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Doctors are humans, not heroes

Physician

August 15, 2021

Everybody dies. And doctors can’t change that reality.

But we’ve created a system where we lead people to believe immortality is possible. We expect clear-cut answers to health questions. We’ve been trained to look for multiple-choice questions with an answer key that tells us the correct solutions. As doctors, we’re expected to be selfless, altruistic superhuman helpers who always know the answers and will sacrifice ourselves to benefit everyone else. And …

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Doctors are humans, not heroes

The bleak reality of racial disparity in surgical care

Dr. Sanjay Prasad, MD

Physician

August 15, 2021

As a practicing surgeon for 30 years in the super-specialized field of otology, neurotology and skull base surgery, I have been privy to some of the most disturbing realities of surgical care. Often, these realities are bleaker than most people expect. One thing physicians, and the general population, need to be more aware of is the very real racial disparity in surgical care.

Are the outcomes for Black and Hispanic patients …

Stop resisting the imposter

Amy Vertrees, MD

Physician

August 15, 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 our colleagues and resent them. Because why do they get to feel so secure? Why aren’t they feeling insecure? They …

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Stop resisting the imposter

A physician’s journey to walk again and how she learned self-compassion [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 14, 2021

“Suffering something similar in my career, I know the detrimental impact of not having a voice or being heard in the medical community. Medical professionals do not want to appear weak, so they continue until something breaks.

As a pain physician, I understand where the frontline health care workers are coming …

Sorry, I’m fed up. It’s not professional, but I am.

Alan Johns, MD

Physician

August 14, 2021

“It’s experimental.”

“It alters your DNA.”

“It may cause long-term problems.”

“It’s too new, too rushed. I want more time.”

I hear this nonsense from patients all day.

None are docs, virologists, microbiologists, immunologists, public health officials, medical researchers, nor intensive care docs. COVID can kill them in a particularly unpleasant way; with 99 percent+ effectiveness, the vaccine prevents them from dying from COVID, but they still recite a litany of scientifically illiterate reasons for …

Delta surge warning: Ignoring jaw pain comes at too high a price

Dr. Soumya Padala

Conditions

August 14, 2021

As surges of the Delta variant alarm officials and citizens in this country and around the world, while the cases of COVID-19 have reached more than 200 million worldwide, a less visible threat re-emerges.

If health care professionals are not allowed to perform non-emergency procedures, as was the case in 2020, patients suffering with chronic pain such as jaw pain, may be left helpless.

The COVID-19 …

America as an outlier: Paying more for less

Leonard Wang and Lily Nguyen

Policy

August 14, 2021

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States clearly stands out: we spend far more on health care per capita than any other country in the world, yet life expectancy is shorter than in other developed countries that spend far less. Despite having a higher total expenditure on health care per capita than any other country in the world, the U.S.’ health …

Let’s look at what’s right about nursing homes [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 13, 2021

“Extensive media coverage of the emotional and death tolls that COVID-19 inflicted on nursing homes has intensified concern for preserving the humanity of an often-overlooked population. There is an opportunity to re-examine the policies and practices that shape the nursing home experience and to add quality metrics that capture the …

The mindset hack that will change your life

Letizia Alto, MD

I am no longer terrified of COVID

Britney Bowling, MD

Conditions

August 13, 2021

I am no longer terrified of COVID.

I’ve seen its death. I’ve seen it take the breath from someone’s lungs. I’ve watched it shut down kidneys. I’ve walked the halls of an ICU with pumps outside the room, and patients turned upside down. I’ve heard the code blues. I’ve passed an endotracheal tube through vocal cords. I’ve squeezed air into suffocating lungs. I’ve broken ribs doing chest compressions. I’ve sent electricity …

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I am no longer terrified of COVID

Why it is essential to prioritize universal coverage [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 12, 2021

“Looking to other countries that provide universal coverage to see what works and what would fit well for the U.S. is an option. Countries like France, Australia, and England provide universal coverage and rank their health care systems very highly, and are culturally and socioeconomically similar to the U.S.

Whatever health …

The political backlash to evidence-based doctors’ recommendations

Giannina L. Garces-Ambrossi Muncey, MD

Conditions

August 12, 2021

Last week, someone referred to me online in the most shocking terms: a liberal. As I read the phrase, I gripped the pearls around my neck and coughed down my scalding afternoon tea. How could this have happened to me?

With all its newsworthiness to the public, last week was still an ordinary one in the intellectual life of a doctor: Read journal articles, understand new guidelines, disseminate via recommendations. By …

Unconscious biases against vitamins and supplements [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 11, 2021

“Like many scary health scenarios where patients seek some modicum of influence, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to patient demand for ‘immune-boosting’ dietary supplements. Toilet paper wasn’t the only essential item being limited by stores; bottles of zinc and vitamin C flew off the shelves as consumers stocked up. The …

Medical student rotations amid COVID: Welcome to medicine little grasshopper

Heather Delaney, MD

Education

August 11, 2021

I learned a valuable lesson about mentoring medical students during clinical rotations amid the COVID pandemic, and it’s not as easy as you think.

I have been in medical education, either in it or teaching it, for 20 years. I have spent countless hours doing lectures, giving hospital grand rounds, or leading bedside teaching rounds to those who want to follow in my footsteps as a clinical expert. But some are …

A medical student’s guide to taking a social history

Farhan S. Imran, MD

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 …

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