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Articles, page 5

Medical education

Ratcheting down the hypercompetitive medical school application process

Premedical students are more stressed out and burned out than ever. It's easy to see why: pre-med courses, medical school admissions committee expectations, and application process and cost are daunting and, in their current iteration, often harmful to students and…

Premedical students are more stressed out and burned out than ever. It’s easy to see why: pre-med courses, medical school admissions committee expectations, and application process and cost are daunting and, in their current iteration, often harmful to students and society.

I am an emergency medicine and internal medicine physician at public and private teaching hospitals and direct and teach undergraduate courses at an affiliated university. I mentor/advise pre-med (particularly

…

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Ratcheting down the hypercompetitive medical school application process

Physician voices

Do residents deserve the title of physician?

I was unsettled by an email that our graduate medical education (GME) office recently sent out to all residents at my institution "sharing a friendly reminder that parking spaces identified as 'physician parking' are for attending physicians only" and "residents…

I was unsettled by an email that our graduate medical education (GME) office recently sent out to all residents at my institution “sharing a friendly reminder that parking spaces identified as ‘physician parking’ are for attending physicians only” and “residents and fellows who park in ‘physician parking spaces’ will receive a parking ticket.” I have parked next to only non-physician (including non-resident physician) staff in those spaces every day for …

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Do residents deserve the title of physician?

Conditions and diseases

Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

Despite advancements in health information technology (HIT), the prevalence of diabetes in the United States continues to be high and is the seventh leading cause of death. Diabetes management in underserved communities has challenges concerning health care access for high-risk…

Despite advancements in health information technology (HIT), the prevalence of diabetes in the United States continues to be high and is the seventh leading cause of death. Diabetes management in underserved communities has challenges concerning health care access for high-risk groups, often resulting in debilitating health outcomes worsened by adverse socio-economic consequences. Optimal HbA1c levels, controlled for by risk reduction, are essential. If diabetics encounter barriers to health care services, …

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Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

Physician voices

The patient who became my soulmate

As oncologists, we encounter numerous patients on a daily basis and form emotional bonds with many of them, especially if they survive long enough and continue to see the same doctor for several years. This bond can grow so deep…

As oncologists, we encounter numerous patients on a daily basis and form emotional bonds with many of them, especially if they survive long enough and continue to see the same doctor for several years. This bond can grow so deep that we feel their pain, cry with them, and sometimes even realize that some of our patients are our soulmates.

According to Wikipedia, a soulmate is a person ideally suited to …

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The patient who became my soulmate

Physician voices

The power of a simple form: a doctor’s experiment in building trust with patients

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While we appreciate the importance of trust, not all patients have the same windows of opportunity to establish it with their physicians. The nature of each specialty and the severity of the patient's condition influence how quickly and deeply trust…

While we appreciate the importance of trust, not all patients have the same windows of opportunity to establish it with their physicians. The nature of each specialty and the severity of the patient’s condition influence how quickly and deeply trust can be created and maintained. The STEMI patient will quickly learn to trust the interventional cardiologist, and the trauma victim, and the surgeon.

Not surprisingly, it’s very challenging for physicians

…

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The power of a simple form: a doctor’s experiment in building trust with patients

Physician voices

A tale of medical malpractice, the legal system, and a fight for justice

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I have been fortunate in my forty-five-year medical career never to have been sued for the care I delivered to a patient. I attribute this, in part, to being a family physician and having ongoing relationships with my patients and,…

I have been fortunate in my forty-five-year medical career never to have been sued for the care I delivered to a patient. I attribute this, in part, to being a family physician and having ongoing relationships with my patients and, in part, to being willing to admit to my mistakes if I make them and things turn out badly. I see how gut-wrenching going to court is for doctors so …

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A tale of medical malpractice, the legal system, and a fight for justice

Physician voices

3 hospitalists’ struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees

When I finished my pediatric residency almost 20 years ago, I embarked upon a career in general pediatrics because I didn't enjoy any particular subspecialty enough to commit my career to it. After spending several years in a mostly outpatient…

When I finished my pediatric residency almost 20 years ago, I embarked upon a career in general pediatrics because I didn’t enjoy any particular subspecialty enough to commit my career to it. After spending several years in a mostly outpatient setting (peppered with child abuse consults, circumcisions, and an unsatisfyingly small number of hospitalized patients), I knew I had to change and move across the country to pursue pediatric hospital …

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3 hospitalists’ struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees

Physician voices

The Dark Knight of health care: a doctor’s tale of gift cards and patient satisfaction

I was surprised when I began receiving gift cards to a national chain of coffee shops in recognition of positive patient satisfaction comments from my emergency department patients. Reviewing them in my provider report card genuinely felt good, especially when…

I was surprised when I began receiving gift cards to a national chain of coffee shops in recognition of positive patient satisfaction comments from my emergency department patients.

