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Non-medical transportation for postpartum moms is a necessity

Policy

March 2, 2019

This past June, California’s Department of Healthcare Services went live with the implementation of its non-medical transportation (NMT) benefit. NMT is described by the National Health Law Program as “transportation provided to access medically necessary services, which is provided by ordinary forms of transportation (public transportation, taxi, or any other forms of public or private transportation).” While transportation as a benefit has long existed under California’s Medicaid program as …

5 tips for interns tackling a busy schedule

Abeer Arain, MD, MPH

Physician

March 1, 2019

The rotations on adult medicine and critical care are probably the most challenging ones for the residents doing internal medicine residency. No matter how much we try, we tend to feel overwhelmed, fatigued and swamped sometimes. As we progress into residency, we not only gain knowledge and clinical skills but also learn to tackle the challenges of a busy schedule. Below are some of the tips that might be helpful.

1. …

The tip of the iatrogenic benzodiazepine iceberg

Nicole Lamberson, PA

Meds

March 1, 2019

Life experience gives one an intimate appreciation for the meaning behind the saying “just the tip of the iceberg.” Everyone’s encountered something that turned out to be much larger and more complex than was initially understood. In my experience, medicine has yet to submerge its head underwater to discover the true depths of the sordid underside of what I’m calling the “iatrogenic benzodiazepine iceberg.” My own boat capsized on that …

A plastic surgeon explains the dangers of the Brazilian butt lift

Patrick Hsu, MD

Conditions

February 28, 2019

The Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is a procedure that enhances the buttocks through fat transfer. Excess fat is harvested from other areas of the body including the abdomen, hips, lower back and thighs through liposuction. BBL is a popular procedure for those seeking to enhance their bodies. However, with the recent reports of patient deaths from undergoing BBL, many have now labeled it as the most dangerous cosmetic procedure.

Dangers of …

Being a doctor and parent is hard: 10 ways to make it easier

Maria Perez-Johnson, DO

Physician

February 28, 2019

Being a doctor is hard; being a mother is just as hard — if not harder — and being both often seems impossible. Looking back at my medical career it is difficult to fathom not doing both. I was an older, non-traditional student when I came back to college to attempt to complete my prerequisites for entry to medical school. I had just had a baby a few months before …

A Xanax prescription that should have been rejected

Christy Huff, MD

Meds

February 27, 2019

In hindsight, I should have never accepted a Xanax prescription from my doctor. What followed was catastrophic — rapidly developing tolerance and physical dependence on the drug and a prolonged illness. Three-and-a-half years later, I am still slowly tapering off Valium (having transitioned to a longer-acting benzodiazepine to aid in tapering) and experiencing debilitating symptoms daily.

I was unprepared for what happened to me by my medical …

Physician negotiating: Go get what you’re worth

Barbara Hamilton, MD

Finance

February 27, 2019

Nearly five years into practice, I have negotiated my first contract, multiple pay increases, call compensation and independent contractor status. I prepared by researching my market value and reading about negotiation strategy. The following are some points I have learned along the way.

If you negotiate in medicine, you may feel like the only one.

Over the years, my mid-career colleagues confided that they have not received a single pay increase, only …

Every physician will kill a patient

Michael Grzeskowiak, MD

Physician

February 26, 2019

How did I miss his hypokalemia? Two weeks into my intern year and my patient’s potassium returned at 2.9. Minutes later, he coded. And I felt responsible. As I explained to my partner how my patient had become pulseless after diuresis of his heart failure, she looked at me and said, “Physicians kill patients, it’s inevitable. Has no one told you it’s part of the job?”

There is truth to this …

Read more…

Every physician will kill a patient

Medical schools need to cut their cutthroat culture

Glen Jacobs, DeD

Education

February 26, 2019

The United States will be short 120,000 doctors by the end of next decade, according to the latest research from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

That shortage will become permanent unless medical schools make the path to becoming a doctor a bit less arduous.

Some medical schools seem to take pride in imposing a heavy emotional and physical toll on their students. Toughen up aspiring doctors early on, the thinking goes, …

How a medical student can help the team during clinical rotations

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Education

February 23, 2019

Based on my clinical experiences, there are ten pieces of advice I would give to any medical student starting their rotations that will maximize productivity and lead to a robust and thriving work environment (your interns will thank you).

