American College of Physicians

Match Day 2025: Protecting our students’ futures

March 11, 2025Mar 11, 2025

The song from the Broadway musical Hamilton, "(Yorktown) The World Turned Upside Down," is stuck in my head. Indeed, these are no ordinary times. We have a measles outbreak in the U.S. that has resulted in numerous hospitalizations and now…

The song from the Broadway musical Hamilton, “(Yorktown) The World Turned Upside Down,” is stuck in my head. Indeed, these are no ordinary times. We have a measles outbreak in the U.S. that has resulted in numerous hospitalizations and now deaths. With censorship at the CDC, disruption of vaccine-related meetings, cancellation of active research grants, health impacts due to global aid interruptions, …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

Why physicians must uphold their oath in challenging times [PODCAST]

March 3, 2025Mar 3, 2025

Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, discusses her article, "Doctors, grounded in our oath, must act now more than ever," reflecting on the physician's solemn commitment to patient care, integrity, and advocacy. With increasing challenges to public health institutions…

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Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, discusses her article, “Doctors, grounded in our oath, must act now more than ever,” reflecting on the physician’s solemn commitment to patient care, integrity, and advocacy. With increasing challenges to public health institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease …

Doctors, grounded in our oath, must act now more than ever

February 11, 2025Feb 11, 2025

In this time of change, it seems appropriate to take a step back and reflect upon the oath we took when we graduated from medical school. Here's the version we use at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine from the…

In this time of change, it seems appropriate to take a step back and reflect upon the oath we took when we graduated from medical school. Here’s the version we use at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine from the World Medical Association Declaration of Geneva-2017, which is in use at many medical schools around the country:

I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity;

The health

…

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

How artificial intelligence is transforming medicine [PODCAST]

January 28, 2025Jan 28, 2025

Janet A. Jokela discusses the profound impact of artificial intelligence in health care, exploring how AI is reshaping clinical decision-making, reducing physician burnout, and strengthening the patient-physician bond. She highlights the potential of AI to address health care inequities and…

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Health technology

Navigating the world of artificial intelligence in health care

January 9, 2025Jan 9, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly dominant topic in the daily news. From banking to birding, personalized marketing to publishing, and smart homes to sports, AI is permeating all aspects of society. In medicine and health care, we are…

In medicine and health care, we are seeing the same thing. We are experiencing a tremendous amount of excitement, promise, and enthusiasm about the potential impact of AI, as well as understandable …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

How gratitude can reshape health care during uncertain times [PODCAST]

December 30, 2024Dec 30, 2024

How can gratitude guide health care professionals in navigating political uncertainty, misinformation, and the challenges of post-election transitions? Join us as Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician and Treasurer of the American College of Physicians, explores how genuine gratitude…

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The answer is gratitude and it puts you in a good place

December 7, 2024Dec 7, 2024

Regardless of how one might have voted in the election, the aftermath now includes a dizzying array of proposed cabinet and other health-related appointments and rumors about what they and the new administration might do. How do we in medicine navigate all of this? The answer may not be intuitive: gratitude. We’re not talking here about insincere gratitude, or forced gratitude, as discussed in a recent Wall Street Journal …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

Patient insights can shape your career in unexpected ways [PODCAST]

November 20, 2024Nov 20, 2024

Join us in this episode as we explore the story of a medical student who redefined her career path after a pivotal moment of self-discovery and patient insight. Our guest, Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, delves into the…

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Medical education

How one medical student’s life-changing conversation reshaped her career

October 30, 2024Oct 30, 2024

The fourth-year medical student "Megan" urgently wanted to meet with me. She just returned from an away rotation in pathology in mid-August and wanted to talk. She was not her usual confident self, appearing distracted and pale. She shared that…

The fourth-year medical student “Megan” urgently wanted to meet with me. She just returned from an away rotation in pathology in mid-August and wanted to talk. She was not her usual confident self, appearing distracted and pale. She shared that she had thoroughly enjoyed her rotation and had found it stimulating and the faculty inspiring. One of her responsibilities had been to meet with patients who had enrolled in a …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

From residency to leadership: the evolution of internal medicine [PODCAST]

October 8, 2024Oct 8, 2024

Join us in this episode as we sit down with Janet A. Jokela, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician. Janet reflects on her transformative residency at Boston City Hospital, where the "city savages" thrived in the face of immense…

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Internal medicine physicians: leaders and the foundation of comprehensive health care

September 27, 2024Sep 27, 2024

The nickname bestowed on us residents by our internal medicine residency program director was "city savages." There was a tremendous amount of pride amongst the residency programs in Boston back in the late 1980s, and it was no different in…

The nickname bestowed on us residents by our internal medicine residency program director was “city savages.” There was a tremendous amount of pride amongst the residency programs in Boston back in the late 1980s, and it was no different in my program.

