When the white coats become gatekeepers: How a quiet cartel strangles America’s health

Physician
June 19, 2025

A nation that can map the human genome, transplant a face, and land rovers on Mars somehow cannot guarantee its citizens a timely doctor’s appointment. The official story blames “complex market forces,” “geographic maldistribution,” or the ever-handy “burnout.” But beneath the diagnostic babble lies a simpler, more uncomfortable truth: A powerful medical guild has learned that scarcity pays—and it intends to keep the spigot only half-open.

A cloister in white

Walk the …

Read more…

Why doctors stay silent about preventable harm

Conditions
June 19, 2025

The first rule of being a doctor is not “do no harm.” It’s “mind your own business.”

You won’t find it in the ethics textbooks. It’s not part of any formal curriculum. But ask around—quietly, privately—and most seasoned clinicians will tell you the same thing: the people who ask too many questions don’t last long.

You learn this not from lectures, but from observation. A colleague flags a safety concern. A note …

Read more…

Why interoperability is key to achieving the quintuple aim in health care

Tech
June 19, 2025

The vast majority of my physician colleagues understand the value of interoperability for their patients and their ability to deliver high-quality care.

In the rare cases that I encounter a clinician who is unsure of interoperability’s benefits, I simply tell them that it creates a situation where everyone wins: Providers deliver better, safer, less expensive care, and patients get more coordinated experiences.

Interoperability makes a strong, positive difference in the care I …

Read more…

Why physician voices matter in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 18, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

LGBTQ+ journalist BJ Ferguson discusses the article, “Why physician voices matter in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ laws.” The conversation serves as a call to action for medical professionals, arguing that their duty …

Read more…

The man in seat 11A survived, but why don’t our patients?

Physician
June 18, 2025

On June 12, 2025, Air India flight crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad in India. Among the 242 people on board, only one survived: a man seated in 11A.

That image has stayed with me—not just because of the miraculous survival, but because of what it reveals about systems. Seat 11A was located near the plane’s wing box, the structurally strongest part of the aircraft, and beside an emergency exit. Experts …

Read more…

Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis

Conditions
June 18, 2025

The next major health epidemic in the U.S. will not come from a pathogen. This plague has a potential patient population in the tens of millions, limited effective treatments, and is not widely studied in the medical community.

I’m referring to sports gambling, an activity that deeply alarms me as a physician who specializes in addiction. Problem gambling can increase the incidence of depression and anxiety and can lead to bankruptcy, …

Read more…

When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

Physician
June 18, 2025

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 …

Read more…

How robotics are reshaping the future of vascular procedures

Conditions
June 18, 2025

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. …

Read more…

Medicalizing burnout misses the real problem

Physician
June 18, 2025

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 …

Read more…

How the shingles vaccine could help prevent dementia

Conditions
June 18, 2025

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 …

Read more…

How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 17, 2025
YouTube video

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 …

Read more…

Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

Physician
June 17, 2025

“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. …

Read more…

Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

Conditions
June 17, 2025

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 …

Read more…

ADVERTISEMENT

What the research really says about infrared saunas

Conditions
June 17, 2025

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 …

Read more…

How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

Conditions
June 17, 2025

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 …

Read more…

Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 16, 2025
YouTube video

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 …

Read more…

Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

Conditions
June 16, 2025

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 …

Read more…

First impressions happen online—not in your exam room

Social media
June 16, 2025

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 …

Read more…

How locum tenens work helps physicians and APPs reclaim control

Policy
June 16, 2025

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, …

Read more…

The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

Physician
June 16, 2025

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 …

Read more…

562
pages