Please join me and respectfully fight COVID misinformation

Physician
July 29, 2021

Another COVID outbreak appears to be transpiring. As America celebrated significant milestones with vaccination efforts, many people were still spurred by misinformation, lack of evidence, and education. The COVID-19 vaccine naysayers are in all walks of society, from the uneducated to health care professionals. I think it’s fair to say that our civil liberties and part of our belief in freedom of choice will be the downfall of this nation. …

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Please join me and respectfully fight COVID misinformation

Pride: It’s not only for the LGBTQAI+

Physician
July 29, 2021

I just finished watching an hour-long YouTube special about pride — yes, I know I’m late for Pride Month. The concept of pride is always one I’ve had trouble getting my head around. Not as a bisexual woman — that’s been relatively easy. Just as a person. Let me explain.

Imposter syndrome

When I started med school, I felt like I was pretending to be a doctor. Like I …

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Pride: It’s not only for the LGBTQAI+

When it comes to bias, doctors need to do their homework

Physician
July 29, 2021

I used to be a big fan of The Bachelor, particularly when I was single.  What an efficient way to meet potential suitors! (If you can get past every relationship being public.) Chris Harrison seems like a nice guy, and I never noticed any obvious signs of racism over the years.  However, the recent events that ultimately led to him parting with the franchise, in my opinion, point out a …

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When it comes to bias, doctors need to do their homework

Burnout and bias? Or medical gaslighting?

Physician
July 29, 2021

Five years into my practice as an academic allergist/immunologist, my perceptions continue to evolve. Though once primarily informed by my mentors’ wisdom, I continue incorporating my experiences as both physician and autoimmune patient to guide my practice. Though we all know medicine isn’t like it used to be, nostalgia is bittersweet. In its wake, the real question remains: how are we going to respond to ongoing changes and fight for …

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Burnout and bias? Or medical gaslighting?

If Simone Biles were a doctor she would be vilified, not praised

Physician
July 28, 2021

When the greatest-of-all-time gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympics to focus on her mental wellbeing, most observers applauded her decision, viewing it as an act of courage and bravery, an eye-opener for breaking the stigma around mental health. Many felt it was a positive step (no pun intended) because it reignited conversations about elite athletes and other high-stress professionals and their ability to perform under psychological adversity. However, does the …

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If Simone Biles were a doctor she would be vilified, not praised

President Biden’s tax proposal and its effects on estate and income tax planning for physicians

Podcast
July 28, 2021
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by Wall Street Alliance Group.

While physicians provide a vital service to the U.S., they often have blind spots when it comes to maintaining their own financial health. Many in the …

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President Biden’s tax proposal and its effects on estate and income tax planning for physicians

Simone Biles: I am thankful for her strength under pressure

Physician
July 28, 2021

By deciding to forgo further competition in the Olympic Games this week, Simone Biles brought a spotlight to prioritizing one’s own mental health.

She has shown what grace under pressure looks like. Even champions make mistakes and have the right to protect their body and mind, especially when the agency tasked to protect them failed in such an egregious manner that subjected them …

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Simone Biles: I am thankful for her strength under pressure

The Apgar Olympics: The race is on

Physician
July 28, 2021

The page comes during a lull on an otherwise busy day in the well-baby nursery (WBN). My pager’s shrill cry rouses me like the blast of a starting pistol.

DI-DI GESTATION. 37 WEEKS. BABY A WITH NON-REASSURING HEART TONES. BABY B BREECH. OPERATING ROOM A. COME STAT.

Translation: Twin birth. Baby A is STRESSED. Baby B attempted a front flip but got stuck. HURRY.

The race is on, and I am determined to …

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The Apgar Olympics: The race is on

What we don’t teach residents

Physician
July 28, 2021

I feel like I speak for most of us when I say; residency was tough.  It wasn’t only the hours of work, the fear of not knowing something when an attending was pimping you after being on call for over 24 hours, the humiliation, and the sleep deprivation.  It was that feeling of being small.  I graduated from residency a decade ago, and I felt relieved when I was done.  I felt competent and …

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What we don’t teach residents

