KevinMD.com

February 3, 2017Feb 3, 2017

Should school boards discontinue support for high school football? That’s the provocative title of a recent article in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The background to this controversy is the increasing recognition that chronic traumatic encephalopathy…

Should school boards discontinue support for high school football?

That’s the provocative title of a recent article in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The background to this controversy is the increasing recognition that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a severe and debilitating brain problem first identified in former professional football players, can have its beginnings in college or even high school football …

Physician

The doctor fired for having cancer speaks up

Pamela Wible, MD & Stephanie Waggel, MD

February 3, 2017Feb 3, 2017

I recently reported on Stephanie Waggel, the doctor fired by a prestigious U.S. hospital for getting cancer (story also the Washington Post). In a transcription of her whistleblower video, Stephanie describes how she nearly died due to obstruction of medical…

It started during my intern year of residency. Which, bizarrely, was the happiest year of my life. And all my friends are …

Physician

Have a mean patient? Don’t take it personally.

Lisa Walker, PA-C

February 3, 2017Feb 3, 2017

My brother-in-law, Ron, was a curmudgeon; grumpy, sullen, even downright mean at times. By blood, he and my husband Bill were cousins. In the 1950s, when Bill was just a child, his mother died unexpectedly, and Ron's mother took Bill…

My brother-in-law, Ron, was a curmudgeon; grumpy, sullen, even downright mean at times.

By blood, he and my husband Bill were cousins. In the 1950s, when Bill was just a child, his mother died unexpectedly, and Ron’s mother took Bill in to live with her and her four children. They were an African-American family living in the midst of a middle-class, predominantly white Connecticut township. Their home, located on a wealthy …

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Patient

8 survival tips for families with babies in the NICU

Raissa Hacohen

February 3, 2017Feb 3, 2017

Bringing a child into the world is nothing short of a miracle. It’s not comforting to think about, but even if you do everything “right,” there can always be circumstances beyond your control. Whether you have been told to plan for a stay in the NICU or it’s unexpected, here are survival tips from nurses for orienting yourself to the NICU.

1. Try to see your baby as soon as possible. It …

Physician

On National Women Physician Day, how far have we come?

Eve Kellner, DO

February 3, 2017Feb 3, 2017

I was thrilled when I found out that February 3rd is officially National Women Physician Day. Then I realized that February 3rd coincided with the 195th birthday of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in America. Dr. Blackwell had the strength and determination of a superhero. She faced extreme opposition, was rejected numerous times, and was still seen as an oddity and inferior when she was …

Physician

A physician’s first code. See how it turned out.

Ben Gold, MD

February 2, 2017Feb 2, 2017

“CODE BLUE, 7 SOUTH. CODE BLUE, 7 SOUTH.” I’m up and out of my call room bed before fully regaining consciousness from my light sleep. It’s 4 AM. I should feel ready: I’ve trained with simulations labs, mock codes, and test questions. I passed my CPR and ACLS courses. I’ve done chest compressions as an intern. But this is different. I’m the resident on call, and if I get there first, I’ll be running the …

Physician

The ethics of procedures on the nearly dead

Tom Fadial, MD

February 2, 2017Feb 2, 2017

The report from the field was not promising by any stretch: extensive trauma, and perhaps most importantly unknown “downtime” (referencing the period where the patient received no basic care like CPR). The patient remained pulseless en route; we were all…

On arrival, the patient was swarmed by providers. Trauma surgeons at the foot of the bed cut down at the femoral artery to deploy a …

Physician

If you are not already opposed to MOC, the time is now

Linda Girgis, MD

February 2, 2017Feb 2, 2017

Maintenance of certification (MOC) is on the minds of most doctors, and the majority of them oppose it. This is a program where doctors are enforced to comply with certain “educational” mandates to stay compliant with their board certification requirements. The largest number of doctors did not start off following this program but rather were shackled onto it later in their careers.

Being one of the earliest voices speaking out against …

Physician

I march for my daughter and son everyday

Nina Shapiro, MD

February 2, 2017Feb 2, 2017

On January 21, 2017, the day after the 45th President of the United States was inaugurated, hundreds of thousands of women and men marched in thousands of cities across this country and others to stand up for rights of women, men, and countless groups that have been ostracized or are at risk for losing rights, representation, or critical funding. I watched my Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds throughout the day. …

Medical Education

Never forget a donor’s humanity

Natasha Abadilla

February 2, 2017Feb 2, 2017

Back in September, an Inside Stanford Medicine article featured my first-year medical school class on our first day of anatomy. It spoke of learning anatomy and having the privilege to work on real donors’ bodies as a “rite of passage,”…

We were all very excited, yet timid, on that first day of anatomy class, I remember. Afraid …

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Never forget a donor’s humanity

Medications

We need to redefine pain and hold everyone accountable

Neha Sharma, DO

February 2, 2017Feb 2, 2017

We are currently in the midst of the worst drug crisis in American history. A crisis that killed more than 33,000 people in 2015. Currently, an estimated 2.6 million people are addicted to opioids. As an internal medicine doctor, I…

We are currently in the midst of the worst drug crisis in American history. A crisis that killed more than 33,000 people in 2015. Currently, an estimated 2.6 million people are addicted to opioids.

