Ever since the publication of the infamous 2016 BMJ opinion piece claiming medical error should be considered the third leading cause of death in the U.S., the debate on the true incidence of deaths caused by medical error has been raging. Many, including me, felt the estimate of 251,000 deaths per year from medical error was grossly inflated. For example, the paper extrapolated the number of deaths from …
In my very first job as a doctor — working in a London hospital in the 1980s. I always took a ridiculously detailed past medical history for every patient I saw. I started to notice how many elderly women had had septicemia, a life-threatening infection in which enormous amounts of bacteria enter the bloodstream.
The neighborhood surrounding the hospital had once been the worst slum in London. And it didn’t take …
Our local newspaper recently ran an article on the top of its front page, stating that our monopoly health system is now “expanding health care cost discounts.” The article was actually a press release – free advertising on the front page. As a primary care physician who refers patients to this health system, I wanted to know what these discounts really meant.
So, I asked the newspaper in an editorial, “what …
Recently, my mother waited for over an hour for what turned out to be a 5-minute visit with her primary care doctor. Her doctor seemed rushed and stressed, her questions perfunctory, the management plan hurried. And then she was gone. “It’s like she didn’t even know I was there,” my mom relayed to me.
This is a physician who is thoughtful, intelligent, and kind, with excellent clinical instincts. After this visit, …
On my final day of work before beginning my self-imposed burnout sabbatical, a colleague asked, “Why don’t you just get on medication?” I remember thinking, “What am I medicating? I feel nothing.” I was in the vice grip of burnout, overwhelmed, and physically and emotionally exhausted. But mostly, I was numb.
But in reality, I have always self-medicated – with work. As a professional ballet dancer turned doctor, my life has …
Calling.
I am awakened by the loud, screeching sound of my pager. I feel my heart race. I look at the clock.
It is 3:07 a.m. It’s cold in the room. I am shivering. I stand up quickly, instinctively. I feel the soreness of my feet for a brief moment, but push that thought aside and look quickly at my pager. It reads, “room 2309, death pronouncement”.
My heart sinks. She is mine—my …
On February 12, 2020, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) announced that the USMLE Step 1 will transition to a pass/fail exam in January 2022 at the earliest. This move comes amidst increasing pressure on the NBME regarding its financial conflicts of interest, as well as the tangible sense among medical school deans that students were neglecting …
By the time I turned 40, I had gained and lost 40 pounds at least ten times. It started with the “freshman fifteen” plus another twenty-five in college. In medical school, I was introduced to sweetened coffee beverages, and I snacked on pretzels and candy to stay awake while studying. I got through overnight call during residency by using my meal tickets to buy chocolate-covered ice cream bars. And once …
Growing up in a Korean household meant that I had very little experience with the type of baking that most Americans are used to; My grandma made rice cakes, not birthday cakes.
But during my third year of medical school, an intern recommended a show called The Great British Bake Off. After watching a few episodes and seeing what devoted home bakers could do, I was smitten and resolved to bake a …
An excerpt from Dottoressa: An American Doctor in Rome.
The great bidet mystery: What’s it for? Americans can live here for decades thinking Italians go to the trouble of installing bidets just so they can soak their feet. If they’ve read Henry Miller, they add so women can …
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Engaging personally with our health care system either as a patient or family member is usually an eye-opening experience for most physicians. It provides a glimpse of what those under our care likely deal with on a daily basis while attempting to manage …
There is good news and bad news in the world of women’s health.
The good news is that women do not need annual Pap smears. The bad news is that, upon hearing the good news, many women incorrectly assume they no longer need annual pelvic exams, either.
Historically, Pap smears were performed annually, and during the same time as pelvic exams, so it is understandable why women would conflate the two. But …
Medical school prepares doctors for patient care: perform a history and physical, and based on the findings, consider the next diagnostic tests to order, review all data, and develop a treatment plan. By graduating from medical school, you are skilled to perform those duties with a certain level of competency and confidence.
Success in the next phase of this journey and the rest of your life depends on honing those skills …
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My wife and I had a baby a few months ago. Or, more accurately, she birthed a child while I sat in the corner, contemplating the miracle of reproductive physiology in a vasovagal fugue. In the months leading up to and following that wondrous moment, we found ourselves navigating the labyrinthine complexity of parental leave in graduate medical education.
To start with the positive, we are both residents in the same …
I just watched the movie 1917 at the theatre. Shot in a unique way giving an immersive experience, showing the frontline reality of war through an unforgettable human story, it has to be one of the greatest war movies ever made. I’d encourage everyone to go watch it. I learned a fair bit about the First World while I was in high school in the United Kingdom. Its stories are …
Being a physician is an important role. It’s easy to forget the impact that you have on a patient just by being at their bedside.
It’s huge.
Have you ever been a patient? It’s an incredibly vulnerable experience.
You’re not really sure what’s happening and what is going to happen next.
People are really putting their faith in you to understand their needs and to ease their suffering. It’s a powerful thing to ease …
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Every winter, flu season descends upon the hospital. The most consistent reaction among any of our physicians — trainee and attending alike — who succumb to this nasty virus is one of guilt. Even the thought of “calling out sick” leads to such extreme guilt that many colleagues choose to come to work sick instead.
Several trainees have admitted to suffering from flu-like symptoms but pushing themselves to come to the …
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 32-year-old woman is evaluated for a 6-month history of loose stools, bloating, and a 3.2-kg (7-lb) weight loss. Her medical history is otherwise unremarkable. Her brother has type 1 diabetes mellitus, and her mother has autoimmune thyroid disease. She reports no other symptoms and takes no …
Sometimes, old ideas and time-tested treatments remain the best. Newer doesn’t always mean better. Except in the case of one of our oldest antihistamines, tried-and-true Benadryl. It is time for that old drug to be retired, sent off to pasture, and never used again. Goodbye, Benadryl. Fare thee well, adieu, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) was introduced in 1946. The top single that …
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In recent times, physician burnout has rightfully surfaced as a social concern for the medical fraternity. Physician burnout is a thing, and lately, I was thinking about it related to nephrology.
Many national physician organizations and local hospital systems are developing strategies to reduce work-life stress and improve the engagement of the workforce. In November 2018, I represented the Renal Physician Association at the interim meeting of the American Medical Association …
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