Voting as a physician: How my parents’ story inspired me to advocate
My parents, both physicians, embody the American story. After completing medical school in Iran, they were recruited to the U.S. in 1968 to fill the gap left by doctors sent to Vietnam. Building a life from the ground up, they became pillars of their patients and communities — and our family, too. In 1992, they became citizens, finally gaining the right to vote, and they’ve never missed an election since, …
It’s not a normal job, folks: How 3 elemental forces of reality shape the profession of medicine
Introduction
In the book Ender’s Game, humans face a time-dilation war in which they must travel light-years into the future to face an enemy of unknown strength and scale. The weapons and technology they possess for the journey may be outdated by their arrival, because relativity minimizes the passage of time. The same dilemma is true for medical and premedical students who can spend decades in training, only to emerge without …
How financial incentives transform health care [PODCAST]
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We sit down with Taylor J. Christensen, an internal medicine physician and health policy researcher, to discuss his health care incentives framework. Taylor explains how restructuring financial incentives can encourage providers and insurers …
Nurses sue over trans colleague’s actions
Eight female nurses at a United Kingdom hospital are suing their employer for not assuring their psychological and physical safety. The nurses work in specialized areas that require their changing uniforms once daily. There is a trans-female nurse, similarly specialized, who changes with them. He wanders about the locker room in briefs or nude, the women report, ogling them as they exchange clothing. It has also been related that he …
A prescription from the next generation of doctors: Vote early
As future medical professionals, we see the real-life consequences of political decisions in emergency rooms, hospitals, and clinics. Despite a growing recognition that voting is directly linked to better health outcomes, however, health professionals are voting at lower rates than the national average. It’s time that we make a change this election.
We see patients denied essential services due to bureaucratic hurdles, such as insurance coverage gaps for life-saving medications …
Physician gaslighting looks like this
As physicians, we are often collectively gaslit—made to believe that somehow, we are responsible for system failures. Many physicians are brainwashed to “drink the Kool-Aid” and accept phrases like, “This is the way things have always been done.” We are made to feel inhuman when we advocate for ourselves as if we are somehow to blame. The system uses terms like “unprofessional,” “unable to cope with the rigors of being …
Embracing the advantages of digitization in health care
Due to rising rates of burnout and depression among health care providers, the U.S. is looking at a projected shortfall of over 3.2 million health care workers by 2026. In parallel, the health care industry is grappling with a 13 percent decline in provider productivity that is directly correlated with the increased adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs). This raises a critical question on …
How pharmacy benefit companies are making fertility treatments even harder for patients [PODCAST]
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We sit down with Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa, a fertility specialist and founder of Montgomery Fertility Center, to explore the hidden barriers patients face when accessing fertility medications. We delve into the complex role …
Is the surge in adult ADHD diagnoses helping or harming patients?
As an outpatient adult psychiatrist, I have witnessed an increasing trend of patients seeking a diagnosis of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Often, these patients have had friends or family members diagnosed with the condition and wonder whether they have it as well. They have read about ADHD online and felt that the described symptoms matched perfectly with their lived experience. They were never diagnosed as children but remember …
Insights gained by attending vascular surgery conferences as a medical student: tips and lessons learned
Attending academic conferences as a medical student offers a wealth of opportunities. Whether it’s networking, finding potential mentors, deepening your knowledge of specialties, or simply exploring new cities, conferences provide unique experiences that can significantly shape your career. As a medical student, I had the chance to attend both regional and national vascular surgery conferences through travel scholarships, and I want to share the lessons I learned in the hope …
Inside the courtroom: a doctor’s battle against a fraud investigation [PODCAST]
Medical crisis or government overreach: How misguided policies are destroying lives
A million vulnerable patients have died in the last decade, and while I have no doubt the rate of overdose and poisoning will drop nationwide—killing a million vulnerable patients has that effect eventually—I choose not to contribute to that death rate. This decision is in accordance with my deeply held beliefs. In 2014, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed the Arkansas Conscience Protection Act into law, supposedly protecting health care professionals who …
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How AI is transforming breast cancer detection: a game-changing tool for early diagnosis and personalized care
If you had an assistant who helped you do your work faster, more efficiently, and more precisely, would you fear it?
