Christine J. Ko, MD

Christine J. Ko is a dermatopathologist.

Medical misinformation: Navigating vaccine hesitancy with empathy

Physician

February 9, 2026

Medical misinformation is rampant but should not be overstated. Vaccination remains a good barometer of the range of opinions on a subject directly related to individual as well as population health. 82 percent of Americans received at least one shot of the COVID vaccine by December 2023. However, more recently, population vaccination rates of children are decreasing.

Perspectives on safety and immunity

The increasing distrust in vaccines may be …

Toward a work-life compass: Work-life balance doesn’t exist

Christine J. Ko, MD

Physician

October 30, 2024

A four-day workweek is being touted as better, especially for jobs that are cognitively oriented. The brain needs more time for rest and relaxation than a five-day workweek allows, so four days of work and three days for everything else will provide a work-life balance.

For more than two decades, particularly after I had my first child 17 years ago, I’ve been trying to achieve that elusive work-life balance. I …

It is literally possible to be a woman in medicine! We are doing it every day.

Christine J. Ko, MD

Physician

March 1, 2024

I love America Ferrara’s monologue in Barbie. Similarly, the impossibility of being a woman in medicine, as so clearly stated in Dr. Jennifer Lycette’s recent essay in KevinMD, absolutely resonates with me.

And yet, let’s not forget that in 2021, two of five practicing physicians were women, with certain fields including (my own) dermatology, internal medicine, and pediatrics having a female predominance. Studies support that these female physicians have …

Insider secrets: 10 must-know tips for mastering medical appointments

Christine J. Ko, MD

Physician

July 16, 2023

Since December 2022, I have attended over 60 medical appointments, ranging from 15 minutes to as long as 6 hours. Some appointments were as short as 15 minutes, while others required a minimum of 3 hours. Through these numerous health care visits, which collectively amount to more than 60 hours, I have gained valuable insights. Here are my top 10 tips based on my experiences:

Check the location and plan ahead. …

Is there more to patient safety than preventing medical error?

Christine J. Ko, MD

Conditions and Diseases

June 16, 2022

I cry often enough that my kids almost gleefully expect it, checking me for tears during movies or shows, shaking their heads in mock dismay when they see that their prediction is correct. I’ve cried many times at home, watching screens, reading books, talking on the phone, and at work, where I am a doctor who cannot always suppress my emotions. And I’ve cried in front of health care providers …

A physician’s top 10 fears

Christine J. Ko, MD

Physician

February 20, 2022

I recently had a good (albeit unexpected) cry and figured out that I have been in an unremitting fear cycle for about two-plus years. When the COVID pandemic first shut things down across the United States, my family and I had just started a much-anticipated ski vacation. On the way to the resort, we heard that Vail and other Colorado resorts had just shut down. When we checked into our …

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A physician’s top 10 fears

Confession from a female doctor: I am sexist

Christine J. Ko, MD

Physician

June 2, 2021

Maybe it’s a testament to a hardy relationship that there was no resulting argument. Without thinking, I blurted out, “You are so sexist!” I could immediately tell by my husband’s face, his upper eyelids and eyebrows lifted a bit, his mouth freeze-framed in a small “o” — my exclamation surprised and insulted him. Maybe it was a completely unfair assessment; after all, he was standing at the sink, his hands …

Christine J. Ko, MD

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