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Medicine is hard work but there are ways to do the job more effectively and efficiently

Physician

March 17, 2020

The first step on any journey is having a direction to follow. When you decided to become a physician, you no doubt sought out advice from trusted mentors: advisors, other physicians, even peers who had traveled that road before you.

Becoming a physician likely started as an abstract thought that became all-consuming. Somewhere along the line, your everyday life revolved around school, training, procedures … you get the picture. Now that …

This pediatrician says no coronavirus break playdates

Steve Silvestro, MD

Conditions

March 16, 2020

Strange times right now, huh?

The spread of COVID-19 is expected to be massive because the virus is sneaky

I live in Maryland, and our schools are shut down statewide due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

That means that since I’m a pediatrician, I’ve been peppered with questions from patients, family, and friends wondering what they’re going to do with the kids for at least two weeks (and, realistically, probably four or more).

They’re all asking …

Closed-loop communications: Good for codes and for marriage

Maria Michaelis, MD

Physician

March 16, 2020

Recently, I realized that something needed to change in my family life. With three busy daughters at three different schools who participate in multiple activities along with my full-time job as an anesthesiologist, my life depended on accurate and concise communication. However, this was the third time in a week that a ball had been dropped between my husband and me.

This time it resulted in my middle daughter, Laini, being …

A pathologist’s message to the public

Michelle C. Hure, MD

Conditions

March 16, 2020

14 years ago, I recited the Hippocratic Oath, and two sections have always stuck with me:

“Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will enter to help the sick” and “I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment.”

The events over the last couple of weeks have affected me deeply. Of course, I’m concerned about a novel virus that is infecting and killing people. But, I’m more …

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A pathologist’s message to the public

I thought COVID-19 was overblown. I was wrong.

Jenny Hartsock, MD

Conditions

March 16, 2020

I’ll admit that a month ago, I thought COVID-19 was going to be another overblown SARS or MERS or even H1N1. I talked about it with my friends in the medical field, and we had a bit of a “been there, done that” attitude. But I was wrong, and in the time since, I’ve educated myself as much as possible. This strain of coronavirus is more contagious than the flu, …

A COVID-19 physician pep talk

Sujani G. Surakanti, MD

Conditions

March 16, 2020

All hands on deck! No one sits this one out. We are all MD/DOs. We all took the same oath, and in unison. Year after year, we graduate as our parents and grandparents shed tears of joy. In those years of sleep-depriving, relationship-straining, self-confidence-trying medical school and residency: We dissected everything. The human body, the human heart (the non-anatomical one), and even what it means to follow that damn oath. …

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A COVID-19 physician pep talk

Side gigs medical residents can consider

Altelisha Taylor, MD, MPH

Finance

March 16, 2020

It’s 2020, and many of us are more motivated than ever. We want to get fit, eat healthier, and continue to survive residency. While these are noteworthy goals, consider one more thing: making money doing something you love … outside of medicine. A.k.a., start a side hustle. If you’re unsure of where to start, here are a few side gigs to pursue as a resident.

Start a blog

For those who love …

4 financial mistakes medical residents make and how to avoid them

Paul Morton, CFP

Finance

March 16, 2020

Medical residents and fellows have always been in an interesting situation. They are embarking on the foothills of their career and obtaining the skills and knowledge they need to press forward. They are likely in the most idealistic mindset they’ll ever be in their career, and they’re networking with their future general practitioners and specialists; it’s an exciting time of life.

One twist is that they have …

A COVID-19 coronavirus update from concerned physicians

Howard J. Luks, MD, Joel Topf, MD, Ethan J. Weiss, MD, Carrie Diulus, MD, Nancy Yen Shipley, MD, and Dr. Eric Levi

Conditions

March 14, 2020

“Everything we do before a pandemic will seem alarmist. Everything we do after will seem inadequate.”
– Michael Leavitt

Why are we writing this?

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached a point where containment is no longer possible. The COVID-19 threat is real, and rapidly getting worse. Many of you are very nervous; some are unsure of the validity of the information you are reading. As physician leaders, we felt it was important to …

Who are responsible for outrageous medical bills? Hint: It’s not doctors.

Ashima Vohra, MD

Physician

March 14, 2020

Over the last few years, there has been a slew of articles about patients receiving surprise bills after ER visits. One woman was charged $5,751 for an ice pack and a bandage. An infant was charged $937 for an antibiotic ointment. Who sends bills like that? Is it the ER doctors? No. It’s large corporations.

