A new rule that could be a game changer for health care

Health Policy
June 19, 2019

As President Donald Trump was fighting with Congress over the shutdown and funding for a border wall, his administration implemented a new rule that could be a game changer for health care.

Now, hospitals must publicly reveal the contents of their master price lists — called “chargemasters” — online. These are the prices that most patients never notice because their insurers negotiate them down or they appear buried as line …

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A new rule that could be a game changer for health care

Should we change resident duty hours?

Physician
June 19, 2019

As I listened to my attending explain how during her residency training she was on call every third night, I realized how the definition of “call” had significantly changed since that time. For her, it meant her shift started at 6 a.m. and ended at 8 p.m. the next day, totaling the shift to upwards of 36 hours. My call, on the other hand, was a mere 6 a.m. to …

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Should we change resident duty hours?

The devaluation of physicians

Health Policy
June 19, 2019

Chip Kelly was a former coach and general manager of my beloved Philadelphia Eagles. He was a firm believer in his “system” and felt that his players were disposable and easily replaced.  Because of that, he proceeded to trade away or release very talented players and replace them with less talented players.  Needless to say that without the talent, the team self-destructed, the fans were angered, and it was only …

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The devaluation of physicians

Is there a doctor on board? Not always.

Physician
June 18, 2019

Is there a doctor on board? Since the beginning of my medical training, I have developed a new anxiety over flying. As an intern, the “MD” had been tagged to my name while my medical knowledge, skills, and confidence lagged behind. Now, at the end of residency, those factors have caught up. Yet my anxiety, while abated, lingers. It remains because, deep down my gut reaction to that question is …

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Is there a doctor on board? Not always.

We care for patients. Why don’t we care for ourselves?

Physician
June 18, 2019

In health care, we are hardwired to do all we can to minimize error and avoid failure. The journey of training and practicing medicine rests on the premise of perfection. And yet, perfectionism and shame are thought to be the two sides of the same coin. As clinicians, we have the privilege of interacting with people from all sections of society during the most vulnerable times of their lives. It …

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We care for patients. Why don’t we care for ourselves?

The importance of being there for your patients

Conditions and Diseases
June 18, 2019

Halfway into my four-week hematology consults elective at the county hospital during my fourth year of medical school, I was surprised that one of my patients was a 25-year-old woman from Romania — exactly my age. This was highly unusual, as most of the patients I had seen on this service were not this young, especially with a malignancy.

What was even more unique was that she had just arrived from …

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The importance of being there for your patients

Everyone has value. Even the angry man screaming at you.

Conditions and Diseases
June 18, 2019

In my third year of medical school, I started a rotation at the nearby VA hospital. Walking toward the polished glass doors that morning, I saw my reflection — clean white coat, assured expression to cover up how lost I felt. It was my second clinical rotation ever, and my first time at the VA.

I found my team and soon met a patient I’d be seeing for the next month. …

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Everyone has value. Even the angry man screaming at you.

Maximize locum tenens income: 4 tips to make more and work less

Physician
June 17, 2019

Every hospitalist heard that locum tenens work pays better than permanent. Of course, I did, too, when I first started practicing. This was one of the reasons why I switched to the full-time locum tenens years ago.

Now, things have changed since then, and employed hospitalist salaries have been rising steadily over the years. It became obvious, then, that $150 per hour for locum tenens work doesn’t cut it …

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Maximize locum tenens income: 4 tips to make more and work less

Career or the egg? Is it time to put pregnancy first?

Physician
June 17, 2019

Whether to have a child before becoming an attending physician is a personal choice, but as a fertility specialist, I’m concerned that many people — including physicians — overestimate the effectiveness of today’s fertility treatments.

In the U.S., the average age at which women have their first child went from 21.4 years in 1970 to 26.6 in 2016. Experts attribute that in part to more people seeking advanced education and taking …

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Career or the egg? Is it time to put pregnancy first?

To the female physicians who came before me

Physician
June 17, 2019

This message is for all of the women who have forged their paths in medicine, hoping the next generation would come closer to shattering an increasingly fragile glass ceiling. This message is especially for my mother.

