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Urologist William Lynes discusses his article, “The decline of the doctor-patient relationship.” William explains why he believes this relationship, the critical center of medical care, is broken after 40 years of insidious …
Why the doctor-patient relationship is nearly dead [PODCAST]
Studies show that many patients have strong convictions regarding their rights and values. Some avoid or delay life-saving medical procedures due to modesty concerns, which can stem from religious, cultural, or personal reasons, or anxieties from previous bad experiences in medical settings. Some patients even travel to another state or country to seek medical care. Others who have been diagnosed with PTSD from abuse in medical settings avoid medical care …
Patient modesty in health care matters
In a valuable episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, welcomed two guests who have navigated a common trend in independent medicine today: private equity. Dr. Steve Hamilton, sports medicine physician and orthopedic surgeon at Beacon Orthopedics, and Andy Blankemeyer, CEO of Beacon and OrthoAlliance, shared their firsthand experiences with practice growth, private equity partnerships, and what physicians should consider when approached …
How to navigate private equity in medicine
“If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I’ll tell you what you are. That determines your character. That is the most significant thing about you.”
– Dale Carnegie, How to Make Friends and Influence People
We all want to feel seen, recognized, and appreciated. That’s human nature. But where do you get your feeling of importance? What aspects of yourself are essential to who you are and how …
Why doctors struggle with setting boundaries
It’s a moment I’ve come to recognize too well as a psychiatry resident: a patient walks into my office already convinced of their diagnosis. They’ve watched a dozen videos, followed mental health influencers on Instagram, and taken online quizzes that “confirmed” what they suspected. They have ADHD, or autism, or borderline personality disorder. They’re not here for an evaluation; they’re here for validation.
On one hand, this moment feels like progress. …
When patients self-diagnose from TikTok
I wield my instrument with confidence and precision. It slices through the air as an extension of my dominant hand. My feet shift slightly; I anticipate needing to reposition my body for the next step. I execute the move flawlessly. No, I’m not in the midst of performing a medical procedure: I’m on the tennis court. My husband had been encouraging me to take up tennis for a while, but …
Why tennis is like medicine for doctors
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Gerontologist Michael Pessman discusses his article, “Why what you do in midlife matters most.” Michael explains why the ages of 45-55 are a critical window and final opportunity to build healthy habits …
Why your midlife choices will define your future health [PODCAST]
Testosterone therapy is receiving renewed attention, not only from patients but also from regulatory agencies. In recent months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the safety information for testosterone products, reflecting new evidence on cardiovascular risk. This has generated understandable questions among men who are considering therapy and clinicians who prescribe it.
As a urologist, I frequently meet patients who are uncertain about the safety of testosterone treatment, particularly …
Testosterone cardiovascular risk: FDA update 2025
Delta Airlines has been raising money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by selling cocktails and rosé on board flights for 20 years. This month, it’s Une Femme Sparkling Rosé. Delta also serves gouda and cheddar slices, along with chicken salad sandwiches topped with queso. Have a drink or two, snack on cheese, and feel good about sending money for research, a party for a cause.
Yet, studies have shown that …
Alcohol, dairy, and breast cancer risk
Something unsettling is happening in medicine, and many of us feel it even if we haven’t said it out loud: evidence-based medicine is slowly being eroded, not just by outsiders, but from within our own profession.
Patients today are searching more than ever before for quick fixes, and physicians are increasingly stepping into the marketplace to meet that demand. Hormone pellets. “Longevity protocols.” Peptides that sound scientific but have no real …
The erosion of evidence-based medicine: a doctor’s warning
Infertility affects one in six people of reproductive age worldwide, yet it remains one of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time. For decades, millions of individuals and couples have navigated this journey in silence, carrying grief, stigma, financial strain, and deep uncertainty about their reproductive futures. Despite its prevalence, infertility has rarely been treated as a global health priority.
That changed this year when the World Health Organization …
Infertility public health: the WHO’s new global guideline
Many of the physicians I work with live with a quiet weight of imposter syndrome. They show up every day for patients, teams, and families, yet doubt their own belonging.
I wrote a short reverse poem, “Worthy in Reverse,” as a way to explore how self-talk can shape that inner experience. This poem was inspired by “Worst Day Ever?” by Chanie Gorkin, which creatively uses structure to shift perspective.
It is simple …
Imposter syndrome: a poem of self-talk
Two years ago, I asked, “Doctors diagnosing addiction: Are the blind leading the blind?”
The estimated rates of substance use disorder among clinical patients treated for pain vary greatly, depending on whom one believes. Studies also suffer from a widespread failure to address genetically mediated variability in minimum effective opioid dose between individuals. Thus, I have many times respectfully suggested that the entire body of literature on opioid …
Modified DSM-5 opioid use disorder criteria for pain patients
As a pain management specialist, my intent is not to promote unchecked opioid prescribing or overlook the serious risks these medications pose. Instead, I advocate for viewing the full picture in patient care. Physicians, trained in medicine and its side effects, must be empowered to use their knowledge and direct observations, including subtle cues like body language and patient interactions during brief visits, to make tailored decisions. Documentation in charts …
Rethinking opioid prescribing policies
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Pediatric anesthesiologist Irim Salik discusses her article, “The hidden danger in pediatric dental offices.” Irim reveals a terrifying oversight in ambulatory pediatric dental care: children are suffering neurologic injuries or dying during …
Understanding the deadly gaps in pediatric dental safety [PODCAST]
Anyone close to me knows orthopedics has never been my cup of tea. I rarely studied it properly; somehow, my enthusiasm always remained low. No offence to the subject, but maybe it started the day I saw my best friend’s forearm break. Fractures have always made me uncomfortable. During one of our postings, we were asked to do a case presentation. A patient was assigned to us, and it happened …
A lesson in empathy from a young patient
Many physicians do not seem to grasp the risks inherent in physician employment agreements that impose a minimum threshold of wRVU production. However, there can be many pitfalls in these agreements.
What is the effect of the threshold?
The first pitfall is determining the effect of a threshold. Some agreements provide a salary “assuming a minimum threshold of” some number of wRVUs. I have reviewed many agreements with a provision like that …
wRVU threshold risks in physician contracts
“When people with ADHD are able to get the treatment that they need as soon as they’re diagnosed as children, it gives them the best chance to realize their full potential.” These were the words that hit me like a ton of bricks one day as my preceptor was talking about his experiences treating adult patients with ADHD. I was soaking up every bit of information as he was teaching …
My late ADHD diagnosis in med school
Have you ever wondered how a single online comment might shape your reputation as a physician? I have, especially after reading a review that sardonically suggested I had earned my medical degree from Amazon (the company, not the rainforest). The jab was clearly meant to sting. Although I regret the dissatisfaction behind it, it gave me pause. How much weight do we give these offhand remarks, and what do they …
How online physician reviews impact your medical career
Every cardiology clinic has them: patients with swollen, aching legs and bulging varicose veins. We talk about conservative management: exercise, leg elevation, and, of course, compression stockings. And almost without fail, patients smile politely, nod, and then admit at the next visit: “I couldn’t wear them. They’re too tight, too hot, too uncomfortable.”
The paradox of a simple solution
Compression stockings are one of the most effective noninvasive treatments for varicose veins …
Why is compression stocking compliance low?
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