ER docs want to help you regardless of …

MKSAP: 26-year-old man with back pain

mksap

Conditions

March 14, 2020

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 26-year-old man is evaluated during a follow-up visit after presenting to an urgent care clinic for back pain 1 week ago. Laboratory studies at that time were significant for a serum creatinine level of 1.4 mg/dL (123.8 µmol/L); other laboratory studies, including urinalysis, were normal. A …

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MKSAP: 26-year-old man with back pain

It’s time to stop treating suffering like a necessary rite of passage

Laura Mazer, MD

Physician

March 13, 2020

Once, when I was a senior resident covering a busy trauma service at a county hospital, I was on call for nine days in a row while my co-chief had an uncovered vacation. It was July, and we were all — interns, junior residents, and me — new and uncertain in our roles. I left the hospital only twice in those nine days.

When I finally signed over my pager for …

How can you determine a Caribbean medical school’s quality?

Jerry Wargo

Education

March 13, 2020

If you open Google and do a search for “Caribbean medical schools,” it will quickly become clear to you that not everyone is a fan, but just because something doesn’t work for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t worked for hundreds. Established, upper-tier Caribbean medical schools are credible alternatives for hardworking students unable to secure seats at U.S. schools. That’s a provable fact. Thousands of students across multiple Caribbean …

A physician in the venture capital world

Chris Kager, MD, MBA

Physician

March 12, 2020

Most physicians have spent decades training for the day that they see their first patient or perform their first surgery. This extended time involved to become a physician does not leave a lot of spare time in college or medical school for most physicians to take any significant coursework in economics, finance, or investing. Yet, physicians have a tremendous amount of knowledge with regards to all aspects of health …

Why doctors should get political

Jessica Kiarashi, MD

Policy

March 12, 2020

I became a physician to help people. So isn’t fighting for issues that help protect my patients such as racial equality, LGBTQ rights, gender pay equity, access to health care, and education all part of patient care?

Don’t my patients want to have a doctor who is fighting for them both in the office and outside it?

When I started working as a resident physician and later went on to my attending …

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Why doctors should get political

A previously healthy clinician, now critically ill with COVID-19

Kristina Fiore

Conditions

March 12, 2020

A New Jersey physician assistant who was the state’s first COVID-19 patient is speaking out from his hospital bed, calling his illness “severe” and raising concerns about his treatment.

James Cai, a 32-year-old non-smoker with no other health conditions, has been at Hackensack University Medical Center for about a week and says his illness has worsened significantly over that time.

“In the …

Learn about Guillain-Barré syndrome with a Medcomic rap

Jorge Muniz, PA-C and Neil Bobenhouse

Conditions

March 11, 2020

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in which the body’s immune system attacks peripheral nerves. Clinical and epidemiological evidence seems to indicate that most cases are preceded by an infection such as Campylobacter jejuni enteritis, but in many cases, no cause is identified.

GBS is characterized by symmetrical muscle weakness that begins in the legs and ascends. The degree of weakness can vary from mild difficulty with ambulation …

COVID-19: Why I’m very concerned

Marty Makary, MD, MPH

Conditions

March 11, 2020

While it’s well known that China and Iran have under-reported their COVID-19 statistics, Italy has been fully transparent. What we are learning is very concerning. The Lombardy province alone has experienced a surge in deaths due to the coronavirus— from 20 to 66 deaths in just one day. Analyzing data for the country as …

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COVID-19: Why I’m very concerned

Entitlement, arrogance, and isolation in modern-day medical practice

Cristina Carballo-Perelman, MD

Physician

March 10, 2020

I recently read a medical school commencement, delivered by a physician, that was both inspiring and sadly reminiscent of what physicians should aspire to throughout their careers.

This physician relayed how patients throughout her training and career had provided her with moments of clarity, helping her identify the “why” she chose a career in medicine. She went so far as to describe how a group of patients saved her from choosing …

What prevents coronavirus? A pathologist grades COVID-19 precautions.

Judy Melinek, MD

Conditions

March 10, 2020

COVID-19 is here, and it isn’t going away. The SARS-CoV2 virus, and the disease it causes, has entered the ecosystem of human pathogens and is running up numbers that make it appear to be heading into the realm of the pandemic.

Let’s look at how health care workers and patients alike can mitigate the damage …