As an internal medicine doctor, I deal with pain, addiction and opioid overdoses on a routine basis. The current epidemic that is sweeping across our nation, is deeply concerning.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently spoke about the epidemic …

Health Policy

Moving mental and behavioral health beyond parity

Hayley D. Germack, PhD

February 1, 2017Feb 1, 2017

For much of her adult life, Cassie (not real name) struggled to get out of bed. Taking her kids to school, let alone showering or preparing meals was often more than she could handle. Cassie has bipolar disorder, and while she had health insurance through her employer, it did not offer mental or behavioral health benefits. The therapy and prescriptions she needed were too expensive. She was desperate, barely holding …

Physician

A letter from doctors to our patients

Monique Rainford, MD

February 1, 2017Feb 1, 2017

Dear patients, We are happy to have you in our lives. We came into medicine to take care of you. Some of us because we wanted to help you to win the fight against cancer. Others of us because we…

Dear patients,

We are happy to have you in our lives. We came into medicine to take care of you. Some of us because we wanted to help you to win the fight against cancer. Others of us because we love delivering your babies. Others because we wanted to have the skill to make sure you survive that heart attack or that terrible accident. Others because we wanted to do our …

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A letter from doctors to our patients

Conditions and Diseases

Let’s talk about sex — with our patients

Dr. Leonard A. Sowah

February 1, 2017Feb 1, 2017

I recently read a book by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz a UCLA cardiologist who also happens to be a consultant for the Los Angeles Zoo. In her book Zoobiquity, Dr. Natterson-Horowitz demystified the story of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) transmission from monkeys in West and Central Africa to humans. Most physicians today, including me, have a limited knowledge of zoonosis (the science surrounding bugs that can be from animals to humans) …

Physician Finance

Who are the physicians that retire early?

Physician on FIRE, MD

February 1, 2017Feb 1, 2017

Who Retires at 30 to 35? Retiring after a career of zero or a few years may sound ludicrous, but there are a few scenarios that are not so far-fetched. The stay-at-home spouse. A handful of physicians complete residency, but…

Who Retires at 30 to 35?

Retiring after a career of zero or a few years may sound ludicrous, but there are a few scenarios that are not so far-fetched.

The stay-at-home spouse. A handful of physicians complete residency, but never pursue employment, often choosing to start a family instead. I know one physician who made this choice at age 29, actually.

The suddenly wealthy. A large windfall at the beginning of one’s …

Conditions and Diseases

The curious case of a swollen scrotum

Raj Waghmare, MD

February 1, 2017Feb 1, 2017

It’s almost 7 p.m., and I’m handed the chart of a man in his sixties. “Can you see this one first,” the nurse says, “he needs an ultrasound.” I skim the triage note, which is often like reading the blurb at the back of the DVD. If it says “pain all over for eight months,” it’s not likely to be a hot new rental.

Frank Martin (name changed) has been sent from a walk-in …

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The curious case of a swollen scrotum

Physician

Stop bashing the VA: The culture of respect at our VA

Sarah Poggi, MD

January 31, 2017Jan 31, 2017

Bashing the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system has become a familiar pursuit following the 2014 expose regarding concealed wait times and concerns for substandard care. In the aftermath of the ensuing national scandal, Congress passed reformative legislation, and President Obama appointed Robert McDonald Secretary of the VA. A 2016 report from the Harvard Business School indicates that the Secretary has “made impressive progress over the past year.” Numerous veterans …

Patient

Please, doctor, don’t rush on my account

Joan DelFattore, PhD

January 31, 2017Jan 31, 2017

I recently consulted a specialist at a major medical center in New York, and a few days later, here came a questionnaire in the mail. "How much time did I spend in the waiting area?" it asked. How long was…

I recently consulted a specialist at a major medical center in New York, and a few days later, here came a questionnaire in the mail. “How much time did I spend in the waiting area?” it asked. How long was I kept waiting in the examining room? How close to my appointment time did the doctor see me?

The one thing it didn’t ask was whether I cared.

There’s no mystery about …

Conditions and Diseases

The media made a mistake reporting Carrie Fisher’s death

David Mann, MD

January 31, 2017Jan 31, 2017

Carrie Fisher’s sad, premature death is an occasion to reflect upon the poor job the news media does in reporting medical news. The initial report from TMZ had the headline “Carrie Fisher Massive Heart Attack on Plane.” If one equates “heart attack” to the more precise medical term “myocardial infarction,” as is usually done, then this is certainly diagnostic overreach on the part of TMZ. From their …

Medical Education

Mentorship is the key ingredient for success in medicine

Jackie Olive

January 31, 2017Jan 31, 2017

I am always on a quest to be helpful. For this reason, a life in medicine has always made perfect sense to me. My interest in surgery also developed early when I had been performing music for Alzheimer’s patients in high school. It was almost unbelievable to help these individuals reconnect with their memories and surroundings through my music. But I left each day frustrated and aching, knowing that these …

Real physician voices, twice a week

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