How choosing purpose over design transforms your life and destiny

Physician
May 21, 2024

In our quest for personal and professional fulfillment, many of us meticulously plan our lives, crafting each step to align with our individual preferences and values. This “life by design” approach offers a clear path through the chaos of everyday existence, providing a sense of control and direction. However, while setting up our lives according to our own specifications might bring temporary satisfaction, does it truly offer long-term fulfillment? Contrast …

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Xylazine: the lethal ingredient hiding in your pills

Meds
May 21, 2024

Xylazine has been found to be adulterating pills in America, and doctors will need to understand this new threat. First, xylazine is not “krokodil,” although it produces somewhat similar-looking skin ulcers.  Krokodil is a pseudonym for desomorphine, which is created from a precursor chemical called alpha-chlorocodide. Desomorphine is dihydrodesoxymorphine and was developed in Germany in 1932. It is a very fast but short-acting, semi-synthetic opioid used mainly in Russia.  Xylazine …

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I was trolled by another physician on social media. I am happy I did not respond.

Social media
May 21, 2024

I enjoy using social media (SoMe). These social communications-based, user-generated platforms part of Web 2.0 can be a great way to eat up time while scrolling mindlessly through funny posts, “how-to” cooking videos, or find breaking news updates (while being mindful of source reputation, of course). In medicine, SoMe can be an exceptional tool to combat medical misinformation, evolve …

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The doctor’s duty: Delivering bad news with care and compassion

Physician
May 21, 2024

Physicians have the unique duty of giving patients and their loved ones the worst news people can receive. It may be complicated, heavy, dark, somber, terrifying, and hopeless. It may also be a welcome, a relief, an ending, and a beginning. It is as important as anything we will ever say or do with or for our patients.

Research shows that the attitude and communication skills of the person delivering the …

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A physician’s psychedelic journey [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 20, 2024
YouTube video

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Welcome to the of psychedelics with our guest, Corina Fratila, an endocrinologist. Join us as Corina shares her journey from growing up in a communist country where psychedelics were stigmatized to becoming a …

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When pregnancy becomes a health risk

Physician
May 20, 2024

Recent studies in Cell Metabolism and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that pregnancy was associated with acceleration of the aging process. The studies were picked up in a number of lay publications, including Time and the Washington Post. Their results also received extensive attention on social media. The widespread coverage had the media and commenters speculating about potential mechanisms for this …

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Exploring the potential of Apple’s biosensing earbuds in health care

Tech
May 20, 2024

Apple’s recent patent application for a biosensing device integrated into their earbuds opens up numerous possibilities for health care. This innovative technology aims to measure various biological signals from users, including EEG, EMG, EOG, ECG, GSR, and BVP. Here’s how each of these technologies can be harnessed to improve health care:

1. Electroencephalography (EEG). Recording brain waves, EEG sensors in earbuds can monitor brain activity in real time. This capability can …

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Healthy hierarchy for patient safety, experience, and staff wellbeing

Conditions
May 20, 2024

The hierarchy must be healthy to achieve critical outcomes in patient safety, patient experience, workforce health and wellbeing, and cost-effectiveness.

In a healthy hierarchy, staff must have the right skills, education, and experience to direct and carry out clinical and care-related tasks. Clear lines of communication, roles and responsibilities, policies and protocols, and scope of practice are all important. We can think of such things in terms of the structure. We …

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Can weight loss medication interfere with ADHD meds?

Meds
May 20, 2024

Why bother going to work? If I didn’t work, I wouldn’t get paid, so there was that. But it seemed like a pointless exercise. I would stare at my monitor until it was time to go home. On some level I knew I should be, well, working, but I couldn’t collect my scattered thoughts enough to do it. I was also manic. Not the fun kind of mania where everything’s …

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Health care disparities: Navigating complex care [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 19, 2024
YouTube video

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We delve into the challenges faced by individuals who navigate complex health care systems with multiple chronic conditions. Our guest, Gary Marc Rothenberg, a podiatrist, shares his expertise and perspective on Maria’s journey, …

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The first time I walked again after a spinal cord injury

Conditions
May 19, 2024

Once upon a time, I’d imagined myself the Lone Ranger physician, self-sufficient and incapable of weakness, and when I had my spinal cord injury in 2008, I really felt alone, in the negative spiral of a victim mindset, my own worst enemy and in a dark space where my idea of myself felt entirely lost.

Then, one day, in December 2009, I heard about a center for spinal cord injury recovery …

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Secret support for this family caregiver  

Conditions
May 19, 2024

Last month, while spring cleaning my home-based office, I faced off with a bookshelf full of past writing journals.

Get rid of them (I coaxed myself). Whatever you wrote here is history now.

My inner packrat resisted. Couldn’t I just box them up and move them to the basement to join all those other journals that, together, chronicle my three-plus decades of living in the United States?

One gray-covered notebook with pink post-it …

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The voice that saved lives: a doctor’s pandemic hero

Physician
May 19, 2024

I would not recognize her if she crossed before me on the street. I could not pick her out in a staff photo of her and her colleagues. I do not know the color of her hair or skin; I could not even guess if she is short or tall. But her voice—I know her voice. I could recognize that voice anywhere.

I first met Julie sometime before the COVID pandemic, …

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Rethinking postpartum mental health [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 18, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Emily Little, a perinatal health researcher and founder of Nurturely, about the evolving definition of “postpartum” and its predominant association with postpartum depression. We’ll explore societal influences on this shift, disparities in …

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Breaking the stigma with science

Conditions
May 18, 2024

Oxford Dictionary defines stigma as “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.” In other words, it’s a state of being in shame. One of the most influential thought leaders in shame is Brene Brown. She describes shame as “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. We feel like something we have experienced, done, …

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Mastering prompt engineering to elevate AI in clinical practice

Tech
May 18, 2024

As health care professionals, we are constantly seeking innovative ways to leverage technology to improve patient outcomes. One emerging tool with immense potential is artificial intelligence (AI). However, to fully harness AI’s power in clinical settings, we must first master the art of prompt engineering.

Effective prompt crafting hinges on six essential elements:

1. Clear task definition. Precisely articulating the specific request or objective we have for the AI system ensures its …

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Is it ever too late to attend medical school? A nontraditional student shares her thoughts.

Education
May 18, 2024

In a world where the path to medical school is often depicted as a one-size-fits-all journey, my story is a testament to the fact that there is no cookie-cutter method for current or prospective doctors. I am now a third-year osteopathic medical student, but my path to get here has taken many detours.

A nontraditional medical applicant is anyone who has followed an unorthodox path to medical school. We exhibit qualities …

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Clean drug paraphernalia in harm reduction [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 17, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us for a discussion on harm reduction and the controversy surrounding the provision of clean drug paraphernalia in harm reduction kits. Our guest, Bonzo Reddick, a family physician, will shed light on …

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Health insurers are ignoring price transparency rules at the expense of private practice

Policy
May 17, 2024

Since January 1, 2023, the Transparency in Coverage Rule required health insurance providers and health insurers to provide price information to participants in a publicly accessible place. This means consumers should, in theory, be able to go to any payer’s website and see what different doctors, hospitals, and health systems are charging for the same services. The law was meant to allow consumers the ability to shop for health care …

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Pain management realities [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 16, 2024
YouTube video

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Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we delve into the biases and challenges faced by health care professionals in diagnosing and treating chronic pain, particularly in marginalized communities. Joseph sheds light …

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