CDC updates indoor mask guidance

Conditions and Diseases
July 28, 2021

Due to emerging science about transmission in vaccinated people, the CDC now recommends all teachers and students wear masks in school, and that people living in COVID-19 hotspots, or areas of the country with large outbreaks, wear masks indoors, CDC officials said on Tuesday.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, attributed this updated guidance to new science surrounding the Delta variant, showing that “some vaccinated people infected with the Delta …

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CDC updates indoor mask guidance

Health literacy: the missing piece to caregiver support and empowerment

Health Policy
July 28, 2021

Caregiving in the United States has reached a crisis due to an aging population, a lack of investment in a professional caregiving infrastructure, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors pushed millions of Americans out of the workforce and into a caregiving role, particularly women. Those Americans already providing care for a loved one experienced a 36 percent increase …

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Health literacy: the missing piece to caregiver support and empowerment

Doctors beware: There’s a $400,000 target on your back [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 27, 2021
YouTube video

“President Joe Biden recently signaled that a multi-trillion-dollar spending plan for our country should be paid for by the rich corporations and wealthy individual Americans who make over $400,000. Doctors fit the latter category and should tune in.

Beyond the government, the unique qualities of doctors make us a target for …

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Doctors beware: There’s a $400,000 target on your back [PODCAST]

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Awkward Zoom etiquette in the primary care clinic

Physician
July 27, 2021

We had a great conversation throughout the telehealth visit. Maybe one of the best of my week. John seemed to really appreciate our time together. We got ready to close the visit, something I still find a bit awkward over the phone. No body language to rely on or to which I can react.

You would think Zoom would be better, but I still find the closing of a Zoom meeting …

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Awkward Zoom etiquette in the primary care clinic

Bezos and Branson: a cautionary tale for space exploration

Physician
July 27, 2021

A rocket launch. The tall vessel, akin to a solitary skyscraper, stands alone on the launchpad. The thunderous roar of thrusters travels across miles of empty concrete. The ground shakes. The audible roar in your ear and the palpable vibration underfoot steadily rises, in unison with the overhead countdown. Hundreds of on-lookers stand in excitement, witnessing the launch at a safe distance.

Seated in the capsule, confined by restraints, are the …

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Bezos and Branson: a cautionary tale for space exploration

Calling the shots and bossing up: retirement at 52

Physician
July 27, 2021

They say we should “work until we are old enough to retire.” What age is that? For some, retirement is at 65 years, and for others, it is never. As a physician, I guess I fell in the “never” category. I never thought I would hang up my beautiful red pediatric Littman stethoscope with a picture of Princess Tiana on its diaphragm. I never thought I would replace my prescription …

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Calling the shots and bossing up: retirement at 52

Major medical groups back mandatory COVID vaccine for health care workers

Health Policy
July 27, 2021

Medical groups’ calls for COVID-19 vaccination mandates for health care workers reached a fever pitch on Monday, with the American Medical Association (AMA), American Nurses Association, and 55 other organizations joining the chorus supporting mandatory vaccination.

“It is critical that all people in the health care workforce get vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our patients and our colleagues,” said Susan R. Bailey, MD, immediate past president of the AMA, …

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Major medical groups back mandatory COVID vaccine for health care workers

Health care workers betrayed: Mask mandates were lifted too early

Conditions and Diseases
July 27, 2021

A year ago, I started writing.  I wrote to process what I had seen and done and to prepare for what I knew was to come.  It was inevitable.  Humans would return to their normal activities, and despite mine and so many others’ advice, would do so without utilizing mitigating behaviors or respect for others.  We knew it was coming, and it did.  The summer surge, followed by the darkest …

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Health care workers betrayed: Mask mandates were lifted too early

Why it’s important for physicians to change the system [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 26, 2021
YouTube video

“What if I had access to real solutions? What if I had resources to provide to a person to help them overcome their problem? As a primary care provider with over 20 years of experience, I know viscerally that I will never “fix” anyone. I can teach, I can guide, …

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Why it’s important for physicians to change the system [PODCAST]

DO and MD: If perceptions matter, which one matters most?

Medical Education
July 26, 2021

I remember the second I received my first phone call from admissions to a medical school. I was sitting at an airport, after having finished another interview. After putting down the phone, I started to cry. All of those years of hard work had been recognized, and I was finally welcomed into the profession of my dreams. I never thought that I accomplished something less meaningful because it was a …

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DO and MD: If perceptions matter, which one matters most?

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