Reviewing them in my provider report card genuinely felt good, especially when someone remembered my name in a follow-up phone call while saying something positive. Still, the token incentive met with disapproval for several reasons.

In particular, the most meaningful comments expressed gratitude for …

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The Dark Knight of health care: a doctor’s tale of gift cards and patient satisfaction

Medical education

Trauma in an interview: a not-so-perfect personal statement

I have to write a "perfect medical school personal statement." I have to write about learning and growth. I want to show empathy and grit. Most of all, I must resonate with the medical school admissions committee reading my story.…

I have to write a “perfect medical school personal statement.” I have to write about learning and growth. I want to show empathy and grit. Most of all, I must resonate with the medical school admissions committee reading my story.

The overwhelming consensus around Student Doctor Network, the forum of terrible but successful premeds, is: don’t make waves. Adcoms can be radical feminists or religious fundamentalists, born from wealth or recently …

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Trauma in an interview: a not-so-perfect personal statement

Physician voices

Why patients choose who they trust: Understanding the psychology of health care relationships

Most people, should they be in need of a transcatheter aortic "valve-in-valve" replacement procedure for a failed aortic valve replacement, would be delighted to have one of the world's foremost experts (who has performed over 6,000 of these procedures at…

Most people, should they be in need of a transcatheter aortic “valve-in-valve” replacement procedure for a failed aortic valve replacement, would be delighted to have one of the world’s foremost experts (who has performed over 6,000 of these procedures at one of the world’s foremost heart hospitals) perform the procedure.

But not my father, despite having dyspnea on mild exertion owing to a trans-valvular gradient of 50 mmHg.

Naturally, he wanted a …

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Why patients choose who they trust: Understanding the psychology of health care relationships

Conditions and diseases

The ICU nurse shortage: How cost-cutting is endangering patient care

Recently, I read an article by an ICU nurse that discussed the disturbing trend of replacing seasoned nurses with inexperienced ones in the name of cost-cutting. This issue is not limited to the ICU but is rampant in every area…

Recently, I read an article by an ICU nurse that discussed the disturbing trend of replacing seasoned nurses with inexperienced ones in the name of cost-cutting. This issue is not limited to the ICU but is rampant in every area of nursing.

As a psychiatric nurse with 45 years of experience, 35 of which were as a board-certified psychiatric nurse, and a former mentor and preceptor, I have witnessed the …

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The ICU nurse shortage: How cost-cutting is endangering patient care

Physician voices

Doctors and dating: the challenges of balancing a demanding career and personal life

The word "career" has two meanings. A career in medicine fulfills both meanings quite neatly. In the traditional sense, it can be defined as an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life. On the other hand, it…

The word “career” has two meanings. A career in medicine fulfills both meanings quite neatly. In the traditional sense, it can be defined as an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life. On the other hand, it can mean moving swiftly and in an uncontrolled way. As in, “Her car careered across the road and into a ditch.”

Being a physician is a blur of late nights, cold …

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Doctors and dating: the challenges of balancing a demanding career and personal life

Physician voices

The hidden toll of racism in medicine: a doctor’s perspective

It felt like a monumental moment when I started my career in medicine. I grew up largely on the borderline of poverty; my parents lived check to check with my sister and me. Neither of them had gotten a college…

It felt like a monumental moment when I started my career in medicine. I grew up largely on the borderline of poverty; my parents lived check to check with my sister and me. Neither of them had gotten a college education, and they sacrificed much of their lives to support my ambitions. So to see their son realize his dream was a proud moment for them. But as a Hispanic …

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The hidden toll of racism in medicine: a doctor’s perspective

Physician voices

Transcription troubles: the hilarious and alarming consequences of speech recognition in medicine

Speech recognition software is an important part of my clinic workflow. I use the industry-leading application, which has saved me at least 1,000 hours of documentation time over the last decade. My typing is much slower than my speaking, and…

