Doctors under fire: Is the DEA turning them into drug dealers?
In the state of New York (you already know it’s going to be bad), a doctor and a pharmacist were arrested in a sting operation conducted by a joint task force of the DEA, FBI, IRS, and probably CIA and CBS, though I have no proof of the latter two. The doctor, Mordechai Bar, and the pharmacist, Feroze Nazirbage, have been accused of “violating their oaths,” something you almost never …
Time to get digital in your practice
Can you imagine if you were shopping online and placing an order took eight hours? What if your order took 26 days to arrive? Sadly, this is the current state of many Americans’ struggles to schedule their doctors’ appointments. We, as physicians, can do better.
Americans are spending an average of eight hours a month managing their health care and are waiting 26 days to see a new doctor in many …
Why isn’t medical advertising regulated like other advertising?
As long as you live, you will never hear an article from news media contending that “America Runs On Duncan.” Why? Because the line is a marketing allegation created by the advertising company and designed to sell product.
Yet news media repeat medical claims from drug makers found in journals like they are news––which gives Pharma companies free advertising and can mislead consumers and patients.
The most recent example is the “news” …
The heartbreaking reality of smoking: a daughter’s final goodbye
Fred was the cool guy.
Back in the 1950s and 60s, smoking cigarettes was considered movie star quality. That circling of smoke in his parked car with the girl of his dreams.
He started smoking at the tender age of 15.
Fred had it figured out. Cigarettes were glamorous. Cigarettes were cool.
Doctors advertised that smoking was good for you. It helped you keep weight off, and it relieved your anxiety.
In 1965, the Surgeon …
Why all physicians are leaders [PODCAST]
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In this episode, neurosurgeon Leon Moores delves into his book, All Physicians Lead: Redefining Physician Leadership for Better Patient Outcomes. He challenges the traditional view of physician leadership as limited to formal titles, …
Medicare’s cobra effect: How a well-intentioned policy spiraled into a health care crisis
In the sweltering heat of 19th-century colonial Delhi, legend has it that cobras were taking over the streets. To eliminate the dangerous snakes, British officials offered a bounty for every dead cobra brought to government offices. Soon, locals began breeding and killing cobras for profit. When British officers caught wind of the scheme, they ended the program immediately. In response, the breeders released their now-worthless snakes back into the streets, …
How parental preferences and evidence-based practices intersect to achieve success in intervention programs
With more than 15 years of experience as a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and clinician working with children and teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents, I have seen first-hand how parent involvement is the key to success in intervention programs. To make an impact on these children’s lives, we need to go beyond simply applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy sessions. This is where parents come in, reinforcing, …
Empowering female doctors: How investment education can combat burnout and build wealth
In today’s financial landscape, it is imperative for women in medicine to take charge of investing their own money. Physicians face a myriad of disadvantages when it comes to wealth building. The average medical student will be saddled with an average of $200,000 in student loan debt. The nature of prolonged medical training puts physicians at another disadvantage, with a high debt-to-income ratio until their mid-to-late 30s, causing them to …
Why hernias are a silent threat to women’s health [PODCAST]
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In this episode, Shirin Towfigh, a surgeon and hernia specialist, delves into the often-overlooked issue of hernias, particularly in women. The discussion highlights the challenges patients face when dealing with chronic pelvic pain …
Effective strategies to reduce hospital readmissions amidst staffing shortages
Hospital readmissions continue to be frequent despite their negative impact on health outcomes and financial strain on the health care system overall. On average, 14.56 percent of patients across the nation who have been discharged from a hospital, whether to a post-acute care facility or a home, will be readmitted for unforeseen circumstances. Readmissions can be triggered for various reasons and may be inevitable, yet some could be easily …
The long strange trip of psychedelic drugs
In the mid-1960s, the Grateful Dead were the house band for Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests, parties in which people were “tripping out” on LSD, parties that helped bring psychedelics into the counterculture. Psychedelic drugs have been the focus of extensive clinical research since then, and their potential therapeutic benefits have seen renewed interest in recent years. It’s been a long, strange trip for certain because, despite extensive research, there are …
Should transgender athletes compete in women’s sports?
