woman’s right to decide …

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Research and censorship in an uncertain time

Conditions
April 26, 2021

Joseph B. Fraiman is an emergency medicine physician currently practicing at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center and three other regional hospitals in Louisiana. This interview, conducted by journalist Martha Rosenberg, has been edited for clarity and length.

Rosenberg: Working at ERs in Louisiana hospitals that serve bayou communities, how seriously were you affected by COVID-19?

Fraiman: When COVID-19 began, as the only physician overnight, I was pronouncing or intubating patients two or three …

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Focus medical education on training the whole person [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 25, 2021
YouTube video

“Had I understood the nature of my struggles and felt permitted and supported in actively addressing them, I would have been more effective, a better learner, and more fulfilled. After trying out a few clinical settings, a lot of reading, and some much-needed coaching, I found my identity as a healthy, …

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Medicine is very much like driving. But don’t be a passive driver.

Education
April 25, 2021

Medicine is very much like driving. As an emergency physician, when you see a patient, you ask the same questions, “What brought you in today? What’s bothering you?” and go through the normal flow of the history and physical. You order the same labs and imaging reflexively. When you’re driving to a location that you’ve been to many times before, when you get into your car again and turn the …

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Training rural physicians is racial justice

Physician
April 25, 2021

Training physicians to serve in rural areas is a vital piece of modern medical education. It’s also frequently overlooked. Most medical education institutions are in cities, because cities allow us to concentrate the learning opportunities: the specialists, the large hospitals, the high patient volumes. This creates an automatic, unintended bias among doctors—the idea that to be a good doctor, they need to practice in a city. After all, don’t you …

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Leadership lessons from Dr. Fauci [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 24, 2021
YouTube video

“Dr. Fauci navigated the delicate balance between his obligation to the American people as one of our most respected physician-scientists and holding on to his job in a federal government whose leader doesn’t take kindly to independent thought that potentially upstages his own. Dr. Fauci not only survived multiple appearances on …

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How to stop the anti-science charlatans

Physician
April 23, 2021

A couple of weeks ago, I received a text from my aunt that included a link to a physician-created YouTube video about the COVID vaccine. The creator has built her fame and fortune as an anti-vaccination proponent. Knowing that her videos are rubbish, I ignored the text.

A couple of days ago, I received the same text message, this time with my aunt imploring me to “PLEASE READ!” I went back …

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Save the savers: I’m so tired of physician suicide

Physician
April 23, 2021

This beautiful man lost his life to suicide recently. He was an emergency physician and an incredible advocate for LGBTQIA health care. He was funny and bright. He posted almost daily with funny quips, stories from the ER and support for his colleagues. He was a shining star in our specialty, and now he’s gone. I never had the honor of meeting him in person, but I knew him well …

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Don’t forget about influenza and the lessons learned from COVID [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 22, 2021
YouTube video

“When the public was made aware of the risk of transmitting the virus and the far-reaching measures of social distancing, closing schools, and lock-down, most Americans willingly complied. After all, they became aware, for the first time, of the risk of aerosolized viral particles present in theatres, churches, restaurants, and classrooms. But …

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When are we going to start talking about patients’ bedside manner?

Physician
April 22, 2021

For years the trend has been a continued critique about physicians and their bedside manner, or lack thereof.  It is an important topic as we have moved from a time of paternalistic care to a collaborative model where patients and doctors work together to improve wellness for each individual.  This is a patient-centered model, so that autonomy and lived experience is taken into account when making medical decisions.  These …

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Applying to medical school in the post-COVID-19 era: What has changed?

Education
April 22, 2021

The spike in medical school applications during the 2020-2021 cycle surprised most people involved with medical school admissions. COVID-19 erupted full force in the spring of 2020, right in the middle of the admission season for the medical school class of 2024 and the testing season for the medical school class of 2025. Taking a look at the timeline for typical medical school admissions can help …

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Expressing grief through the power of story [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 21, 2021
YouTube video

“Now the room is silent as if nothing at all occurred. I stand watching the red stain forming on the pristine white sheet, mocking me in my failure. I trained at excellent institutions, survived residency, and served in combat. Now, here at a Level 1 trauma center, I could not save this …

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The psychology of fear: How to use it to your advantage

Physician
April 21, 2021

Fear is something that most of us have felt at one time or another. That feeling of being threatened, when you feel as though your current state is in jeopardy. It’s an instinctive reflex to flee or fight the threat. This instinct has been with us since our earliest moments on earth. Fear can be seen as a driver, too: that force that pushes us into making changes and responding …

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