When I was working full time in emergency medicine, I didn’t think much about the systems in my personal life. I had just enough clarity to show up for the next shift, keep my kid fed, work out, stay married, and try to remember where I parked the car. I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t lazy. I was underwater. So I did what a lot of physicians do when they’re trying …
Medicine has always evolved through a blend of scientific rigor and bold innovation. Over the last century, surgical practice has progressed from risky open procedures to highly controlled, minimally invasive interventions. Laparoscopic surgery marked one such revolution, dramatically enhancing patient outcomes by enabling precision through small incisions. By the 1990s, it had become an essential part of modern surgery.
A similar, albeit slower, evolution has taken place in endovascular care. …
The solution to the physician burnout crisis isn’t more diagnoses or interventions. The antidote isn’t more modules, surveys, screenings, or questionnaires. What’s needed is cultural healing: One that we have so far been unwilling and/or too depleted to attempt.
Over the past decade, physician wellness has been medicalized. We’ve absorbed it into the very system that made us unwell. We’ve labeled it as pathology—when in fact, it’s a predictable outcome of …
Did you have chickenpox as a kid?
If the answer is yes (which it is for most of us), you’re at risk of getting shingles. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After one recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in one’s nerve cells. Later in life, if the virus reactivates (which depends on factors like age, stress, or a weakened immune system), it …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article “The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you.” Jessie discusses the profound changes in the practice of medicine that no longer …
“Some people learn. Some don’t.
For the former, growing old is a joy.
For the latter, it is hell.”
I’ve seen both.
In exam rooms, break rooms, ORs, and coaching sessions. One physician softens—more present, less defended. Another hardens—brittle, often angry.
The difference isn’t intelligence, training, or temperament.
It’s whether they’re willing to learn—not just from books or trials, but from life itself.
What happens when physicians refuse to learn
Medicine does not require emotional growth to function. …
As an endodontist who specializes in saving natural teeth, I have a front-row seat when it comes to observing the nuances of oral health. I can tell who is a flosser, a fan of tooth whiteners, and the sweet tooths among us. Occasionally, and particularly in younger adults, I see signs of severe tooth decay. That usually means one thing—they have lived in a town that lacks fluoride in their …
As someone who believes in a healthy amount of social media consumerism — just enough to stay inspired without drowning in every new trend — I recently found myself intrigued by a wellness practice that kept resurfacing on my feed: infrared sauna. Beyond the polished posts and glowing endorsements, my curiosity was also fueled by my background. As a cancer doctor, and someone who genuinely believes in the impact of …
Disclosure: This should not be considered as evidence-based mental health literature. These are the observations of a surgeon with extensive experience being angry.
Introduction
Many physicians are finding themselves strained from ongoing sociopolitical crises. Dealing with the frequent or continuous consequences of unsustainable practices in health care systems, global systems issues like racism or sexism, or other large problems that are difficult to impossible …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Anesthesiologist Maire Daugharty, who expanded her expertise by earning a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, discusses her article “Why ADHD isn’t just a childhood disorder and what that means for …
Every week, I speak with patients who have spent years—sometimes decades—searching for answers. They’ve seen rheumatologists, neurologists, cardiologists, physical therapists, and more, trying to piece together a puzzle that no one provider seems to fully understand. Their symptoms are dismissed as anxiety, growing pains, or “just part of being flexible.” But the truth is often something far more complex: A connective tissue disorder like hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or Hypermobility …
If you’re a physician or practice owner, here’s a challenge: open a browser and Google yourself. Now ask a trusted friend or family member—ideally someone who fits your ideal patient profile—to do the same. What do they see?
Do you show up in the top three listings?
Are there recent reviews with 4+ stars?
Does your website look current—or like it hasn’t been touched since 2012?
For most patients, that quick glance is all …
Burnout isn’t a weakness—it’s a warning sign.
I recently spoke with a nurse practitioner looking for a lifestyle change that could give her more balance without stepping away from medicine.
“I love caring for patients,” she told me, “but I don’t even recognize my life anymore. My schedule runs me, not the other way around.”
For her, locum tenens wasn’t a detour but a lifeline. Within months, she regained control of her time, …
ADVERTISEMENT
Eighty-five thousand medical malpractice lawsuits are filed per year, but the total number of claims reviewed by lawyers is unknown. What underlies their decision to proceed is their inability to determine which complication results from a systemic medical error in a medical intervention and which is just a random error of nature.
Reflected in this 85,000 is that two-thirds—52,000—are summarily dismissed and 4,600 are defense verdicts, and one-third—27,000—are settlements and 1,400 …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Physician Scott Abramson discusses his article “How doctors’ words can make or break patient care.” Scott shares two compelling scenarios illustrating the profound impact of a physician’s communication. He recounts a family …
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) spent his youth deciphering the Mississippi River, a system far more complex than any artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm. He learned that real understanding demands nuance, context, and skepticism. Were he alive today, he’d likely see NarxCare, the controversial opioid-risk AI algorithm, as a cautionary tale about the dangers of replacing human judgment with lies, damn lies, and statistics.
NarxCare scores patients based on morphine milligram equivalents and …
As health care professionals, we are constantly immersed in data, intricate details, and complex ideas. Whether presenting at grand rounds, sharing research at conferences, or explaining treatment plans to patients, your PowerPoint slides can either amplify your message or obscure it in a deluge of information.
Let’s be clear: Effective communication is not merely a desirable trait; it is a clinical necessity. Communication …
Most of us didn’t go into medicine thinking about branding or strategy. We went into it to care for people. That was always the goal.
If we want to reach more of the patients who need us, we have to look at how we’re showing up. If we want to build a practice that’s sustainable and aligned with who we are, it matters. It’s not about selling. It’s about connection.
That starts …
Today I graduated from medical school. It should have been one of the happiest days of my life. And in some ways, it was. I earned this moment through sleepless nights, years of sacrifice, and an unshakable drive to serve and heal. I walked across the stage, accepted my diploma, stretched my smile from cheek to cheek, and looked directly at the camera. But behind that smile, I carried something …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Public policy analyst Julia Drydyk discusses her article “Human trafficking isn’t what you think: Why education is key to stopping it.” Julia clarifies the crucial distinction between human smuggling and human trafficking, …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
