Automatic savings is one of the best decisions you can make

Physician Finance
July 31, 2020

When I graduated from medical school, one of the best decisions I made was to set up automatic savings. I made a budget that had about 25 percent taken away in taxes, decided to live on 50 percent of my income, and made the bold move to have the remaining 25 percent placed in an entirely separate account. This account was reserved for building wealth through saving, investing, and paying …

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Automatic savings is one of the best decisions you can make

In social work, small actions make a big difference

Conditions and Diseases
July 31, 2020

I first became acquainted with Michael after another case manager I work with, a woman, reported the proprietor of the group home (sort of a boarding house, really), Miss Samantha, as she was known, and whom I knew slightly, said she wanted Michael out because of his sometimes bizarre behaviors, often frightening to her neighbors.  Miss Samantha is a tall, white-haired woman of some dignity.  Sort of Southern in her …

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In social work, small actions make a big difference

Something’s rotten in America’s health care

Physician
July 31, 2020

My friend, the hospitalist, was livid as he came from meeting the administration. “They said doctors cost too much!” he sputtered. “We’re an expense. An expense the hospital can no longer support. We are an expense!”

He turned purple. Nice color. Like a good Bordeaux. I worried about his blood pressure. He can’t have a healthy lifestyle! None of us do. Seven twelves in a string will do a number on your workout routine, …

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Something’s rotten in America’s health care

Pain management’s painfully fine line [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 30, 2020
YouTube video

“I find that managing chronic pain can be a bit of a dance between myself and the patient. Sometimes a little bit of a compromise. I always tell my patients that pain is subjective but many things can contribute to pain — certainly stress, lack of sleep, any emotional issues can make pain worse. Your pain is different than my pain. …

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Pain management’s painfully fine line [PODCAST]

A physician unmutes herself after receiving an email

Physician
July 30, 2020

There it was, in my inbox, an email from an unfamiliar person. I knew the email recipient but not the sender. Part of his email went like this “This women is obviously very touchy. You did all the right things; I would just forget about her.”

I was surprised to be included in the email. I told myself, it was likely an unintended consequence of looking me up in the email …

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A physician unmutes herself after receiving an email

Wife swap: a physician’s toxic work environment

Physician
July 30, 2020

“It’s not my fault that you chose to have children.”

Years after leaving my job, I still hear my boss’s words in my head.  He did not want to get married and or have children. He made that clear during my interview. He was also clear that he did not want anyone to perceive that I got special treatment for having a family.  When I left, I did not sue. I …

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Wife swap: a physician’s toxic work environment

Our patients matter, but at what cost to our families? 

Health Policy
July 30, 2020

Is it possible to have it all?  Can you have a job that you love, helping people and using your brain and hands all at the same time; plus, a family, with a spouse and children, that you are always there for?  Is it possible to have a balance between your work and your family live while working as a medical practitioner?

I would argue, it depends.  About 15 years ago, …

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Our patients matter, but at what cost to our families? 

I challenge you to discuss death

Medical Education
July 30, 2020

My medical school’s secondary application, like that of many other medical schools, asked me to describe a personal or professional challenge or conflict and to explain how I worked to resolve it. However, unlike other medical schools, my school specified that they did not want to hear about the MCAT or another academic challenge.

For this question, I wrote about a challenge that I have been facing for most of my …

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I challenge you to discuss death

The connection between atrial fibrillation and burnout

Conditions and Diseases
July 30, 2020

One of the greatest health challenges in our lives is the phenomenon of burnout. It occurs when there is enough negative stress that persists over time. As many of us know, stress is an integral part of being human. It can be positive (an upcoming wedding or birth of a child) or negative (job loss or physical injury). At its core, stress is any physical, mental, or emotional factor, external or …

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The connection between atrial fibrillation and burnout

A physician embraces the power of the word, “and” [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 29, 2020
YouTube video

“I struggle for words to describe life in the season of COVID-19. Depending on the day, I need at least a few adjectives: ‘peculiar,’ ‘fine, all things considered,’ ‘terrifying.’ ‘Joyous’ and ‘anxious’ certainly make odd bedfellows in my brain.