Watching the 2024 Paris Olympics reminded me of my intense love for sports. It is the nobility, beauty, strength, agility, and fairness that attract me and the audience. Performances by Simone Biles, with her majesty and strength, to Katie Ledecky’s’ power and domination, surrounded by Olympic and world record performances, often bring me to tears. These attributes have abounded in Paris, but unfortunately, something foul is also afoot.
Sexual and gender …
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Rising ER wait times signal larger health system challenges
Emergency department (ED) wait times are on the rise across the United States, a troubling trend that reflects deeper systemic challenges in the nation’s health care systems. According to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the median time spent in the ED has increased from 2 hours and 15 minutes in 2018 to 2 hours and 40 minutes in recent years. Data from …
Living out of a car to pursue a dream: the true price of becoming a doctor [PODCAST]
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We sit down with Christina Stach, a medical student who shares her powerful journey of navigating the financial hardships of medical education. Christina’s story sheds light on the unique challenges faced by first-generation, …
The cost of exhaustion: Resident fatigue is a public health emergency
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in resident unionization across the country, driven largely by the grueling working conditions many residents face. While the most pressing issues are pay and burnout, one contributing cause is the long hours of training that contribute to resident sleep deprivation – a serious threat to resident health and patient safety. Despite duty hour restrictions imposed by the Accreditation Council for …
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Cultivating joy beyond the clinic: a physician’s tale of rediscovering hobbies
It smelled like hay, molasses, and mice. I really hoped there wasn’t a mouse in the oat bin again. It was early fall, and the pasture was eaten to the ground, so the horses received “special oats” with some molasses and corn added so they could head into the winter with extra fat stores. They loved it. So did the mice. I lifted the lid. No mice. Phew. I filled …
From anaphylaxis to food allergy freedom: a family’s journey down under
My daughter Amelia’s first bottle of formula was a turning point. The innocent act triggered a terrifying anaphylaxis that catapulted us into a world of food allergies. As a young mother, the diagnosis was a gut-wrenching blow. Every food label became a riddle to decipher, and every social event a logistical nightmare, as we didn’t want our daughter to grow up facing the social exclusion, bullying, and isolation that all …
How coaching saved my life and helped me find freedom from burnout and anorexia
In 2019, I bought a condo, as growing up with the image of the American Dream told me to buy a house as soon as I could. I loved my little condo, but I felt trapped.
I decorated the rooms and made it a home, but it wasn’t me.
In 2020, I sold it and nearly everything in it, minimizing my belongings. This was not the most economical decision when it came …
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Physician collective negotiations: Securing fair compensation [PODCAST]
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Join us as we explore two compelling case studies featuring Jon Appino, the driving force behind Contract Diagnostics. In the first, three interventional radiologists, earning over $700k but under-compensated by market standards, sought …
Past Week
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Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
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Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
When grief hits all at once: a morning of heartbreak and love
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations
-
The medical malpractice system is broken: Who really benefits?
-
Recent Posts
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C. Everett Koop’s defining stand against the tobacco industry [PODCAST]
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Not all heroes wear capes: Sometimes they just speak up in meetings
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Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
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Why physicians are unlike the “average” investor
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The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
The origin of medical licensing exams
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Past Week
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
When grief hits all at once: a morning of heartbreak and love
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
What happened to real care in health care?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations
-
The medical malpractice system is broken: Who really benefits?
-
Recent Posts
-
C. Everett Koop’s defining stand against the tobacco industry [PODCAST]
-
Not all heroes wear capes: Sometimes they just speak up in meetings
-
Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
-
Why physicians are unlike the “average” investor
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
The origin of medical licensing exams
-