The most influential female educators I have ever met have been the physicians I have encountered in my medical training, the first of whom I met the day I was born. I recall hearing stories …

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To the female physicians who came before me

40 pro tips for your loved ones’ ER visits

Physician
June 17, 2019

1. Tell us about your loved one: What brings them in? What’s their baseline? What changed today?  But don’t speak FOR them, unless they can’t. That gets us worried. That’s what abusers often do.

2. Talk to us about your their code status (what should we do if things turn bad,) and leave us a phone number.

3. Pay attention to them. If things change – if they get worse, if they …

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40 pro tips for your loved ones’ ER visits

The inflammatory myopathies rap video you didn’t know you needed

Video
June 17, 2019
YouTube video

Learn about the differences between polymyositis and dermatomyositis the Medcomic way.

Illustrated by Jorge Muniz and music by Neil Bobenhouse.

Image credit: Medcomic.com

The inflammatory myopathies rap video you didn’t know you needed

Working in the ER taught this doctor what evil really means

Physician
June 17, 2019

If you ask people if there is evil in the world, a lot of them will smile politely at such an obviously Medieval (or Neanderthal) view of the world.  Which, of course, is a bit of an insult to both groups who were from all evidence quite intelligent folks.

Some might rattle off some examples of evil.  Things like intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, and assorted others.  Disregard for the imminent …

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Working in the ER taught this doctor what evil really means

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The horrors of the diseases that vaccines prevent

Conditions and Diseases
June 17, 2019

In October of 2016, I returned to Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port Au Prince, Haiti. Hurricane Matthew, a category 4 hurricane, had touched down near Jeremie only four days prior. Hurricane Matthew caused significant devastation with over 2 million people directly affected, and over 500 reported deaths.  As local health care facilities in southwest Haiti had limited capabilities to care for pediatric trauma patients, Bernard Mevs had arranged transport …

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The horrors of the diseases that vaccines prevent

You’re given feedback to “read more.” What do you do next?

Medical Education
June 16, 2019

Doctors are lifelong learners. Medical students and residents often hear the feedback to read more in their quest to acquire the knowledge to understand health and disease processes and direct patient care.

With so many demands on a resident and early career physician’s time, how do you make the most of the directive to read more? During residency training and throughout your medical career, the patient case mix guides your reading …

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You’re given feedback to “read more.” What do you do next?

The power of advocacy: How doctors can be empowered physicians

Health Policy
June 16, 2019

An excerpt from Recapturing Joy in Medicine,

During my year as chief resident, I was also president of the Florida Association of Family Medicine Residents. The faculty at my residency program inspired me by their excellence as clinicians and teachers. I trusted their judgment and insight, so when they encouraged …

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The power of advocacy: How doctors can be empowered physicians

Beware the claims of stem cell clinics

Conditions and Diseases
June 16, 2019

Earlier in June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) won a major legal victory by getting an injunction to prevent Florida-based US Stem Cell Clinic from offering its treatments. The company claimed to create stem cells from patients’ body fat and use these to treat a variety of serious illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and chronic lung disease. This company is just one of many that have sprung up …

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Beware the claims of stem cell clinics

How a patient saved this physician from losing her passion for medicine

Physician
June 16, 2019

I left a full-time academic position five years ago because I was literally, “check-all-the-boxes,” burned out. In looking back during that time prior to my decision to leave, I recall months of feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, depressed, and in a sense grieved for the loss of what I envisioned my career path to be until retirement. It was not until one of my favorite patients, Mr. Young, who knew me …

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How a patient saved this physician from losing her passion for medicine

What doctors can learn from Jay-Z

Physician Finance
June 15, 2019

Recently, Forbes named Jay-Z the first rap music artist billionaire.  There are a number of reasons that he is classified in this exclusive category.  However, his humble beginnings from the Marcy housing projects in Brooklyn did not hold him back.  He found ways along his journey, and received some good advice, that made him successful beyond his career as a musician.

Taking the time to practice your trade …

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What doctors can learn from Jay-Z

What Pride means to this physician as an out doctor

Physician
June 15, 2019

I’ve been a doctor for a year. I’ve been out as bisexual for much longer. (I used to joke that my sexual orientation was old enough to order at a bar, but now it’s on the slog towards being able to rent its own car.)

With June comes Pride, and with Pride come so many feelings, I have difficulty organizing them all. My fierce love for my community, pain at how …

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What Pride means to this physician as an out doctor

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