KevinMD.com

A medical student’s guide to taking a social history

Physician

August 11, 2021

Dear medical student:

I was in your shoes twenty years ago. At that time, I thought that becoming a doctor was all about gaining medical knowledge. When I started my clinical rotations, I was convinced that the “history of present illness” is the most important aspect of patient evaluation. As a resident, I felt that navigating through the differential diagnosis and treatment options is all that medicine is about. Now, being …

Think of the vaccines like an umbrella, and it’s raining outside

Kristen Panthagani, PhD

Conditions

August 11, 2021

If you are confused about delta and how well the vaccines protect against infection right now, I don’t blame you: We are learning and updating data in real-time, and it is hard to keep track of it all. So maybe this analogy will help.

Think of the vaccines like an umbrella, and it’s raining outside. Before delta, the rain was maybe a drizzle. Most people who had an umbrella were not …

You have options when it comes to board certification [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 10, 2021

“Remember, board certification is supposed to be an option and not a requirement. Unfortunately, finding and keeping your dream job if you’re not board certified will add unwanted stress for you and your family.

And in case you’re wondering, I don’t work for or have anything to gain from informing you …

The business school mindset doesn’t mind physician burnout

Patty Fahy, MD

Physician

August 10, 2021

Even those of us with a meditation cushion and a gong app are likely to recoil when mindfulness practices are suggested as solutions for physician burnout. Sure, these practices are important. No, they do not address the causes of physician burnout.

Certainly, a more genuine effort by organizational leaders would be to respond to the data. There’s lots of it. The burnout — now “wellness” — data is collected endlessly and …

Put yourself in the shoes of a nursing home resident [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 9, 2021

“Visit a nursing home and talk with some of the residents. They are not only moms and dads, but also retired teachers, first responders, former athletes, government employees, and soldiers—the basis of our country’s past lives within these walls.

Older adults should be honored with the dignity they deserve.

As we again …

Physicians and the importance of servant leadership

Faith A. Coleman, MD

Physician

August 9, 2021

Dear resident physicians:

Soon you’ll finish residency, and you may be wondering what’s next. Some of you will start fellowships, but most of you will practice your specialty. You may be looking for opportunities that are a good match with your needs and wants. Virtually all of you are looking forward to greater income. I hope that this ending is also a beginning – a renewal of your commitment to the …

In memory of a nurse who died from injuries sustained during a patient assault

June Zanes Garen, RN

Conditions

August 9, 2021

An excerpt from Hey! I Could Use a Little Help Here! My Story of Healthcare Workplace Violence.

This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Lynne Sausse Truxillo, RN, who died on April 11, 2019 from injuries sustained during a patient assault while on duty at Baton Rouge General Hospital.

It is not my place to intrude on the privacy of people …

A pediatric infectious disease physician shares his pandemic lessons [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 8, 2021

“COVID-19 has changed nearly every aspect of society as we know it, and doctors in hospitals across America are at the forefront of those changes. As a pediatric infectious diseases doctor who also writes curriculum to help the next generation of doctors prepare for their medical exams, I’ve seen firsthand …

Colorful pills don’t paint my world

Fery Pashang, PharmD

Meds

August 8, 2021

Pyrography

Medicine bottles are mundane objects tightly woven into our daily lives, with the promise of happier moods, better sleep, and lower blood pressure. Nevertheless, nothing on these objects correlates with hope, faith, or a feeling of healthiness. I aspire to affix a face on these bottles to create conversations among medication manufacturers, prescribers, and dispensers, allowing them to explore what really happens …

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Colorful pills don’t paint my world

Vaccine hesitancy is complex

Edwin Leap, MD

Physician

August 8, 2021

Given the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking why people would be hesitant to be vaccinated against it. That’s the question that bounces around the skulls of countless physicians, public health experts, journalists, politicians, and others. But before trying to answer the question, it might be reasonable to ask why people do, or fail to do, other things that negatively affect their health.

Why does a patient with …

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Vaccine hesitancy is complex

Physician suicide: Where are the leaders?

