How life’s biggest lessons shape us: a journey through struggle, loss, and resilience

Physician
November 21, 2024

Life has a way of teaching us through the most unexpected experiences, often in moments that feel daunting. I reflect on this often, especially when I consider my own journey—a journey shaped by illness, loss, inspiration, and a constant hunger for knowledge. One lifetime can feel too short to absorb everything there is to learn, yet the most meaningful lessons often emerge in this brevity.

As a child, I never imagined …

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Navigating patient transitions following the withdrawal of Oxbryta

Meds
November 21, 2024

The withdrawal of Oxbryta (voxelotor) from global markets, announced by Pfizer after a recent data review revealed a rise in deaths and complications, has left sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in a precarious situation. The sudden nature of the announcement caught the patient and physician community off guard, as there was no prewarning. For an already narrow world of options available to people with sickle cell disease, this came as …

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Patient insights can shape your career in unexpected ways [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 20, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us in this episode as we explore the story of a medical student who redefined her career path after a pivotal moment of self-discovery and patient insight. Our guest, Janet A. Jokela, …

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How one health care family is using fiction to inspire real change in medicine

Physician
November 20, 2024

American health care is broken. There are decades of literature detailing the physician shortage, burnout, moral injury, administrative bloat, devaluing of physicians, the shift from fee-for-service to real value unit (RVU)–based compensation, as well as the challenges of electronic medical records. No discernible and substantive changes have been made.

Coming from a health care family, I was familiar with the challenges I would face as a physician. My father, John Denman, …

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The urgent need for better early intervention programs

Conditions
November 20, 2024

As someone working in the health care field, I have become all too familiar with the need for early intervention and how important it can be for a child’s overall progress.

There are parents who travel to larger states in search of better medical care and services, of which early intervention is a significant one. One particular case comes to mind, where Spanish-speaking parents sought early intervention for their daughter, but …

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Top-down hierarchies in health care harm patients and health care workers alike

Conditions
November 20, 2024

As I lay abandoned on a stretcher in the hallway of my university hospital’s emergency room, I felt powerless in my ability to improve the quality of my care. Nurses bustled back and forth between patient rooms, too busy to give me the attention I deserved. My bladder was getting painfully full, but I was too weak to get up to use the restroom and unable to find anyone I …

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Diagnosing ADHD in adults: Understanding the risks and rewards of treatment [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 19, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with psychiatrist Morgan Hardy to explore the complex rise in adult ADHD diagnoses. Morgan shares insights on the growing demand for ADHD evaluations, the impact of social and environmental factors, …

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Why your doctor wants you to talk about poop — and it could save your life

Conditions
November 19, 2024

A patient came to see me recently (all my stories start like this: “A patient walked into the room…,” akin to “A guy walked into a bar…”), and she was so embarrassed to be there. That’s not uncommon for me. What was unusual was that she refused to talk about her bowel habits. She couldn’t say what her symptoms were or what her poop looked like. To her, it was …

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How each generation sees AI: a reflection on adaptation

Tech
November 19, 2024

Disclaimer: This is a broad generalization meant to spark reflection. While no one perfectly fits into generational boxes, these insights are designed to explore how each age group navigates the evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI).

Generation Z (born 1997–2012): the digital natives

How they see AI: AI is like oxygen for Gen Z—essential, omnipresent, and often unnoticed. Growing up with smartphones, streaming algorithms, and social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, …

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How we can safeguard patients without restricting telehealth access

Conditions
November 19, 2024

The state of mental health care in the U.S. is dire, and with the telehealth prescription waivers projected to expire at the end of the year, it’s only going to get worse. If a temporary extension is granted, we can leverage technology and present data for clearer decisions moving forward, if it is not, we are leaving patients and clinicians without a clear understanding of how to care for their …

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Ways that one can succeed in dermatology residency: words of wisdom from a program coordinator

