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My pet taught me how to be a better physician

Physician

June 17, 2021

In the last year, amidst COVID-19 news, animals have gained their place: cats harboring the virus, pet abandonment and, paradoxically, rising adoptions. Cats and dogs are now in the spotlight. I’m a physician, and my personal animal-related COVID-19 story changed the way I practice medicine.

During lockdown in 2020, we decided to adopt a kitten. As both animal abandonment and adoption were on the rise, we brought home a three-month-old orange …

Advice from graduating medical students to new ones [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 16, 2021

“We need you to join the ranks of this time-honored profession with new eyes and determined minds and eyes that see medicine’s problematic foundations and minds that are willing to act on it. Because it is you, future medical students, who will soon take up the mantle of pushing medicine to change …

Doctors beware: There’s a $400,000 target on your back

Tod Stillson, MD

Finance

June 16, 2021

President Joe Biden recently signaled that a multi-trillion-dollar spending plan for our country should be paid for by the rich corporations and wealthy individual Americans who make over $400,000. Doctors fit the latter category and should tune in.

Beyond the government, the unique qualities of doctors make us a target for many who want to access our high income and our business revenue. Our passivity to these poachers places us at …

In memory of Bernard Lown [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 15, 2021

“Ever the teacher, the Dr. Lown we knew modeled ‘The Lost Art of Healing’ (the title of one of his books) in the clinic, the laboratory, and the halls of power. As health professionals, we watched him listen carefully to his patients; as citizens, we saw him listen deeply to our …

Read more…

In memory of Bernard Lown [PODCAST]

Can personality tests make you a better doctor?

Melinda Ring, MD

Conditions

June 15, 2021

Back in medical school, during a first-year retreat, our whole class did the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychometric test, supposedly to help us learn what field of medicine might be the best fit for our unique combination of characteristics. It was the first time I’d done a formalized personality assessment, and it felt like something closer to a Cosmo quiz than a valid tool for career guidance. Since then, I’ve …

Language is a barrier for many patients. Let’s change that.

Laura V. Robles-Torres

Conditions

June 15, 2021

My role as a care coordinator for a local mobile health clinic — the mobile outreach clinic (MOC) — comes with responsibilities seldomly awarded to an undergraduate, 20-year old, volunteer student. MOC is unique in that it not only provides free, low-barrier, patient-centered primary care, but it also assigns patients to volunteer care coordinators. Care coordinators have a daunting task: to identify our assigned patients’ socioeconomic barriers to health and …

Why it’s time to split the autism spectrum [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 14, 2021

“Legislative advocacy has become difficult for the severe autism population since the DSM-5 lumped Asperger’s syndrome with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Further complicating the matter, a new population recently emerged who identify as “autistic” without having a diagnosis from a qualified health care professional.

Without a clear distinction for various parts of the spectrum, …

It’s time to end the USMLE Step 3 exam

Madeline Wozniak

Education

June 14, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on institutions that we did not think were pausable, allowing us to ask critical questions regarding their relevance and necessity. One such institution is the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). During COVID-19, Prometric sites closed, delaying exams for many. In response to public outcry, Step 2 CS has become defunct. Before COVID-19, there had been calls to reform the expensive licensing exams, …

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It’s time to end the USMLE Step 3 exam

Estate planning mistakes for physicians to avoid [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 13, 2021

“My thoughts immediately went to the tragic loss of one of my best clients, a physician who recently passed away after battling COVID-19. I remember him not only as an excellent physician but even more so as a great person.

Unlike many physicians I speak to in the course of my work, this …

The expanding role of specialists in value-based care

Martin Lustick, MD

Policy

June 13, 2021

Value-based care has become a buzzword over the past decade with early experiments in Massachusetts, followed by creating Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) as part of the Affordable Care Act. As commercial insurers jumped onto this bandwagon, most providers became familiar with the concepts of gainsharing, upside and downside risk, and bundled payments.

Much of the activity in this space has focused on primary care, particularly for ACOs and ACO lookalikes. …

Teaching young children about the existence and acceptance of LGBTQ people [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 12, 2021

“Even though there has been a lot of progress, LGBTQ youth are still struggling with discrimination. I am disheartened that 40 percent of LGBTQ youth surveyed by the Trevor project in 2020 seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months, and the amount of LGBTQ youth reaching out to the Trevor project …

6 ways to give quality feedback to medical students

Micaela Stevenson

Education

June 12, 2021

Feedback is an integral part of growing as a clinician. We all have room for improvement, and each and every one of us is a work in progress. We all grow by having others observe us and discuss how we are doing with each of us. Giving feedback also becomes an integral part of our medical education and formal training, and it must be something we strive to become good …

Surgical volumes are still down. A data-first strategy is the key to recovery.

Michael Woods, MD, MMM

Policy

June 12, 2021

Due to COVID-19, hospitals were forced to reevaluate and rework systems and processes that had been around for decades. From managing the increasing demands for testing and treating patients with the coronavirus to acquiring necessary medical equipment to keeping beds available, hospital administrators, providers, and staff showed true heroism. At the same time, the constant ebb and flow of COVID-19 surges caused hospitals to experience significant financial challenges, and …

It’s time to reframe second victim syndrome [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 11, 2021

“Taking control of distress is done by embracing the concept of ‘mental fitness.’ Being mentally fit enables one to overcome the negative emotions that have traditionally sabotaged our lives, both personally and professionally. Similar to physical fitness optimizing our bodily strength, mental fitness promotes achievement in our performance, relationships, and sense …

The need for a standardized approach to weight loss in medicine

Kevin Seely

Conditions

June 11, 2021

Any social media platform can boast an abundance of practical health and weight loss recommendations, whether scientifically accurate or not. Many professional athletes and companies are eager to sell their plans for a premium price and advertise them to the public heavily. Unfortunately, U.S. medical education cannot boast the same dedication towards confronting the obesity epidemic. By the end of my first year of medical school, I had only two …

Men’s mental health: We treat just the tip of the iceberg

Betty Rabinowitz, MD

Conditions

June 11, 2021

June is Men’s Health Month, and this year, as we emerge from the COVID-19 epidemic, more than ever, there is a compelling need to focus on male patients’ overall health, emphasizing their mental health as a key to their wellbeing.

Mental health is a significant problem among men

There are approximately 151 million males in the U.S.; six million of them are affected by depression each year, with over …

Surviving a thousand cuts: How to address physician burnout

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

June 11, 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic inflicting havoc on everyone, there is no doubt that physicians and other health care workers are most affected. The looming fear for yourself and your family adds to the current burden of responsibilities you encounter and conquer every day.

When the pandemic started in 2020, the struggle was about finding a cure and controlling the spread of the virus. With the advent of vaccines in 2021, the …

What I learned from stepping away from medicine for a year [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 10, 2021

“Before COVID-19, I left the practice of medicine for what would turn out to become an entire year. While away, I found a new way of seeing our hearts and bodies as humans in the medical profession, allowing me to return.

Here are five lessons I learned in the hope they might help …

Don’t be the patient that says these words [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

June 9, 2021

“Don’t be the patient that says: ‘Doc, just tell me what to do …’ Instead, you should ask for information to empower yourself to make decisions about your healing process. Framing questions around the clinician’s experience is always a good starting point; pretend to be the doctor for just a moment and …

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