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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A few intense hours with a cardiothoracic surgeon

Physician
July 12, 2020

The warm rays of the sun serenade me as I drive to work eager to begin another shift. I find a parking spot on the first floor of the garage don my N95 mask and walk towards the hospital. First, I must stop by at the neighboring building and have my temperature checked. Today it is 97.3. I am awarded the sticker for the day; my boarding pass into the …

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Strategies to foster meaningful connection during telemedicine visits [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 11, 2020
YouTube video

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health care, with telemedicine emerging as a strategy to reduce risk exposures for patients and clinicians. Video visits, in particular, can be effective for many types of clinical care and offer convenience and savings for patients. As care shifts to this virtual modality, however, there is a risk of jeopardizing the meaningful human interaction that is …

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Why it’s so important to look at the big picture

Physician
July 11, 2020

One of the last things my dad said to me before he passed was, “remember to always look at the big picture.” He said this many times throughout my childhood and teenage years, but it never quite resonated until I was thinking about it in retrospect.

As I near the end of my intern year, my dad’s words hold true. As an emergency medicine resident, I am often running on adrenaline. …

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What we can learn from a palliative care chaplain [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 10, 2020
YouTube video

 

“Faced with the prospect of not being able to provide all COVID-19 patients with the life support that they may need, physicians and nurses are working in conditions that have been described as ‘hell.’

How are providers to cope with the trauma they are experiencing in New York and Italy, and presumably other nations as well? How are they to cope with …

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3 reasons why doctors don’t unionize

Policy
July 10, 2020

In a market economy, business leaders take every opportunity to shrink the cost line of labor on the balance sheet to boost profits and shareholder/investor value. It’s the metric on which they are evaluated, and left unopposed; they will do it more and more.

The core strategy for shrinking labor costs (along with automation and offshoring) is to drive increased “efficiencies” by demanding more and more work from the same number …

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10 reasons why divorce is hard for doctors and 5 tips to make it easier

Physician
July 10, 2020

No matter who pulls the plug, divorce sucks.

It does get better, and eventually, you get to a new normal — but the process sucks. I know this because our two-physician marriage ended 15 years ago when our daughters were six and seven years old.

Divorce can be especially hard on physicians, and during these COVID times, additional challenges have surfaced for many divorced physicians. Some on the frontlines have been unable …

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The physician who treats depressed, anxious, and suicidal teens [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 9, 2020
YouTube video

“After almost 30 years in this profession, I have come to the conclusion that there is some truth to that, as no day or week passes that I do not have a depressed, anxious or suicidal teen on my ‘to see list.’ Could it be my own personal history of depression and suicidal ideation? Could it be my own history of …

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Don’t be afraid to say “Black” when asking about someone’s culture

Physician
July 9, 2020

On the morning of George Floyd’s funeral less than ten miles from our medical center in Houston, I was avoiding the word “Black.” Despite wholehearted pride in the strong Black presence in our community health center’s physicians, staff, and patients, I felt a loss of words that Tuesday morning. There was simply too much pain, grief, and rage in our community.

I was thankful …

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Pearls and pitfalls for medical students entering their clinical years

Education
July 9, 2020

Transitioning from the classroom to the wards is an uncertain and anxiety-provoking time for many medical students. Schedules are constantly changing, as are expectations and learning objectives. Mentorship and advice from upperclassmen, residents, and attendings was an essential tool in my MS3 toolbox. I would go so far as to say that these pieces of insight are the toolbox. The 2020-2021 academic year will provide its own degree of obstacles …

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The medical basis of vampires and other medical myths [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 8, 2020
YouTube video

“Where did the myth of vampires come from? Like many myths, it is based partly in fact. A blood disorder called porphyria, which has has been with us for millennia, became prevalent among the nobility and royalty of Eastern Europe. A genetic disorder, it becomes more common with inbreeding. Porphyria is a malfunction in the process of hemoglobin production. Hemoglobin is …

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6 tips for success in residency training

Physician
July 8, 2020

Recently, a few colleagues and I sat down with our six incoming interns during a welcoming round-table discussion.  Being the closest member of the faculty to these residents in age and time from residency, I was best able to relate to them and their current feelings.

I, too, sat in those chairs in a conference room that was last used for graduating our outgoing chief residents.  I, too, remember the feelings …

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Bottles and pacifiers: advice from a Latinx pediatrician

Conditions
July 8, 2020

Growing up in Puerto Rico, “babas” (bottles: biberón/botellas) and “bobos” (pacifiers:  chupetes/chupón) were very common among the families and children of the island.  I still remember our Abuelita giving us milk in our “babas,” so my younger sister and I were sure to fall asleep better.  From the time of our births, to when my sister was three years old, the “bobo” was also consistently being used in our home.

Now, …

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Why cultural competency courses should be requisites for medical school

Education
July 8, 2020

Like many others, I have felt immense frustration in the past couple of weeks. The news surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, compounded by many other incidents of injustice against minorities, has made me feel constant rage at the society we live in.

I’ve tried to channel my anger into as much activism as I can think of, and I’m looking for more opportunities every day. Beyond donating, protesting, …

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