Anatomy of locum tenens contracts: a physician’s guide to understanding contractual provisions to maximize opportunities and minimize risks

Physician
July 22, 2020

Locum tenens means “to hold the place of, to substitute for” and locum tenens contracts are a common form of agreement for physicians who provide temporary medical services in place of full-time physicians.

Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased demand puts physicians in a better position to negotiate their locum tenens contracts.  However, too many practitioners sign them without fully understanding their implications. This is a mistake. A well-drafted …

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Obesity and the diet-microbiome connection: a conversation with a gastroenterologist [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 21, 2020
YouTube video

What should patients know about diet and its effects on the microbiome? How should primary care clinicians address diet and its effects on the microbiome? What are your tips to address obesity? What are the gastroenterological manifestations of COVID-19?

Supriya Rao is a gastroenterologist.

She shares her story and her expertise in obesity and the diet-microbiome connection.

Did you enjoy …

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A physician’s struggle with mental illness [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 20, 2020
YouTube video

“Was I that different? I had severe anxiety necessitating medication, compounded by stress, my own narcissistic tendencies, and a series of life choices—but Jason had something much worse. It all gave me pause. I was now twenty-four, just barely older than Jason when the committee took residence. Would I soon begin hearing voices as well?

I supposed that beginning the long and …

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Food allergies are not funny

Conditions
July 20, 2020

It seems that adults need to be reminded and educated of the dangers life-threatening food allergies possess. If you think taunting people that have life-threatening food allergies occur only with very young children, you would be sadly mistaken. Case in point, comedian Jimmy Fallon’s in his recent sketch “Masculine Man Masks Commercial” states that his character’s masks “don’t have to make you look like a big sissy with a shellfish …

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How this physician discovered the power of mindfulness [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 19, 2020
YouTube video

“Could COVID-19 be an opportunity that brings the plight of health care professionals finally to the forefront? Protect us so we can protect you.  Do your part and stay home.  Flatten the curve to give health care professionals a chance.  Donate PPE. Donate food.  And yet through this war, we, health care professionals, along with the entirety of humanity, are united …

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Why medical students should be taught the business side of medicine

Education
July 19, 2020

The field of medicine is always changing. In fact, half of what students learn in medical school will either be wrong or outdated five years after they graduate. As future physicians, medical students must learn to adapt to these changes. In fact, the medical school curriculum itself has evolved greatly over the years. In addition to basic science, pharmacology, and clinical medicine, curriculums now include content …

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How hospitals allocate scarce resources [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 18, 2020
YouTube video

“We are grateful to be avoiding the need to use draconian measures for resource allocation. We have been afforded the blessing of lead-time here in Los Angeles and have the chance to learn from other parts of the world, as well as other areas within the United States. We are preparing our personal protective equipment, re-organizing team structures and hospital workflow, …

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The daily medical podcast packed with information, insight, and inspiration

Podcast
July 17, 2020
YouTube video

The Podcast by KevinMD is now on the Health Podcast Network. Fifteen minutes a day, seven days a week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Infection control lessons that we have learned so far [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 17, 2020
YouTube video

 

“We are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s already very clear that the infection prevention community in the U.S. has never faced such an enormous challenge. We have learned many things that will make us better prepared for the long term.

We are far too reliant on single-use disposable products. Having a large supply of cloth surgical gowns and …

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The power of story and other essential physician speaking tips [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 16, 2020
YouTube video

“People remember stories in your speech. The rest fades away.

I learned that pearl of wisdom from studying great literature and telling personal stories, and now teach it to students of speech. Who can forget the stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey having once read the books or heard of these tales of Homer? And when I want to tell a …

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How to handle family and parenting stress as a physician [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 15, 2020
YouTube video

“Being a parent in the middle of a pandemic is not easy. Sheltering in place with canceled daycare, school, and college, while also being a doctor or other healthcare worker, working in high-risk, high-intensity situations, presents many challenges.  It also presents many opportunities.

It is possible to choose thoughts about being a physician and a parent during the COVID-19 situation that can …

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Declaring racism as a public health crisis from the lens of two Latinx student doctors

Policy
July 15, 2020

“I often heard as a child that Mexicans were lazy and dirty. As a Mexican-American, I did not wear shorts for years despite the heat because I thought my knees looked dirty. Now I fully embrace my identity. However, as a medical student, I still feel the pressure to disprove these stereotypes.”
– Camila Hurtado

“Growing up in the barrio, my white classmates would tease and bully the brown Latino kids constantly. …

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COVID-19 is the symptom. Chronic oppressive job conditions are the disease.

Physician
July 15, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the dysfunction of our health care systems, from dramatic racial disparities in mortality rates to the abuses of health care workers. As a health care staff working on inpatient floors during the pandemic, the medical system’s inequities have never been more clear — and they hurt the safety of both patients and health care workers.

A few years …

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Real estate investing for physicians [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 14, 2020
YouTube video

“Many physicians are looking for alternative sources of income and are looking for ways to diversify their investment portfolio from the volatility of the stock market. Some have heard of real estate syndications, but what exactly is a syndication? For those who have not heard of it, real estate syndications can be an attractive investment vehicle for busy professionals who do …

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Uninsured medical students are at risk

Policy
July 14, 2020

During clinical training, medical students worry about caring for patients, learning how to do procedures, memorizing drug interactions, and documenting their work in the electronic medical record —they shouldn’t be worried about paying medical bills at the same time. Shortages of personal protective equipment and the subsequent dangers of working in health care permeate the news and threaten our ability to overcome the COVID pandemic. However, there is another often-neglected …

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A medical educator shares his love for medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 13, 2020
YouTube video

“Each patient I have seen over these four decades has made me a better doctor. Books do not impact long term memory the way a real patient can. I once heard the chair of medicine at a teaching hospital say that the worst thing about being on call every other night as an intern is missing half the patients. I now …

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Living with extended family? Try these tips for better mental health.

Conditions
July 13, 2020

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the structure of many people’s households has changed dramatically. Young adults who were away at college had to return home when schools closed, and many will still be at home this fall as schools continue to limit on-campus classes. Some people chose to move in with family after job loss strained their finances. And some families chose to temporarily move older relatives out …

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The uncertainty of an international medical graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic

Policy
July 13, 2020

A quarter of the physician workforce in the United States consists of international medical graduates (IMGs). This year 4,222 non-U.S. citizens matched in first-year residency positions. I am an IMG from Guatemala, where I completed medical school. In March of 2014, I matched to an internal medicine residency in the United States. The road has been both satisfying and challenging, with all kinds of uncertainties. I have always been attracted to …

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A psychiatrist explores the mental health of physicians [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 12, 2020
YouTube video

“We know that the past two months haven’t been easy. We know about the sleepless nights, anger, tears, depression, and anxiety. We know all of this because we know what trauma does to a person, and you are in the middle of experiencing a repeated trauma. The trauma of watching patients die in ways you’ve never seen, the trauma of watching …

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Immigrant physicians: Acknowledge our privilege and move to action

Policy
July 12, 2020

Born in the United States of America to Nigerian parents, I was raised in Nigeria and returned to the U.S. after medical school for residency training. I have practiced medicine in Chicago, IL for 25 years, and like many others, have had to deal with microaggressions and racism within and outside the workplace. However, this article is not aheabout outlining my personal experiences. This is a call to action to …

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