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Trapped in a cauldron of suffering, medical staff are weary

Edwin Leap, MD

Physician

October 9, 2021

Sometimes I really look forward to something new. An alien race arriving on earth would be a nice start. I think we could all use a change in the news cycle. Because I am very tired of thinking about, talking about, and especially treating COVID-19.

In all of my years of medical practice, I have never seen anything that taxed the system and caused so much mayhem, while simultaneously producing such …

Clinicians are diamonds in the rough

Greg Smith, MD

Physician

October 9, 2021

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, diamonds are formed deep within the earth, about one hundred miles down in the upper mantle. As you might imagine, it is quite hot in that part of the planet, and there is a tremendous amount of pressure bearing down in that location. The brutal combination of pressure and heat is what it takes to form diamond crystals.

Now, we can’t actually travel there or even …

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Clinicians are diamonds in the rough

5 technologies that will transform medicine post-COVID

Robert Pearl, MD

Physician

October 9, 2021

When medical historians write about the coronavirus pandemic, they’ll likely focus on the slow U.S. response and failures of leadership that led to a tragically high death toll. But that will be only part of the story.

From the wreckage and devastation will emerge something few contemporary observers would expect: a brighter future for American health care.

Five technologies, all previously underappreciated and underutilized, will help …

Being a health care hero means we get free ChapStick

Anonymous

Physician

October 8, 2021

Guess what, everyone, I am a health care hero. I have been applauded by strangers. The Blue Angels flew over the hospital once in the pitch of COVID to salute us. I once sifted through a giant box of free chapsticks delivered to the hospital basement and grabbed one for my colleagues.

First of all, let me clarify: There is no such thing as a “hero.” It’s a social construct laypeople …

Stop resisting the imposter [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

October 7, 2021

“The problem with feeling like an imposter is thinking there’s something wrong with it.

I know this is different from any way you have thought about it, but humor me. What happens when we are offered an opportunity but we feel like an imposter?

We hide.

We overwork to compensate.

We look around at …

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Stop resisting the imposter [PODCAST]

How to overcome the roadblocks to getting a medical second opinion

Miles J. Varn, MD

Physician

October 7, 2021

There are many reasons why you should seek a second opinion. A second opinion can help you:

Make sure your diagnosis is accurate, lowering your risk of misdiagnosis and the harms that can cause.
Ensure that you’re choosing an appropriate, evidence-based treatment that has been shown to achieve better outcomes.
Learn about all appropriate treatment options, both medical and surgical, so you can make an informed decision.

One study conducted by …

Women are still being “burned at the stake” in medicine

Diana Londoño, MD

Physician

October 7, 2021

Are you a woman, and your sanity has been questioned? Congratulations: You are now an activist.

There is such a thing as implicit bias in which we may not be aware of how our subconscious thoughts are affecting our conscious thoughts, opinions, or actions we have daily.

They manifest in all aspects of life. Whether you come to see me for a surgical consultation and when you walk into the room, you …

Sexism in medicine: Alive and well or a dying breed?

Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, Nadia Obaed, Dieula John, MD, C. Elena Cervantes, MD, and Miriam Zylberglait Lisigurski, MD

Physician

October 7, 2021

Thirty-five years ago, as a first-year student, I (DWS) wrote an article for my medical school’s student-run newspaper titled, “Sexism in Medical School.” The article highlighted three examples of sexism:

In the middle of a pathology lecture, the professor projected a photo of a woman in a skimpy bikini lounging on a sports car to “liven things up.” He then showed a photo of a kitten, “So you ladies don’t …
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Sexism in medicine: Alive and well or a dying breed?

Aduhelm and how money and politics supersede science [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

October 6, 2021

“Sufferers of diseases, particularly terrible ones like Alzheimer’s disease, and their loved ones need and deserve something better than science can deliver today. However, the scientific rigor of the clinical trials process where approval is only granted to drugs with a clear benefit in excess of risk needs to return.

Imagine …

Why this physician is running out of sympathy

Richard J. Sagall, MD

Physician

October 6, 2021

Every day I read stories on the Internet and in the newspaper of the deaths of previously healthy people who died of COVID-19. They were good people, caring parents, working people who seemed like responsible citizens. What they all shared was not being immunized against COVID-19.

