Reclaiming humanity in health care
Why aren’t we physicians kinder to ourselves? Why aren’t we kinder to our colleagues? Why aren’t we kinder to our patients? I tend to think the answer to all of the above questions is a disrespect many of us have for what we consider being human.
For some reason, many of us in health care associate our humanity only with what holds us back from being our best. In fact, there …
Empowering patients to discuss sexual health
I’m sure you can picture it. You’re sitting in an exam room wearing a paper gown, waiting for your health care provider to walk in the room. There are a few colorful posters on the wall about flu season, health screenings, and a discount prescription program available to patients. But all you can think about is the conversation you’re about to have. Will they bring it up? Will you ask? …
A critical care physician’s journey through long COVID [PODCAST]
Voices for physician mental health
I’ve been honored and privileged to have had recent conversations with two courageous women: Betsy Gall and Pamela Marie Hobby.
Pamela met a medical resident who changed the course of her life on October 28, 2019, and Betsy’s life was forever changed exactly one month later, on November 28, 2019.
Betsy wrote a book to share her family’s story. The title grabbed Pamela immediately, as it aligned with what she was building …
How AI is revolutionizing patient care: Exploring the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1
Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into health care transforms patient care, making it more personalized, efficient, and accessible. Two groundbreaking technologies, the Humane Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1, exemplify this shift. By enhancing communication, ensuring data security, and improving administrative and clinical operations, these devices promise a future where technology and human expertise merge to foster a patient-centered health care system. Here’s an in-depth look at how these innovations are …
The making of a bed: a timeless ritual passed through generations
Making a bed seems to be a lost art these days, an unassuming ritual. I have memories of my mother draping, folding, laying, and spreading sheets as they danced in her open-air bedroom. My grandmother passed on the technique to her. From my observations of other families, this practice varies from generation to generation. In a way, making a bed symbolizes life’s journey, where the layers of sheets represent rich …
EHRs and physician well-being [PODCAST]
A hypothetical case of medical malpractice. This can be you.
A patient presents to the emergency room of a major local hospital with ulcers on the heels of both feet. The patient is more than 40 years old, smokes, and has hypertension but is not a diabetic.
It is determined that the patient has peripheral artery disease. The patient is admitted to Dr. X’s service. Dr. X is a vascular surgeon with a special interest in endovascular devices for peripheral artery …
Dismantling the mythical dichotomy of physician career options
In our journey as physicians, the traditional narrative often presents a seemingly binary decision: you must choose between seeking employment within a hospital or health care institution or venturing into the challenges of establishing a private practice. However, this oversimplified dichotomy fails to capture the evolving landscape of health care entrepreneurship, particularly the emergence of a third, less conventional path – that of the single-member professional micro-corporation.
The myth of the …
From doctor to patient: my Sjogren’s journey and a challenge to colleagues
As physicians, we are trained to dissect symptoms and to hunt for a diagnosis. But my own journey with Sjogren’s, like my patients’, wasn’t a textbook case. It was a puzzle with pieces scattered over decades, ignored or dismissed at each turn, including by myself.
There’s the college student, fearing the agony a simple meal might bring, never dreaming of asking why. The med student, convinced of an impending heart attack, …
Alzheimer’s agony: a son’s vow to never endure
An excerpt from Winter’s End: Dementia and Dying Well.
Are there really fates worse than death? Like most people, Dan Winter was uncertain. That is until he visited his father at a memory care unit in Lawrence, Kansas.
Dan’s father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 70. Winton “Wint” Allen Winter Sr. survived for 13 years, spending his final days in …
Workplace violence in health care [PODCAST]
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Join emergency physicians Resa E. Lewiss and Adaira Landry as they discuss workplace violence in health care settings. With their expertise and insights, they discuss strategies for cultivating psychological safety, intervening effectively in …
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How to escape the “rat race” in your medical career
In writing and teaching about physician careers, I’ve explored themes like job satisfaction, burnout, professional development, and well-being. A recurring phrase that arises in conversations, at conferences, and in online forums is the so-called “rat race” of medical practice.
“I need to find a way out of this rat race.”
“This rat race wasn’t what I signed up for when I chose medicine.”
“I’m tired of the rat race and need to find …
Revitalize your medical practice: Embrace creativity!
“Creativity is intelligence having fun!”
George Scialabba shared a variation of this quote in a 1984 Harvard Magazine article, though it is often attributed to Albert Einstein.
National Creativity Day is coming up on May 30th. What does that have to do with being a doctor? Everything!
Dr. Amy-Jo Farrow in the U.K. and Dr. Charity Hix in the U.S. speak to the importance of nurturing creativity in our lives. The demands and …
On being a doctor and an advocate
I opened my internal medicine practice almost four decades ago to serve a growing urban community. I gravitated toward the underserved geriatric population as they were vulnerable patients and eventually moved into the bygone realm of house calls for home-bound seniors.
This enhanced my learning curve, as house calls are not taught in medical school or residency yet bridge the continuity gap between hospitalization and patients returning home after an acute …
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Physician autonomy with self-employment [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Join Tod Stillson, a family physician and entrepreneur, as we explore the often-overlooked world of physician contracts. Discover the hidden menu of business-to-business contracts in the medical industry and learn how transitioning to …
Navigating grief and stress: Embracing catharsis
Recently, a very young colleague of mine who worked in the same hospital as me passed away from sudden cardiac arrest. We were shocked and deeply saddened by his death. A few days later, I met a common friend of ours who told me that he was under a lot of stress due to some family matters and work politics. He had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders. He …
Apple’s OpenGL and iOS 18: Shaping the future of health care technology
Apple’s announcement of OpenELM, an innovative suite of efficient, open-source language models, heralds a potential game-changer for health care technology, especially with the anticipated enhancements in iOS 18. This suite is designed to function directly on personal devices like iPhones, presenting new opportunities for medical practitioners to leverage advanced AI tools in their day-to-day operations. As we await further details from Apple’s June developer conference, the implications for enhanced functionality, …
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Tips and tricks for presenting research at a medical conference as a premed
Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to present a case report as a poster at the Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium. As a premed student, this was exciting but also quite intimidating.
This meeting is a large national medical conference with about 1,500 attendees, including ophthalmologists of all career stages, many ophthalmology residents, and medical students interested in ophthalmology. I presented the case of a child who had experienced retinopathy …
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?
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
When grief hits all at once: a morning of heartbreak and love
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
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?
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations
-
The medical malpractice system is broken: Who really benefits?
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Recent Posts
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The quiet segregation no one talks about in medical school
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C. Everett Koop’s defining stand against the tobacco industry [PODCAST]
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Not all heroes wear capes: Sometimes they just speak up in meetings
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Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
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Why physicians are unlike the “average” investor
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The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
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Past Week
-
Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting
-
Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?
-
How smartphones are stealing your focus—and what you can do about it
-
When grief hits all at once: a morning of heartbreak and love
-
Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training
-
Why patients and doctors are ditching insurance for personalized care
-
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
-
Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations
-
The medical malpractice system is broken: Who really benefits?
-
Recent Posts
-
The quiet segregation no one talks about in medical school
-
C. Everett Koop’s defining stand against the tobacco industry [PODCAST]
-
Not all heroes wear capes: Sometimes they just speak up in meetings
-
Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
-
Why physicians are unlike the “average” investor
-
The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain
-
