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“The retreat offered me the opportunity to see that I want more time (don’t we all) to connect with quiet, peace, and loved ones. I want to embody love as well as the badass that I am. …
Why physicians should go on a retreat [PODCAST]
As a pediatric subspecialist in the division of developmental medicine at our hospital and a mother of two school-aged children, I constantly strive to find new approaches to both parenting and my medical practice. Some of these strategies work well, while others do not. Despite my attempts to believe that my roles as a pediatrician and a parent do not influence each other, the truth is that they are deeply …
The intertwined roles of parenting and medicine: How personal experience can enhance patient care
Last night, one of my work colleagues asked me how I do it. I looked over at them, a little confused. They looked back at me earnestly. How do I continue to come to work every shift and not burn out? How do I keep finding meaning in what I am doing? How?
They’re a yearling emergency medicine attending. They’re just getting started in their career, whereas I am several long …
Why I keep coming back to the ER: reflections from a seasoned attending
Nearly 50 years have passed since the first published mention of physician burnout. Clinical psychologist Herbert Freudenberger described the “excessive demands on energy, strength or resources” and wrote of how it resulted in “fatigue, frustration, cynicism.” And though initiatives, programs, and solutions to address burnout have grown, the concerns first cited in 1974 have grown as well—now reaching the undeniable crisis.
In a recent survey, 61 percent of physicians reported …
Returning the joy of medicine to our primary care physicians
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“The finality of death is a powerful teacher. For some patients, being diagnosed with a terminal illness is an experience that lends a tremendous shift in perspective and newfound authenticity. This can be instructive to them and …
What being a hospice volunteer taught me about health care [PODCAST]
There is an all-too-common pain that many hide. It affects emotional well-being. It affects self-image. It affects health.
Now that the new year is upon us, advertisements for “new year, new you” aren’t far behind. That can spur people to make health care appointments that they’ve been putting off. This is a good time to address this pain that so many carry silently.
This silent pain results from infertility, pregnancy loss, being …
Childlessness: Your patients and colleagues may be grieving silently
Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety, collapsed on the field during the Monday Night NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals with nearly six minutes left in the first quarter. The incident rattled sports fans and left everyone emotionally distraught. The game was postponed and subsequently canceled. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) were used as part of resuscitation efforts. It is gratifying to hear the good news that Hamlin …
The urgent need for widespread CPR and AED access
I love joggers. If I had to pick a piece of clothing to wear every day for the rest of my life, it would be joggers. I wear them constantly — outside the hospital, that is.
These days, this choice makes me an anomaly. Like the ubiquitous clogs in the OR, jogger-style scrubs have taken over hospital floors, replacing classic ill-fitting, hospital-issued scrub sets. This is especially true among young women. …
The uncomfortable truths about comfortable scrubs
“He’s batshit crazy,” fellow physician Karen eagerly confides while describing another colleague, Kevin, in a private office conversation.
I laugh, assuming intended hyperbole.
“No. Really. He is,” Karen says. “He’s been hospitalized — several times. And his kids are crazy, too. They’re all crazy.”
I jolted into an instant somber, “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Karen looks disappointed. Her intended collusion collides with my concern. We stare at each other momentarily and …
The dangerous language of “crazy”: How stigma and judgment affect patient care
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“For Black patients—or any member of any marginalized group—to ensure you receive equitable and equal treatment, it is important to advocate for yourself. Speak up, ask questions, and seek different opinions if you don’t feel like you are being …
Ensuring equitable, quality treatment in Black and marginalized people [PODCAST]
In my third week of residency, I gave out my first sticker.
My medical assistant opened the drawer and revealed the rolls of stickers, asking me to choose for my patient, who waited behind the door I just closed, their smile joining all the other little smiles that filled this room before and would continue to fill after.
The mind took me years back to little feet in pink and white flowery …
The power of a sticker: reflections on my journey as a pediatric resident
The shocking scene that unfolded during the Bills-Bengals game Monday evening was a play that I’ve seen countless times on a very different stage. Yet as a hospital physician, watching Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest was unexpectedly jarring. Seeing the coordinated and professional medical response on the field was inspiring. No doubt, timely and effective CPR and defibrillation saved his life. As I reflect on the events of that evening, …
The reality of CPR: a powerful tool with serious consequences
Many physicians believe the curriculum vitae (CV) represents the most integral aspect of applying for new opportunities. Post-pandemic, more physicians than ever are exploring ways to leave their current positions in clinical medicine. Some are looking to practice medicine differently, while others are looking to escape the practice of medicine with part-time and full-time non-clinical roles.
As the applicant pool of physicians looking to make career changes has grown, applying for …
Having a great CV is not enough: Start building your portfolio
My first job as a “real” doctor was in 1991.
During one of those early days in my career, one of my coworkers — a woman who worked in reception — approached me for help. Even then, I could recognize a look of desperation. It reminded me of the look I saw in my sister when all she could do to lessen the pain she had suffered for so long was …
How technology is transforming medicine and making distance healing a reality
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“With the shift to value-based care models, it will be more important than ever to give clinicians a diagnostically focused view for each patient and each of their medical problems. Clinicians need these details instantly, without having …
Let’s focus more on caring, rather than coding [PODCAST]
Hospitality in health care refers to providing high-quality, compassionate care and support to patients, focusing on meeting their individual needs and preferences.
This can involve a variety of strategies, such as providing clear and accurate information to patients, involving them in decision-making about their care and offering support and resources to help them manage their health and well-being.
The goal of incorporating hospitality into health care is to improve the overall patient …
What can hospitals learn from luxury hotels?
An excerpt from Fifty Years a Doctor: The Journey of Sickness and Health, Four Plagues and the Pandemic.
Our favorite internist and chairman of the internal medicine department was lecturing us on sensitivity to patients’ suffering when they have a serious illness. He stressed that our sensitivity would increase as we …
The worst illness this physician ever had
Patient autonomy, one of the pillars of medical ethics, now shines brightest of the four pillars in modern medicine. While medical ethics was meant to take beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy in equal consideration, the balance is now offset by the digital age and an increasingly skeptical population that has hurdled American culture into striving for autonomy above all else.
Patients have begun to correct physicians on the standard of care …
Maternalism: a better approach to psychiatric care
A perfect storm is brewing in the U.S. health care system, and we must prepare to counter the rushing waves. America is facing a potentially catastrophic physician shortfall. All indicators point toward unprecedented times ahead. If I were an attorney, I would state my case something like this.
Exhibit A
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States is facing a projected shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 …
How you can thrive despite the looming physician shortage
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“My father’s struggle to exist as a father after getting married was evident. But at the same time, the birth of his children changed his world forever. His march towards success through hard work, unmatched anger, and …
Absent-Father Syndrome: Overcoming the trauma of a fatherless childhood [PODCAST]
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