Conditions
November 19, 2024

With sixteen years of experience working with dermatology residents, my role as a program coordinator has evolved immensely. Within the auspices of graduate medical education (GME), I manage the dermatology residency program, projects, and program budgets, assist in determining policies and procedures, and work closely with the program director with any and all directives given. I guess you could say that I am the person who makes sure residents “get …

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Why prevention is the missing link in health care policy [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 18, 2024
YouTube video

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We’re joined by Anand Parekh, internal medicine physician and author of Prevention First: Policymaking for a Healthier America. We dive into the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the pivotal role of prevention …

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Congress must fix the Medicare penalty that’s keeping millions from aging at home

Policy
November 18, 2024

People enrolled in Medicare got good news recently. Their annual out-of-pocket costs for Part D prescription drug coverage will be capped at $2,000 next year. That should provide welcome relief to millions of older adults who worry about how they will afford health care now and in the longer term.

Unfortunately, not every person enrolled in Medicare is eligible for the $2,000 cap. A little-known penalty robs some people of the …

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If you are pro-psychiatry, should you be anti-RFK?

Policy
November 18, 2024

Much has been written about Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s radical health plans to eliminate fluoride from the drinking water and suppress vaccines, among other lame-brain schemes. But relatively few people are aware of his anti-psychiatry views, possibly endangering the health of a large swath of the populace.

Kennedy is pitching the idea that users of illicit drugs be sent to the “wellness farms,” and users of antidepressants and ADHD medications should …

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Abused and broken: her fight for survival in a behavioral health unit

Conditions
November 18, 2024

It was that bewitching hour. 0300. Behavioral health unit/behavioral health intensive care unit.

She was a small young woman. Her eyes appeared black as coal, as if her soul had been sucked out repeatedly. There were bruises around her eyes, black and blue punch marks up and down her arms. Several superficial cuts on her forearm—self-destruction. She was quiet, almost invisible. She wanted to sit in the corner of her bed, …

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How a chief resident’s battle with stress and toxic politics revealed an untold story of resilience

Physician
November 18, 2024

Almost three years ago, I was the chief resident of our training program. The chief resident was primarily responsible for designing curricular activities in collaboration with the faculty, attending and representing the department and the residency program at the majority of hospital and administrative meetings, providing regular updates on resident performance, designing the on-call schedule and rotations, and supervising juniors.

It was the most difficult job for me. I found it …

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Why body image and food choices are more connected than you think [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 17, 2024
YouTube video

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We dive into the intricate world of food choices, body image, and the science behind nutrition myths with psychologist and author Charlotte Markey. Charlotte unpacks the sometimes overwhelming dietary information people encounter daily, …

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Reducing medical errors from health care AI: lessons from Claude Shannon and Max Planck on precision in medicine

Tech
November 17, 2024

In 1948, Claude Shannon revolutionized the world of communication with his theory of information, showing that precision and efficiency could emerge from chaos. Roughly 40 years earlier, Max Planck had done something similar in physics by discovering the rules of quantum mechanics, reducing uncertainty in an unpredictable universe. These two minds, though working in entirely different fields, shared a common vision: to bring order out of entropy. Today, their legacies …

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Why physicians can’t let go of the golden RVU ring

Physician
November 17, 2024

There is something strangely captivating about the RVU (relative value unit) system in medicine. It’s as if it has become our own “precious”—a golden ring that offers power and financial viability, yet comes at a great cost. Just like the One Ring in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the RVU system exerts a powerful, almost mesmerizing hold on the medical profession. It promises us control—of our practices, our autonomy, …

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The emotional toll doctors face: a book review

Conditions
November 17, 2024

For over twenty years, I’ve had a recurring nightmare: I’m back in medical training, and my patient is crashing. To save them, I must enter my medical orders into the electronic health record (EHR). The only problem is, there are no open computers. I could give a verbal order in a real-life emergency, but those aren’t the rules in this nightmare world. I go from computer to computer, begging for …

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