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Bulletproof backpacks: There’s more we can do

Policy

September 10, 2022

As a parent of elementary school children, every mass shooting, particularly ones killing school children like in Uvalde, jolts my doing-the-mom-thing-just-keep-busy-can’t-stop denial. On the last day of school before summer vacation, when the bus doors squeaked open, and my kids hopped off, I experienced a momentary sense of relief. They were safe for one more day, at least from school shootings. I hugged my kindergartener and patted the head (that’s …

Do we need to temper our expectations of Paxlovid?

Benjamin Geisler, MD, MPH

Meds

September 10, 2022

The twice-vaxxed, twice-boosted First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, tested negative for COVID after taking Paxlovid. And then she rebounded, just like her husband did weeks ago or like Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief Medical Advisor to the president Anthony Fauci did in June or like the 1 to Read more…

Do we need to temper our expectations of Paxlovid?

What anticipatory grief feels like

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

September 10, 2022

An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.

After Bill was given his terminal diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the bloody nose scare, I began to worry about the future. It was like “waiting for the other shoe to drop,” wondering when and how his death would happen. I …

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What anticipatory grief feels like

How you can donate effectively after tragedy [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 9, 2022

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

“Gun violence, war, pandemic, natural disasters — listening to the news or doom scrolling on social media during times of tragedy can leave us feeling devastated, discouraged, and angry. Tragedy can also make us feel like helping. …

We need to get real about chronic pain solutions

Ivica Ducic, MD, PhD

Conditions

September 9, 2022

For all the time and attention that’s placed on whether opioids should be prescribed or even removed from the market, we must put equal – if not greater – emphasis on enhancing access to non-opioid pain treatments. Not prescribing opioids doesn’t solve or eliminate the root issue and reason many people are on painkillers to begin with—chronic pain.

Fifty million Americans live in chronic, debilitating pain. For many, their pain …

How to stay off my operating table

Philip Ovadia, MD

Conditions

September 9, 2022

Health isn’t about luck — it’s about intentionality. But even if you’re doing and saying all the right things, you might not be any closer to your goals.

I know because I was there.

As a heart surgeon, I was very good at following the rules.

But I was still morbidly obese.

I followed the food pyramid to a T.

I exercised for the recommended amount of time each day.

I thought I was doing everything …

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How to stay off my operating table

What I loved about radiology was the magic

Claire Unis, MD

Physician

September 9, 2022

An excerpt from Balance, Pedal, Breathe: A Journey Through Medical School.

What I loved about radiology was the magic. Invisible beams revealed mysteries no one could see on the surface of a person. Each of us harbors a secret life. This might be a simple quirk of anatomy: a liver lobe …

Racism in nursing: a story

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

September 9, 2022

I could give you several examples of racism I have witnessed in my lifetime of nursing. But there is one incident that always comes up: Olisa.

Her name was passed down to her from her great-great-grandmother. Her name meant “God’s promise.”

Olisa came from a long line of nurses. Her great-great-grandmother was a nurse, nanny, and an enslaved person owned by some wealthy folks on their Southern plantation.

But the torch was passed …

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Racism in nursing: a story

Contractual issues for female physicians [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 8, 2022

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

“All physicians need to be concerned about issues such as potential delays in the start date, restrictive covenants, potential ownership in a private practice, malpractice tail coverage, employee benefits, etc. Unfortunately, until discrimination against female physicians ends, …

Physicians did not go to provider school

Trina E. Dorrah, MD

Physician

September 8, 2022

“If both of you are the same, then one of you is unnecessary.”

That’s one of my brother-in-law’s favorite quotes, and I think it’s applicable to the ongoing debate for physicians to be called “physicians” instead of “providers.”

When you think about what’s been happening in health care, physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners are advertised as equivalent.

How is this equivalence being promoted? By lumping us all into the same category called …

My job security relies on another woman taking care of my children

Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy, MD

Physician

September 8, 2022

“I’m taking another job,” said our nanny after my husband and I returned home from a rare date night.

My immediate numbness was a sign that my mind, body, and soul knew what was about to change in my life.

I had thrived over the past three years as a mother and a physician, despite the many expected challenges of early parenthood. I had started a new job as I found out …

Human touch and scientific veracity are missing in health care technology

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Tech

September 8, 2022

Working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic has immersed physicians in technology, perhaps accelerating its integration with medical practice – but not necessarily its acceptance or authenticity.

I tend to doubt the veracity of much of what I read in electronic health care records. I also question reports based on data gleaned from large medical databases – for example, summaries about physician compensation and practice trends.

Many reports that profile physicians are generated …

Preventing prostate cancer with simple, proactive choices

Benny Gavi, MD and Maya Eylon

Conditions

September 8, 2022

An excerpt from Preventing Prostate Cancer: Reduce Your Risk With Simple, Proactive Choices.

Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in men globally. Within the United States, the American Cancer Society found that one in eight men are diagnosed …

Automatically invest and capture the upside while protecting your downside

Ananda Aisola

5 things this allergist-immunologist will never do [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 7, 2022

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

“Jumping on the recent TikTok trend of medical professionals sharing the things they would never do given their knowledge and expertise, I am sharing the five things I would never do as a board-certified allergist-immunologist.”

Turning obstacles into opportunities with diversified health care perspectives

Dr. Vivek Podder

Physician

September 7, 2022

I have experienced a wide spectrum of the health care ecosystem since childhood giving me a deeper insight into its future need. I suffered for 23 years with a wrong diagnosis and frequent long-distance hospital visits before my heart operation. For 14 years, I shifted through multiple doctors and hospitalizations for my father’s mismanaged diabetic complications, including a foot ulcer with cellulitis. My academic mentor said, “Your father himself is …

Innovation for all: Adapting patient-facing tools to promote digital health equity

Nina Cloven, MHA

Tech

September 7, 2022

More often than not, ground-breaking health care advancements are disproportionately accessible for those who already have favorable social determinants of health.

Improving cost, access, and quality, but for whom?

The boom of telehealth and digital health during the pandemic was a necessary shift to bridge the critical access gap while also supporting the public health measures implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 – but did this change …

Top tips for new interns [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 6, 2022

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

“New resident physicians who have earned their MD degrees will be heading to hospitals to start their residencies during the last two week in June and the first week in July. What can a beginning doctor do …

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Top tips for new interns [PODCAST]

Why health care will never be the same after the COVID-19 pandemic

Naheed Ali, MD, PhD

Policy

September 6, 2022

The health care industry will never be the same again following the COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t risk dying from a virus that had already killed so many people and disintegrated fruitful lives the world over. We need to use new protocols, technological advances, and safety measures to safeguard ourselves from other possible viruses.

Health care is a complex industry where one small change can have a whopping impact. Unfortunately, the last …

How to motivate a “lazy” teen

Harriet Levy

Conditions

September 6, 2022

A high school objective: take in young, immature students, work on them in various ways for four years and send them out educated, confident and purposeful. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Perhaps that’s the way it used to be. But things are different now.

On editorial pages and talk show stages, school systems are routinely blasted by an indignant public. Fingers are pointed. Blame is placed. Why …

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How to motivate a “lazy” teen