Speech recognition software is an important part of my clinic workflow. I use the industry-leading application, which has saved me at least 1,000 hours of documentation time over the last decade. My typing is much slower than my speaking, and since my goal is to leave the office at a reasonable hour every day, using it is the obvious choice for …

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Transcription troubles: the hilarious and alarming consequences of speech recognition in medicine

Physician voices

The $6 soup that saved a pregnant patient $20,000

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A good cup of soup can be comforting during illness. It's like a form of medicine. Soups have many vitamins and minerals, protein and carbohydrates, and of course, water or cream to help stay hydrated. Salt makes a sore throat…

A good cup of soup can be comforting during illness. It’s like a form of medicine. Soups have many vitamins and minerals, protein and carbohydrates, and of course, water or cream to help stay hydrated. Salt makes a sore throat feel better (like warm salt water gargling) and heat clears nasal congestion (which relieves pain and sinus pressure). As such, a typical cup of restaurant soup costing $5 or $10 …

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The $6 soup that saved a pregnant patient $20,000

Physician finance

Why every doctor should have a side gig

Why is it that physicians are seeking alternative avenues to boost their income? It may seem counterintuitive for busy clinical doctors to pursue a side gig, why? In a post-pandemic era, physicians are plagued by colossal debt and increasing rates…

Why is it that physicians are seeking alternative avenues to boost their income? It may seem counterintuitive for busy clinical doctors to pursue a side gig, why? In a post-pandemic era, physicians are plagued by colossal debt and increasing rates of burnout. More than 100,000 physicians have left the profession since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. My peers are frustrated, tired, and seeking a way out. For many, …

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Why every doctor should have a side gig

Physician voices

Cancer as a model of diversity: To be an ally, ask

I was brought to tears today, suddenly, unexpectedly, by the ringing of a bell. I had passed a small sign earlier, and I knew that the ringing signified the completion of someone's chemotherapy. As I heard cheers, I thought how…

I was brought to tears today, suddenly, unexpectedly, by the ringing of a bell. I had passed a small sign earlier, and I knew that the ringing signified the completion of someone’s chemotherapy. As I heard cheers, I thought how amazing this group of individuals (who I could not see, closeted as I was behind a curtained space) had a shared experience of crossing the finish line.

There is a lot …

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Cancer as a model of diversity: To be an ally, ask

Conditions and diseases

Breast cancer surgery: Liking my doctor mitigates the feeling of violation

On waking up from anesthesia-induced unconsciousness, I was dressed in an unfamiliar pink surgical bra with multiple Velcro straps. As if I were a doll, someone had clothed my limp body without my knowledge, and I had no idea who.…

On waking up from anesthesia-induced unconsciousness, I was dressed in an unfamiliar pink surgical bra with multiple Velcro straps. As if I were a doll, someone had clothed my limp body without my knowledge, and I had no idea who. Even then, I had a vague sense, groggy and feeling an odd lack of sensation on the right side of my chest that I had been violated.

“Violation” is an …

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Breast cancer surgery: Liking my doctor mitigates the feeling of violation

Physician voices

Physician speaks out about being threatened by a patient and betrayed by an organization

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I've been practicing internal medicine for over a decade now. I was drawn to this field because of my admiration for Dr. William Osler and the superb physicians I have met who embody his qualities. As an internal medicine physician,…

I’ve been practicing internal medicine for over a decade now. I was drawn to this field because of my admiration for Dr. William Osler and the superb physicians I have met who embody his qualities. As an internal medicine physician, I am expected to be a critical thinker and a “doctor’s doctor,” specializing in complexity and solving problems with multiple layers, like peeling an onion. However, I never imagined that …

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Physician speaks out about being threatened by a patient and betrayed by an organization

Physician voices

Working through a pandemic and watching the health care system crumble around me

The first dying patient I saw as a medical student was a man newly diagnosed with lung cancer, a chronic smoker with now oxygen-dependent COPD. In rounds, our medical team stopped outside his room, and the learned men and women…

The first dying patient I saw as a medical student was a man newly diagnosed with lung cancer, a chronic smoker with now oxygen-dependent COPD. In rounds, our medical team stopped outside his room, and the learned men and women pontificated about what to do next with the man. Chemo? Radiation? Both? I pretended to listen and rubbed my chin with feigned discernment, trying to understand the conversation like any …

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Working through a pandemic and watching the health care system crumble around me

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