As a mother and physician living this new reality, I’ve been extra thankful for Irene, who taught me the power of “and.” Irene …

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A physician embraces the power of the word, “and” [PODCAST]

A physician’s convoluted FMLA journey

Physician
July 29, 2020

I have dealt with unstable knees since childhood. In December 2019, I noticed knee swelling, which would improve with rest. This flare-up was not unusual, except that the swelling and pain gradually became a routine fixture in my life. This was still pre-COVID, but winter is busy in the ICU, so I ignored my own health. We went on a trip to the beach in February, and I came back …

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A physician’s convoluted FMLA journey

The implications of #medbikini and why women feel outraged

Physician
July 29, 2020

I have never expected to write a submission to KevinMD, nor have I ever felt I would be compelled to do so. But the recent social media firestorm in response to the August 2020 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, a manuscript entitled “Prevalence of Unprofessional Social Media Content Among Young Vascular Surgeons,” unearthed unexpected emotions that compelled me to put pen to paper.

The implications of the article initially unsettled …

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The implications of #medbikini and why women feel outraged

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Let us talk about the underlying situation of #medbikini

Physician
July 29, 2020

The perception of women being the weaker sex permeates every aspect of society, and it is shameful to admit that this also exists within the world of medicine. But this is no secret. It is not new. It has been a part of the culture of medicine that, unfortunately, has been long overdue for an overhaul.

Many female physicians have ignored these issues because we would be viewed as trouble makers, …

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Let us talk about the underlying situation of #medbikini

Black lives will not start to matter until Black health matters

Physician
July 29, 2020

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minnesota has awakened a country out of hibernation and put Black Lives Matter on the national platform. Practicing primary care in Springfield, Massachusetts, I have known for a long time that Black lives do matter. It is important to understand that Black health matters and blank education matters as well. The Black on Black violence needs attention as …

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Black lives will not start to matter until Black health matters

How physicians can share health information and manage dissent online [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 28, 2020
YouTube video

“In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am both hopeful and inspired as well as disappointed. I see those angry that their ideas or opinions conflict with science. Instead of the steady path and hard work of building bridges, they create division. I see many capitalizing on fear and uncertainty, weaving a compelling story and drawing in the desperate ones …

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How physicians can share health information and manage dissent online [PODCAST]

The loss of a paycheck is a major traumatic situation. The loss of life is worse.

Conditions and Diseases
July 28, 2020

It’s mid-summer. Time for family vacations, camping trips, backyard barbeques with family and friends, all the great things we look forward to during those cold days of winter. However, where do most of us find ourselves right now? I’ll tell you where: In the clutches of COVID-19 and with no end in sight to its tyranny.

I’m a fairly well-educated individual and of sound mind and body (according to popular opinion), …

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The loss of a paycheck is a major traumatic situation. The loss of life is worse.

A medical student walks out of a class. The silence that follows is what hurts most.

Medical Education
July 28, 2020

As a medical student, I was finally starting my clinical rotations, a time of great anticipation and celebration among medical students and their families. After two years of book learning, I was going to be called “doctor” and wear my short white doctor’s coat. I was thrilled!

As we gathered in the lecture hall, and over the hubbub of my equally excited classmates, I notice the huge screen down in front. …

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A medical student walks out of a class. The silence that follows is what hurts most.

Physicians’ role in bridging the COVID-19 health recommendations divide

Physician
July 28, 2020

It has been a summer of disconcerting milestones for the US. Over 4 million people have now been infected with the novel coronavirus, and over 140,000 have lost their lives according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The country reported over 77,000 new cases on July 16, a single-day record at the time. Thirty-nine states have reported an increase in coronavirus cases, including Texas, California, …

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Physicians’ role in bridging the COVID-19 health recommendations divide

#Medbikini unmasks bias and forces the retraction of a journal article

Physician
July 28, 2020

#Medbikini started trending on twitter after a scientifically written article published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vascular Surgery examined social network behavior.  The article entitled, “Prevalence of unprofessional social media content among young vascular surgeons,” intended to objectively and scientifically provide answers to “evaluate the extent of unprofessional social media content among recent vascular surgery residents and fellows.” In short, social media accounts were created by investigators and then used …

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#Medbikini unmasks bias and forces the retraction of a journal article

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