Thanks for gathering today in this anonymous detached space. Since it’s unlikely that we’ll ever publicly convene in a circle on metal folding chairs, I’m reaching out through this letter. You can peruse this in private and perhaps see a piece of yourself here.
As a non-practicing physician who speaks openly about my decades of suicidal ideations, I know there’s a thirst for connection on this topic. Colleagues pull me aside …
“Attending physicians struggling with a mental health issue should consider contacting a counselor first, rather than a department head or employer resource. A counselor can assess the mental health issue, offer treatment recommendations, and provide therapy that meets the physician’s needs – all while protecting that person’s privacy. Mental health …
This article is sponsored by the Stanford Medicine Physician Leadership Certificate Program.
In William Shakespeare’s often-quoted speech from As You Like It, we are advised:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one …
You know that if you don’t get vaccinated and you don’t wear a mask, you potentially will die.
You go to super spreader events, big groups at beaches, football games, baseball games … loads of people laughing and clapping, and shoulder to shoulder.
Your refusal of the mask and COVID vaccination almost seems like a passage. Beating your chest. The survivor. It won’t happen to me.
Until you can’t breathe anymore. Delta doesn’t …
“I called my wife of 31 days, anxious and dazed. I told her that the pace I was on was crushing me. I told her I had done seven admits since 5 p.m. and taken floor calls, too. It was not yet midnight. I told her I don’t know if …
I am so tired of the freedom argument with it comes to vaccines. So tired. It didn’t really hit me until I learned more about medicine, government, and public health, just how much freedom is taken for granted.
I get it. I don’t like it when people try to tell me what to do with my body. All my life, I feel like I’ve gotten an onslaught of advice or orders …
For years, I hated when patients would ask if I had children. I consider myself to be a good pediatrician and trained at a highly rated medical school and residency. I work hard and I care for my patients. I can, however, be socially awkward and did not start dating until later in life. At its most innocent, the question triggered inadequacies about my social and personal life. At its …
“Chiefs, remember, one of those interns is going to fill your shoes in a few years. They may model you in that role, so you want to raise them well! As a former chief resident, I have lots of pearls for those entering residency. However, what I will tell you …
It should come as no surprise that primary care physicians are looking for careers outside of medicine. That 40 percent of primary care clinicians are concerned their field won’t exist and that 21 percent plan to leave primary care in three years.
Doctor burnout has reached epidemic levels. Primary care physicians feel like mice on a wheel, running faster without gaining ground. If …
I left my primary care practice earlier this year to focus on life coaching. Why did I leave? Because I wanted to do more and make a bigger impact. I remember how eager I was to complete medical training as I approached the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought I could finally relax and enjoy life as an attending after all the delayed gratification from becoming a …
“In January of 1991, at twenty-two months old, Nick had another heart catheterization. Andy and I had started thinking about the next stage of surgery to finish the heart repair. Just before Nick was discharged, I discussed it briefly with Dr. Kanter.
‘Tell me when you would like to do the …
Prevention
Our most effective weapons are lockdowns, masks, distancing, ventilation and vaccination, but we can also protect close patient contacts pharmacologically. Subcutaneous REGEN-COV (Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody combo, casirivimab plus imdevimab) lowers the rate of illness by a whopping 81.4%. This has been known since April and blessed by the FDA in July, but has yet to catch on.
Outpatient therapy
A year and …
Wood art
The taxing journey of going through an illness often has the turning point of hearing a “diagnosis.”
Diagnosis locks a person inside a sick body. Diagnosis is a label that dictates certain behavior in an individual and the whole circle of people around that person, including family members, workplace, health care providers, and insurance companies. Diagnosis is a journey from diagnostic …
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“After my last promotion, my institution adopted new guidelines and criteria for incorporating social media into promotion. I understand several other academic institutions have taken similar approaches, and it is enlightening to learn that academic medicine is evolving to match the current state of medical education. I encourage anyone considering …
“Imagine this scenario: a busy mom struggles to balance work and parenting during the pandemic when suddenly her teenage son begins to anger. He gets out of control, screams threats, and kicks a hole in the wall. Neighbors call the police, who recommend the family go to the emergency department …
An excerpt from Physician Betrayal: How Our Heroes Become Villains.
A mass casualty event begins with one act of betrayal. By one person. A person with power. In medicine the assault weapon—doctor’s orders.
One act of betrayal by one doctor may lead to an unstoppable cascade befalling all colleagues downstream in rapid succession.
Physician betrayal always begins with self-betrayal—the act of …
As a pulmonary and critical care doctor and the mother of three children too young to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, life has been harrowing. At the beginning of the summer, however, I was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief. My children had been in school last spring, and by the heroic efforts of their amazing teachers and staff, completed the school year free of sickness or quarantine from COVID-19. …
How does a physician become a thriller author? Where do his stories come from? How long does it take to go from idea to finished product? How did his experience as a physician influence his books?
John Bishop is a retired orthopedic surgeon.
He shares his story and discusses his …
As third-year medical students, we recently stepped out of the classroom and onto the wards, eager to provide the quality care we had been working towards for the better part of the last decade. We were, however, quickly met with a stark reminder of how climate change can jeopardize our ability to do so. We entered the ER in the midst of a blistering heatwave to find two patients waiting …
“Are there specific ways empathy will be tested in the standardized patient exam?” a medical school classmate of mine earnestly asked following a lecture years ago. I laughed, thinking that teaching empathy was impossible. As an optimistic and naive medical student, I had thought of myself as naturally empathetic. During those days, I was able to spend hours with patients, gaining their confidence while hearing their stories and concerns. I …
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