Maybe they were just “vaccine-hesitant” — one of those who wasn’t convinced of the value and safety of the vaccines. Maybe they didn’t understand the …

Dirt masks and couples massages: My trauma bonds in medical school

Micaela Stevenson

Education

October 6, 2021

While I am commonly considered to be a friendly person, I never had very many friends. This was likely because I was too much. I am was too brown, too bookish, too loud, too assertive, just too much in every single category. It was hard for people to accept me, and I gave up early on in high school to make friends. I fell in where I could, my boyfriends …

Physician identity: who you are vs. what you do [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

October 5, 2021

“‘Hi, my name is Kristin Yates, and I am the OB/GYN doctor.’ This is how I greet most patients for the first time.

It has never really felt natural to introduce myself as ‘Dr. Yates,’ even now that I have been an attending physician for more than five years. To be …

The needs of Afghan refugee children must be prioritized in evacuation and resettlement plans

Bianca Nfonoyim, MD and Rebecca Whitmire, MD, MPH

Policy

October 5, 2021

I smiled as the Afghan family of six approached my triage station in the Philadelphia airport. The three young boys were laughing, playful, and full of energy despite the long journey. The oldest, who looked about 10 years old, sat on a chair and immediately began describing his symptoms—sore throat and cough, most likely a viral upper respiratory tract infection. I completed my physical exam as the medical student flipped …

Why people diagnosed with cancer should get a second opinion [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

October 4, 2021

“Although people think of medicine as a science—the facts reveal the diagnosis, the diagnosis dictates the treatment—most physicians acknowledge that medicine is as much an art as a science. It’s not like a simple math equation with one undeniably right answer. Even when the diagnosis is clear, there may still …

3 ways your rehabilitation doctor advocates for you

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Conditions

October 4, 2021

If you’ve ever been in a serious accident or traumatic event leaving you with one or multiple injuries, you’ve probably met the rehab doctors a few times. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R, also called physiatry) is a branch of medicine geared towards helping people heal and adapt to new circumstances after their diagnosis using medications and rehab.

Here, I want to share three ways a physiatrist can be your advocate after …

Medicine’s science has advanced. Medicine’s art has stalled. [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

October 3, 2021

“I was a bit nervous about how she would perceive my advice. She could find it inappropriate and report me for making personal remarks. But I believe she sensed the sincerity in my words and appeared invigorated, uplifted, and excited. She was smiling now and exclaimed, ‘Doctor, you will see …

The Black feminist revolution medicine needs

Micaela Stevenson

Education

October 3, 2021

Black feminism describes that Black women are inherently valuable and the specific liberation of Black women is necessary in its own right. It parses out these political identities and desires to have true humanity for Black women—arguing that it is impossible for there to be bondage of any other group when we liberate marginalized genders and Black people as these populations are seen as the most marginalized …

Working in a rural emergency department during the pandemic

Ginelle Zimmerman, MD

Physician

October 3, 2021

I finished residency in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. We had a ceremony limited to just the graduating class; no family or friends could attend. Then my four other colleagues of the past three years and I embarked on our next steps as physicians.

Family medicine is my passion – I went to medical school loving the idea of caring for a whole family, from pregnancy through birth to …

From a patient to health care workers: Always remember your humanity [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

October 2, 2021

“Always remember your humanity. You are not super-human. Make connections to your heart, to your mind, to others. Look closely at the situation that lies before you, listen carefully to all that is around you, and calm the pounding heart.

Dig deep within your psyche, ask the big questions, and most …

When telemedicine leads to burnout

Heather Hansen, JD

Physician

October 2, 2021

Recently, one of my coaching clients came to our Zoom session looking exhausted. I wasn’t surprised. She’s a physician, a leader at her hospital, and the past two years have been a lot for her. COVID takes its toll in many ways, and it has changed her forever. But this day her biggest challenge was something a little bit different. She was tired of cameras.

“I’m seeing so many patients through …

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When telemedicine leads to burnout