With artificial intelligence (AI) at the forefront of virtually everything today, two of the most common questions I hear in my daily practice are, “Do you use AI?” and “What does AI do for you?” For some, these questions stem from a desire to access cutting-edge tools, while others express …
The duty of health system boards to prioritize organizational culture, workforce development, and career pathways
Recently, I interviewed Dr. David Morris, a physician in Ireland and CEO of Verity Barrington, along with Geoffrey Roche, director of workforce development for Siemens Healthineers. Our conversation focused on successes in health care in both Ireland and America, and the lessons we can share to improve the system. A critical part of our discussion revolved around the role of health care boards. Geoffrey posed a pivotal question: “Where are …
Near-death experiences: What doctors need to know but aren’t taught [PODCAST]
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In this episode, we delve into a fascinating yet often overlooked medical phenomenon—near-death experiences (NDEs)—with John C. Hagan III, an ophthalmologist and expert on the subject. Despite being reported by as many as …
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Hiding in plain sight: the psychosocial burden of vitiligo and importance of clinical research
Imagine waking up one day with a white patch somewhere on your body. It’s not painful or itchy, but over time it grows and changes, with more patches appearing almost daily. In a short space of time, these patches have fundamentally altered the appearance of your skin and your interface with the world. This is the reality for over 1.5 million Americans living with vitiligo.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that …
The role of social credit scores in the enforcement of health care regulations
As health care predictive algorithms, including the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP), expand their reach beyond traditional enforcement of health care regulations, the concept of a social credit score has emerged as a powerful but controversial tool. Like predictive policing, social credit scores use an individual’s behaviors, online activity, and social interactions to assess their perceived trustworthiness and risk to society and are used as fodder for the prosecution of …
Transform your health care team with these 5-minute communication exercises
An excerpt from The Medical Improv Toolkit: 10 Simple Activities to Promote Safe Care, Healthy Workplaces, & Rewarding Careers!
“Were there none who were discontented with what they have,
the world would never reach anything better.”
~Florence Nightingale
The expectation for dedicating time to playful activities can seem like a waste of time, especially with relentless clinical priorities and limited resources. In order to justify the time needed to proceed with this work, …
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Why in-person care still matters in the age of telemedicine
There’s a patient who comes to see me every week. Every time we part ways, I say, “OK, Susan (name changed)! See you in a month!” But inevitably, she’ll call on a morning when she knows I’m in the office, and my staff will fit her in. She likes to tell me about what she did with her granddaughter that week. She doesn’t have anything terribly wrong with her; she …
Past Week
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How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
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Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
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The heartbreaking pandemic story I will never forget
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How Earth Day can inspire better health for doctors and patients
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Why female physicians are done asking for permission
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Spreading hope one card at a time for doctors’ well-being [PODCAST]
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Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
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How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
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How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
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Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
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What happened to real care in health care?
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Recent Posts
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Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
A surgeon’s late-night crisis reveals the cost confusion in health care
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Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
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Staying stone free with AI: How smart tech is revolutionizing kidney stone prevention
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Overcoming the curse of knowledge: Why doctors need to translate medicine [PODCAST]
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Signing bonuses and taxes: What physicians should know
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Past Week
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
The heartbreaking pandemic story I will never forget
-
How Earth Day can inspire better health for doctors and patients
-
Why female physicians are done asking for permission
-
Spreading hope one card at a time for doctors’ well-being [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
Recent Posts
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
A surgeon’s late-night crisis reveals the cost confusion in health care
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
Staying stone free with AI: How smart tech is revolutionizing kidney stone prevention
-
Overcoming the curse of knowledge: Why doctors need to translate medicine [PODCAST]
-
Signing bonuses and taxes: What physicians should know
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