Miriam Zylberglait Lisigurski, MD

Physician

August 8, 2021

I apologize in advance if the following lines sound full of frustration, disappointment, or anger. That is not my nature. I am optimistic; I like to see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe that goodness exists. But, after reading the news this past week, I don’t feel positive. I feel dismayed and heartbroken. I just continue asking myself: Where are the leaders?

Going to medical school and …

My child wants to be a doctor [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 7, 2021

“As a family physician, guest lecturer at a local medical school, and creator of a pre-med curriculum for young learners, I’m often asked by parents how to support their child who wants to be a doctor.

The most important point to remember is that you don’t need to have any …

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My child wants to be a doctor [PODCAST]

COVID’s lab leak theory obscures zoonosis and progression

Martha Rosenberg

Conditions

August 7, 2021

Even as COVID-19 is found in apes, big cats, minks, domestic cats, other small mammals, and now in U.S. deer, some don’t want to let go of the insultingly simplistic “lab leak” theory. Do they really think the 1918 influenza and AIDS pandemics (or Ebola, MERS, and SARS ) needed lab mendacity to exist? We won’t even talk about the prehistorical plagues!

Giving COVID-19 political not animal origins ignores its disturbing …

What do you really want in life?

Diana Londoño, MD

Physician

August 7, 2021

What do you want in life?

I mean, really want in life. Not just a nice car, a house or kids — although those are important and genuinely gratifying things to have. But I am talking about what is the purpose of your life? Have you ever thought of that? It seems that many times we associate this question with having a midlife crisis. People then begin doing things differently because, …

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What do you really want in life?

Dying after leaving AMA

Steve Burgess, MD

Conditions

August 7, 2021

The nurse called: “The patient wants to leave AMA.”

These calls come, fortunately not often. Typically the patient is not terribly ill, but they really miss their cigarettes or alcohol. Spending another day or two in the hospital would be wise, but leaving against medical advice is not actually jeopardizing their life.

This was different. This patient was very ill, but competent to make his own …

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Dying after leaving AMA

Try this new technique when talking to vaccine skeptics

Alicia DiGiammarino

Conditions

August 7, 2021

“Trust and confidence in any product — and here the vaccine is the product — starts with confidence in the process and safety.”
-Payam N., Vaccine Outreach Supervisor

While training over 1,800 vaccine outreach workers enrolled in the California Virtual Training Academy’s Vaccine Communications Training, the UCSF Center for Excellence in Primary Care developed a practical guide for engaging people who are skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccine in meaningful …

How to convince your health care colleagues to get vaccinated [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 6, 2021

“When a colleague in health care mentioned hesitation to get the COVID-19 vaccine in two separate instances, I was shocked and dismayed.

If we recommend vaccination to our patients, how can we not take the same precautions for ourselves?

With COVID-19 especially, anyone working in health care is exposed to many …

Addressing racial disparities in health begins upstream with racial equity in society [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 5, 2021

“Our nation is at a crossroads, but one thing is clear – the health of our country depends on the health of all individuals in it, regardless of income, gender, or race. ACPM is committed to doing our part to promote and advance health and safety for all populations. On …

You are not “asleep” under anesthesia

Edward R. Mariano, MD

Conditions

August 5, 2021

“You will be asleep for your surgery,” anesthesiologists often reassure their patients. Just before the start of anesthesia, a patient may hear the nurse saying, “Think of a nice dream as you go off to sleep.”

While these statements are intended to soothe patients during a stressful time, they gloss over this critical fact: Anesthesia is not like normal sleep at all. That’s why you need medical doctors – anesthesiologists – to take …

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You are not “asleep” under anesthesia

The pancreas of the future?

Thomas L. Amburn

Tech

August 5, 2021

Hidden in the epigastric region of the abdomen concealed by a curtain of peritoneum is a moody, often forgettable little organ. Of course, the term organ is a somewhat generous description for this rather overqualified gland. The pancreas has its own set of rules as it mischievously lurks behind the stomach waiting for its cue for chaos.

In a moment of theatrical exaggeration, it can go from completely forgettable to a …

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The pancreas of the future?