Breaking barriers: the urgent need for disability inclusion in medicine
Diversity and inclusion—we talk about them. Some organizations have targets. Some even have communication campaigns on them. Yet, in medicine, like many other professions, we lag. According to American Medical Colleges (AAMC) data, “Only about 3 percent of doctors in the United States have a disability.” As an emergency department doctor with a spinal cord injury who uses a wheelchair, this data is thought-provoking.
Why are we not moving the …
Prevent youth suicide: essential steps for parents to secure their home
This blog contains information about youth suicide which may be triggering for some readers. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal ideations, please seek attention from your own medical provider, call 988, or text 741741 for guidance and professional support.
As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I spent a fair share of my day speaking to parents about suicide prevention. Oftentimes, when a parent is thinking about how to …
The heartbreaking decision that taught me the power of boundaries
Many years ago, our family rescue dog’s health began to decline quickly. He was around thirteen years old at the time, so we knew the end was coming soon. If you’ve ever experienced an aging pet, you know how extremely difficult it is to make the decision to say goodbye. To add to the difficulty, I felt like I was making the decision alone since my divorce. I had a …
How psychotherapy can rescue burned-out physicians [PODCAST]
The truth behind opioid use disorder
Anyone reading health care news today must be aware that American medicine – particularly pain medicine – is in crisis. Doctors are experiencing high levels of burnout due to administrative burdens, prior authorization demands, and a health care system that often prioritizes efficiency over patient care. This burnout is leading to mental health issues and, in some cases, physician suicides.
Medicare payments to physicians have decreased by 26 …
Mindfulness: Beat the overwhelm and find your focus
Does it sometimes feel like you are a teeny tiny person in a world that is so big, surrounded by giants doing their giant people things? Does it feel like, to keep up, you have to do ten thousand tasks? And somehow, even when you manage to complete those ten thousand things, it’s still not enough, and there are ten thousand more waiting. Just writing these lines is giving me …
Find fulfillment: Reject societal pressures and embrace simplicity
Such calmness,
Groundedness,
Beauty,
Standing tall and mighty.
The sense of peace in your presence—
Protected,
Safe,
A patient teacher.
No rah-rah, motivational fluff.
Quiet, yet confident,
Not rushing,
Not chasing,
Not running around striving.
Still, grounded, present.
In a world where people tell me I need to take big financial risks to be fulfilled, I say bullsh*t.
My inner fulfillment is felt when still, calm, and trusting that this simple life I cherish is the most fulfilling of all. Connected to humans, connected to …
From Super Bowl to supermarket: How candy ads shape kids’ diets
A gummy candy shimmies on stage, dancing to Flashdance. The music swells; it pulls a chain and is showered in multi-colored candies. The ad, for Nerds Gummy Clusters, was one of dozens of food ads that 123 million people saw during the 2024 Super Bowl. While the nostalgic soundtrack entertained adults, the cartoon candies were engineered to appeal to a different audience: children.
And it …
Solutions for lymphedema in breast cancer survivors [PODCAST]
Bridging the health gap: Empowering Latino communities for a healthier future
As an endocrinologist, internal medicine physician, and public health leader, I have witnessed firsthand the health disparities that affect Latino communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified these issues, especially with chronic diseases, emphasizing the pressing need for culturally competent health care to address these inequities.
In Arizona and across the nation, my efforts have been dedicated to educating and protecting our communities through media outreach, training community health workers, and …
Strategies for living and coping with invisible illness
I have a handicap placard. I appear healthy, and I walk a lot, but sometimes, the looks I get when I park in the designated handicap space are priceless because I am taking up a special parking spot for someone who is “sick.” “What gives?” they are thinking. “She doesn’t look sick!”
“It’s a big emotional load,” Dr. Sands says. “People are scowling at you because you took that handicapped parking …
Am I an internist or a milkman?
I have too many important tasks during my workday to leave anything to chance in the hazy, slanted dawn. Failure is not on my schedule for tomorrow. So tonight, I will once again pack a lunch, lay out my clothes, and set up the coffee pot.
Before arriving at work in the morning, I will know who I will be seeing and—often—why they are coming to me. If, for some reason, …
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Systemic failures in mental health care [PODCAST]
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We sit down with Claire Ellerbrock, a nurse practitioner with a background in psychiatric and behavioral health care. Claire shares her powerful and transformative experience with a patient named John, whose tragic passing …
From toe pain to financial strain: the hidden costs of medical care
“I was terrified, and my foot was in so much pain,” said Mrs. C as I began our interview. There was a blood clot that had turned her toe blue. She went on to describe her history and briefly mentioned that she did not have medical insurance. With her pain now gone after a few days in the hospital, the anxiety of the financial burden of her stay was now …
Why speaking up in medical school could save lives
It was a fresh start to my first day of medical school as a second-year student. With a slightly stronger arsenal of information compared to my first year, the energy was palpable. My team and I huddled in our small conference room, gathered around the table, ready to tackle our first case of the week as part of our team-based learning. The first patient was a 1-year-old female infant presenting …
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Are rapid weight loss drugs hiding the real obesity problem?
According to some academics, in 2019, a ban on junk food advertising across London’s entire public transport network—foods and drinks high in fat and salt and ads for foods–resulted in the prevention of 100,000 obesity cases. Yet the U.S. love affair with the new semaglutide-based weight loss drugs like Ozempic gives junk food advertising and availability a huge pass.
Drug makers and Wall Street are pleased that instead of changing …
A journey of self-worth and healing [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Join us for a conversation with Jillian Rigert, an oral medicine specialist and radiation oncology research fellow. Jillian shares her journey of overcoming mental illness during medical school, redefining self-worth, and challenging harmful …
Street medicine: a lifeline for Florida’s homeless amidst new public sleeping ban
Despite the evening hour, the sun beats down on our group as we gather to orient new participants to the street run. It’s a typical Spring day in Florida, with temperatures already in the upper 80s. We stand in a circle on a downtown sidewalk in our green t-shirts. In the center of our circle are bags filled with socks, toiletries, and naloxone, an opioid reversal medication. We’ll distribute these …
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A cardiologist’s urgent call to combat heat-related health risks
As I drive to work and back, my eyes are on the ambient temperature reading in my car—it has been creeping up every day. I routinely listen to NPR, and extreme heat in various parts of the world comes up in daily discussions.
As a heart failure cardiologist in the clinic, I routinely ask my patients about their activity levels. Most of them complain about the heat and how it impacts …
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?
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
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The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
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Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
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What happened to real care in health care?
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The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
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Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
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Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations
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Recent Posts
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You have nothing to prove: a bold message for every overwhelmed doctor
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The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
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Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]
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A doctor’s emotional struggle with a young leukemia patient
-
DSM-5 doesn’t name it, but moral distress is everywhere in medicine
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How a restaurant principle can transform your patient care
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Past Week
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
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
-
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
-
Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations
-
Recent Posts
-
You have nothing to prove: a bold message for every overwhelmed doctor
-
The hidden impact of denials on health care systems
-
Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]
-
A doctor’s emotional struggle with a young leukemia patient
-
DSM-5 doesn’t name it, but moral distress is everywhere in medicine
-
How a restaurant principle can transform your patient care
-