I recall exploring residencies in Boston. While interviewing at another highly regarded Boston Hospital, I asked the chief resident many questions, including a quiet question about the residency program …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

How women in medicine are shaping the future of medicine [PODCAST]

September 15, 2024Sep 15, 2024

In this episode, we celebrate Women in Medicine Month with guest Janet A. Jokela, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician. We dive into the experiences and challenges women have faced across generations in medicine, from pioneers like Elizabeth Blackwell…

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Celebrating women physicians: Keeping our foot on the gas

September 1, 2024Sep 1, 2024

Given that September is Women in Medicine month, my thoughts turn to celebrating women across the spectrum of medicine, from pioneers like Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S., to physicians today caring…

A story comes to mind from medical school of a female physician who made an impression on me.

On my surgery rotation in the mid-1980s as a …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

From refusal to acceptance: a journey of trust in vaccination [PODCAST]

August 29, 2024Aug 29, 2024

Join us in this episode as we dive into the powerful story of "Max," a patient who steadfastly refused all vaccines despite his well-controlled HIV infection. Through persistence, respect, and trust, our guest Janet A. Jokela, an internal medicine and…

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Join us in this episode as we dive into the powerful story of “Max,” a patient who steadfastly refused all vaccines despite his well-controlled HIV infection. Through persistence, respect, and trust, our guest Janet A. Jokela, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician, shares how she gradually guided Max to finally …

Patients and immunizations: It’s a matter of trust

July 26, 2024Jul 26, 2024

It was 2018. Previously, "Max" had steadfastly refused all vaccines. Despite his HIV infection, which was well controlled, and my pleading with him over multiple years to get a flu shot, he was firmly opposed. He was intelligent and very…

It was 2018. Previously, “Max” had steadfastly refused all vaccines. Despite his HIV infection, which was well controlled, and my pleading with him over multiple years to get a flu shot, he was firmly opposed. He was intelligent and very matter-of-fact, and we had discussed this often. It was obvious that he did not want to be vaccinated, despite the clear recommendations and benefits for a patient with his diagnosis. …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

How international medical graduates shape U.S. health care [PODCAST]

July 24, 2024Jul 24, 2024

Join us for a conversation with George M. Abraham, former president of the American College of Physicians (2021-2022) and a professor of medicine. We'll explore the vital role of international medical graduates (IMGs) in the U.S. health care system. Discover…

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Join us for a conversation with George M. Abraham, former president of the American College of Physicians (2021-2022) and a professor of medicine. We’ll explore the vital role of international medical graduates (IMGs) in the U.S. health care system. Discover how IMGs enhance cultural competence, improve access to care in underserved …

Everyone under the big tent: the international medical graduate

June 17, 2024Jun 17, 2024

The internal medicine community is broad and varied, with a diversity of internal medicine physicians as its foundation. As we move forward as a country and as health care continues to evolve, we must embrace our diversity and afford equal opportunity to all segments of our physician workforce, including our international medical graduates (IMGs). The American College of Physicians (ACP) summed up the value of diversity in health care best …

American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD

Addressing physician workforce shortages [PODCAST]

March 26, 2024Mar 26, 2024

Join William E. Fox, chair-elect of the ACP Board of Regents, as we delve into the pressing issue of physician workforce shortages in primary care. William sheds light on recent alarming statistics, including the declining interest among medical students in…

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Why we all need to care about the primary care physician shortage

March 13, 2024Mar 13, 2024

It is somewhat cliché these days to talk about physician workforce shortages, but recent data highlights that the problem is getting worse. Two research publications this past year were particularly alarming. First, in a recent analysis of internal medicine resident…

First, in a recent analysis of internal medicine resident career plans from 2019 to 2021, only 9.4% of internal medicine residents indicated they planned to pursue a career in general internal medicine. This is down from 19.9% in 2011 and …