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3 lessons I’ve learned as a doctor during the pandemic

Conditions

April 20, 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 how this current pandemic is changing our roles with patients, shifting what families and communities expect from us, and expediting …

Physician morale and the doctor’s voice [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 19, 2021

“It is dangerously unfortunate that the use of masks has been politicized in many parts of our nation. The Dakotas (or North and South COVID as they were recently called on Saturday Night Live) are far from exempt from this phenomenon. Likely, if Governor Burgum’s decision was less influenced by fear …

Congratulations on getting accepted into medical school during an unprecedented application cycle

Jason-Flor Sisante, PhD

Education

April 19, 2021

As a fortunate incoming medical student, I would like to congratulate my future physician colleagues on getting accepted into medical school during an unprecedented application cycle. This piece is dedicated to the members of the class of 2025. Like you, I worried about matriculating into the class of 2025 on top of all the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic threw at all of us: worries about our …

Doctors can’t cope with the anguish of COVID-19 casualties

Robert Pearl, MD

Physician

April 19, 2021

In the “before times,” most Americans went about their lives relatively unpreoccupied with death. In fact, one CBS News poll found only 14 percent of Americans spent “a lot of time” thinking about their own mortality.

What a difference a pandemic makes. With every masked trip to the grocery store, every passerby who coughs too close and every “doom scroll” through …

Why residents should invest in a 403(b) and a Roth IRA

Altelisha Taylor, MD, MPH

Finance

April 19, 2021

As a young professional who is trying to build wealth, I invest money. Although there is a myriad of different investment accounts and strategies, I invest in index mutual funds through my employer-sponsored retirement plan and my own Roth IRA. Yes, I have both types of accounts. Let me tell you why.

I invest in my employer-sponsored retirement plan (which is a 403(b), which is very similar to a 401(k) because:

1. …

PCPs could counter virtual plans by increasing telehealth visits [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 18, 2021

“If PCPs want to meet the new competition from virtual primary care plans, I suggest that they gradually increase the percentage of their visits that they do through telehealth. Now that payers are reimbursing those visits at the same level as in-person visits, they have nothing to lose financially. Of course, there …

My 10 Commandments of a Servant Leader

Andy Lamb, MD

Physician

April 18, 2021

I have seen great leadership and bad leadership. As a leader, I have also made my share of mistakes, and I am sure I will make more. When I do, I will immediately take ownership of it, learn from it, and do all I can not to make the same mistake. However, there will be times I may not recognize my failure, as can happen with any leader. This points …

Read more…

My 10 Commandments of a Servant Leader

My first end-of-life conversation [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 17, 2021

“Looking back on these words at the end of my rotation, I understand what I had felt, and I feel confident naming it: the futility of medicine. We can comfort and treat patients, but there’s nothing more we can do after a certain point. As a bright-eyed medical student who wrote …

Are letters of recommendation effective or burdensome?

Catherine Tawfik

Education

April 17, 2021

A letter of recommendation is a document written about the applicant by a previous employer, professor, or anyone working in close contact with the applicant. This one document is supposed to describe you, your qualities, and your abilities — all in less than a few paragraphs. It can be an enormous determining factor in getting the job position, being accepted to a university, or matching your number one residency program. …

How one doctor’s medical fraud launched today’s deadly anti-vax movement

Kurt Eichenwald

Conditions

April 17, 2021

An excerpt from The Big Lie: How One Doctor’s Medical Fraud Launched Today’s Deadly Anti-Vax Movement.

Inside the Royal Free Hospital in London, scores of reporters, physicians, and hangers-on packed the Atrium conference room, waiting for a press briefing to begin for five medical specialists who would deliver what would prove to be a historic—and dangerous—announcement.

It was February …

Advice to pregnant surgical residents [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 16, 2021

“Motherhood has been the biggest gamble of my adult life thus far. How was I going to operate for 12-plus hours while 39-weeks pregnant? Where would I be when I went into labor? How would was I going to return after three weeks? How would I pump during and in between OR …

Institute policies to proactively support physicians who are breastfeeding

Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

Physician

April 16, 2021

I’ve been speaking with women physicians about the top challenges they face today. I’ve learned there are many—which honestly didn’t surprise me, given that 48 percent of women physicians report burnout symptoms (compared with 37 percent of their male counterparts).

Several have mentioned the challenge of breastfeeding while working—rather ironic considering what is known about the health benefits for mother and infant. Maybe their colleagues and …

“Difficult” patients: Is it them or is it us?

Laila Knio

Education

April 16, 2021

It was past midnight in the ED, and she was writhing on the bed, palms clutched over her abdomen. I pulled up a stool, notebook, and pen in hand. I was ready to listen to Mrs. Walker’s story. But I also felt a sense of dread rising: From a quick chart review, I knew that Mrs. Walker had 23 negative CT scans for abdominal pain within the last 18 months. …

President Biden’s quest for a public option [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 15, 2021

“COVID-19 disproportionately impacts those with pre-existing conditions, and our health care system leaves one in five Americans with a pre-existing condition uninsured. Further, with multiple COVID-19 vaccines already in early but slow distribution, attaining universal coverage is critical, particularly in light of uninsurance having an inverse relationship with vaccination rates.

President Biden …

The soul-sucking, energy-draining life of a physician

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

April 15, 2021

It is not a secret that being a physician can be exhausting and time-consuming, but do most nonphysicians really know what it’s like to be one? The answer is a resounding no. Television glamorizes the role of the physician and hides the tedious everyday realities. Spouses and partners of physicians know too well the frustration of having a partner that seems to be “always working and not shutting work off.”

Being …

8 estate planning mistakes for physicians to avoid

Syed Nishat, BFA

Finance

April 15, 2021

When I sat down to write this article, 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 client had the foresight to do some careful estate planning. …

Patients don’t need quick diagnoses. They need accurate ones. [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 14, 2021

“The patient knocking on your door is not your enemy. They’re sick. They’re scared. They’re in pain. They don’t know why, and they’re hoping for an answer. If you can’t find the source of a problem quickly, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

Denise Reich is a patient advocate.

She shares her story and …

Think about your brain and spine before you start that new fad diet

Marc Arginteanu, MD

Conditions

April 14, 2021

Before you jump on the diet bandwagon with your brother-in-law (who’s crowing about shedding all that weight with so little effort), think about the potential downside.

The problem with an ill-thought-out diet:

Fad diets are designed to take off weight as quickly as possible. They often ignore the long-term effects that might occur regarding both the brain and spine. Someone embarking on a radical weight loss …

I was a teenage rifle owner, then an ER doctor

Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD

Physician

April 14, 2021

Many who know me might be shocked by this: I shot my first pistol when I was 8 or 9, taught by my father, a physician, aiming at targets in our basement. At summer camp, I loved riflery the way some kids loved art. Staring through the sight, down the barrel, I proved an excellent shot, gathering ever more advanced medals from the National Rifle Association. As a reward, for …

The J&J COVID vaccine pause: What the experts are saying

Phil Galewitz

Conditions

April 14, 2021

Four months into the largest U.S. vaccine rollout in decades, it’s become clear that the messaging surrounding COVID-19 vaccination efforts is as important as the science behind them.

That was true when the first COVID vaccines were introduced in December at hospitals and nursing homes and even more so after the federal government on Tuesday paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reports of extremely rare but very serious — in …

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