1. Do as complete of a workup on your assigned patients as you can. Be thorough with your admission H&P. Think of all the tests, labs and imaging studies you want ordered. …

8 ways to go broke as a doctor

James M. Dahle, MD

Finance

February 22, 2019

So much of personal finance and investing isn’t about winning; it’s about not losing. That’s because investing is a single-player game; it’s you against your goals, not you against your neighbor or your partner or some yahoo on an internet forum. However, there are precious few whose ultimate financial goal is to be broke and if you can avoid doing that, well, that’s one mark of success. There aren’t that …

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8 ways to go broke as a doctor

How can doctors address patients’ expectations?

Linda Girgis, MD

Physician

February 20, 2019

No one wants to be sick, especially when no one can tell them what is wrong. In the U.S., we live in a culture where we want instant results; we want easy answers for complex problems. However, in medicine, there are often no easy fixes. Adverse medical events happen, despite our best efforts. For example, a young child was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. While he and his …

An emergency physician with no friends

Rada Jones, MD

Physician

February 20, 2019

Every time I call a friend, all I have for them is more work. I’ve never yet called to say: “I hope you’re having a great day. Why don’t you take a break and have some fun? You’ve worked enough.”

Nope. I only call to give them extra work. Whether it’s 2 a.m. or 2 p.m., I need you to get away from your bed/lover/high horse and come take my patient. …

Read more…

An emergency physician with no friends

Physicians: Don’t make these mistakes when looking for your first job

Smart Money, MD

Physician

February 19, 2019

We all have either experienced the fears of starting our first job or will eventually do so at some point in our careers. It only happens once for everyone. Those of us who are in the market for a job change will end up reliving some of the challenges in job hunting; hopefully, we all have learned from our past mistakes. As I am advising upcoming graduates during their job …

Physicians should stop being afraid of getting audited by the IRS

Noah Kaufman, MD

Finance

February 17, 2019

Not only is an audit unlikely to happen — if it does, it’s rarely a huge deal.

Few words inspire such fear in the hearts of Americans as “IRS audit.” But one of the biggest mistakes that taxpayers make is letting fear of the IRS stop them from taking advantage of tax savings they deserve. Especially for locums tenens docs and other 1099 income earners since the 67,000-page tax code favors …

When depersonalization is necessary in medicine

Valerie A. Jones, MD

Physician

February 17, 2019

I could hear the scream from across the room. It was shrill and filled with panic. Any parent can identify the difference between the cries of normal toddler discomforts and a true emergency.

I dropped what I was doing in the kitchen and found my three year old lying motionless on the ground, unable to move his left arm. My five year old was looking sheepishly down at the carpet, afraid …

A physician defends Ayurveda: Is it the original personalized medicine?

Madhuri Sharma, MD

Conditions

February 16, 2019

As more patients and clinicians are searching for holistic approaches to health care, Ayurveda, or the traditional medical system of India, has been gaining popularity in the Western world. Unfortunately, many allopathic physicians still view this system as “quackery” because of its focus on the “intangibles” of health. However, Ayurveda has contributed immensely to the foundations of modern medicine, which many may not know. Sushruta was an Indian scholar and …

When you identify your Lyft driver as potentially having bipolar disorder

Anonymous

Conditions

February 15, 2019

I remember September 27, 2018 like it was yesterday. When Ashley* picked me up from my apartment Thursday morning, I thought it would be like the 138 past Lyft rides I’ve taken since 2017. I was wrong.

After I waived to Ashley from the curb, I got settled into the right back seat. The doors locked, and she asked me the usual question.

“You from here?”

“Yes, I’m a local.”

“That’s great! I’m from …

The clinical and financial life of a pediatrician

Smart Money, MD

Physician

February 14, 2019

Most doctors well into their tenure of medical already have a general idea about how other specialists spend their days (except for radiation oncologists, where no one else knows what they do). However, as a medical student, I had incredibly limited insight into the variety of means to practice medicine. Even as an attending physician, I am still discovering how creative some medical specialties allow one to be. For instance, …

She was dead: How shame almost ruined a physician’s life

Robyn Alley-Hay, MD

Physician

February 14, 2019

Dear friends— especially my colleagues,

I recently failed a class (I have been working on a PhD in psychology) and found myself immobilized and disengaged from life, personal happiness and joy. I actually didn’t even tell my husband, who is my true confidant of my feeling and thoughts, until the following day. I found myself in that familiar place of guilt and shame. I thought I had transformed a lot of …

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