Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

An internal medicine physician, working as an independent contractor at several health care facilities.

14 articles on KevinMD · 4 podcast episodes

About

Corinne Rao is an internal medicine physician, working as an independent contractor at several health care facilities, the owner of an internal medicine practice, and a member of FlexMedstaff. In her spare time, she is a ballroom dancer.

On The Podcast by KevinMD

Unpaid on-call shifts are driving doctors into early retirementMar 1, 2026
Part-time opportunities for modern physiciansSep 8, 2023
Physician burnout and the Kentucky Derby: a shocking parallelAug 1, 2023
How this doctor found her passion in ballroom dancingMar 26, 2023

Latest articles

Physician voices

Physician autonomy is not separate from patient care

Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

April 22, 2026Apr 22, 2026

Recently, I came across the Charter of the Soignés ("those being cared for") by French physician and writer Martin Winckler from The School of Caregivers (2019). This is not a legal document, but an ethical framework. It outlines 10 principles…

Recently, I came across the Charter of the Soignés (“those being cared for”) by French physician and writer Martin Winckler from The School of Caregivers (2019).

This is not a legal document, but an ethical framework. It outlines 10 principles centered on dignity, autonomy, and the humanity of the patient.

The first nine principles focus on what we would hope our patients experience. The recognition that a person is more than a …

Physician voices

Physician on-call compensation: the unpaid labor driving burnout

Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

January 6, 2026Jan 6, 20263

As an internal medicine physician, I've spent years watching one quiet assumption extract more unpaid labor from physicians than anything else in our system. It's not charting. It's not meetings. It's not metrics. It's call. I wrote a post on…

As an internal medicine physician, I’ve spent years watching one quiet assumption extract more unpaid labor from physicians than anything else in our system. It’s not charting. It’s not meetings. It’s not metrics.

It’s call.

I wrote a post on my LinkedIn page about my thoughts regarding call. It resonated with many physicians, and I received many messages. It became clear that being “on call” is something that is rarely spoken about …

Physician voices

The erosion of evidence-based medicine: a doctor’s warning

Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

December 1, 2025Dec 1, 2025

Something unsettling is happening in medicine, and many of us feel it even if we haven't said it out loud: evidence-based medicine is slowly being eroded, not just by outsiders, but from within our own profession. Patients today are searching…

Something unsettling is happening in medicine, and many of us feel it even if we haven’t said it out loud: evidence-based medicine is slowly being eroded, not just by outsiders, but from within our own profession.

Patients today are searching more than ever before for quick fixes, and physicians are increasingly stepping into the marketplace to meet that demand. Hormone pellets. “Longevity protocols.” Peptides that sound scientific but have no real …

Physician voices

The U.S. health care crisis: a Titanic parallel

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD & Shreekant Vasudhev, MD

November 19, 2025Nov 19, 2025

Two years ago, Drs. Aaron Morgenstein, Corinne Sundar Rao, and Shreekant Vasudhev drew a compelling parallel between the Titanic's tragic voyage and the looming crisis in U.S. health care. They highlighted systemic issues such as administrative egotism, outdated practices, and…

Two years ago, Drs. Aaron Morgenstein, Corinne Sundar Rao, and Shreekant Vasudhev drew a compelling parallel between the Titanic’s tragic voyage and the looming crisis in U.S. health care. They highlighted systemic issues such as administrative egotism, outdated practices, and substandard resources, warning that without significant course corrections, the health care system was on a collision path with disaster.

Today, in 2025, the iceberg has struck, and the cracks are …

Physician voices

The Faustian bargain of modern medicine

Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

February 15, 2025Feb 15, 2025

The concept of a "Faustian bargain" originates from the legend of Dr. Faustus, a figure from German folklore who trades his soul to the devil in exchange for worldly knowledge and power. Doctor Faustus is Christopher Marlowe's most renowned and…

The concept of a “Faustian bargain” originates from the legend of Dr. Faustus, a figure from German folklore who trades his soul to the devil in exchange for worldly knowledge and power. Doctor Faustus is Christopher Marlowe’s most renowned and controversial work. The play depicts the sinister aftermath of Faustus’s decision to sell his soul to the devil’s henchmen in exchange for power and knowledge. It serves as a timeless …

Read more…

The Faustian bargain of modern medicine

Physician voices

The Kentucky Derby: factors that contribute to winning the most prestigious horse race in the world, and what medical training can learn from them

Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023

The Kentucky Derby is an annual horse race held in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May. It is considered one of the most prestigious horse races in the world and is the first leg of the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing, followed by Preakness Stakes and the Belmont stakes. At the time of this writing, Mage won the famous race in the 149th Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby has …

Physician voices

Physicians in crisis: How wage-fixing in health care is limiting compensation and driving doctors away

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Allison Nazinitsky, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

April 22, 2023Apr 22, 2023

Physicians are frustrated, and rightfully so, by the number of individuals and companies that do not provide direct medical care to patients yet profit off our services. Salary suppression is one of the many reasons physicians are leaving traditional medicine and seeking alternative careers. Although physicians have seen an increase in pay over the past 20 years, it has not matched the inflation rate. For example, Medicare reimbursement lags over …

Physician voices

Dr. Glaucomflecken for president!

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

March 25, 2023Mar 25, 2023

Is there anyone out there not familiar with Dr. Glaucomflecken? The fictional character created by Will Flanary, a practicing ophthalmologist, has entertained many on social media. If you are not aware of him, you should be! Dr. Glaucomflecken's laugh-out-loud satirical…

Dr. Flanary’s recent attacks on social media of private equity, insurance companies, and non-competes …

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Dr. Glaucomflecken for president!

Physician voices

It’s time for the C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

March 23, 2023Mar 23, 20237

Is your facility struggling to recruit and staff full-time physicians? Are you spending excessive amounts on staffing agencies and private management companies to make up for your shortage of physicians? Physicians are leaving traditional clinical medicine because you, the C-suite,…

Physicians are leaving traditional clinical medicine because you, the C-suite, are not adapting to the changing times.

Do you care, or are you more focused on replacing physicians with cheaper labor?

Unlike the older generation of retiring physicians, the younger generation is not …

Physician voices

The Titanic sinking: a metaphor for the impending collapse of medicine

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD & Shreekant Vasudhev, MD

March 7, 2023Mar 7, 20235

The re-release of the movie Titanic marks its 25th anniversary since it first sailed into theaters. Can you believe it? Twenty-five years ago, we watched Rose get undressed for a self-portrait with only a necklace on, Jack yelling, “I’m the king of the world” from the boat’s bow, and the two of them doin’ the dirty in the backseat of an automobile. This fictional love story of Rose and Jack …

Physician voices

Celebrate Banana Cream Pie Day with your friendly hospitalist

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD & Shreekant Vasudhev, MD

March 2, 2023Mar 2, 2023

I am smart, I swear. I graduated near the top of my class in medical school, I swear. I kicked butt on the Step exams, I swear. But ask me to manage someone's diabetes or hypertension; No, thank you! Thank…

I am smart, I swear.

I graduated near the top of my class in medical school, I swear.

I kicked butt on the Step exams, I swear.

But ask me to manage someone’s diabetes or hypertension; No, thank you!

Thank God for hospitalists, a set of remarkable physicians that allow me to do my job effectively. Without them, I would be lost. Would you really want me, an orthopedic surgeon, to manage complex medical …

Physician voices

Hug it out: the power of oxytocin on Valentine’s Day

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD & Shreekant Vasudhev, MD

February 14, 2023Feb 14, 2023

Valentine's Day marks the most romantic day of the year. For this Hallmark holiday, this country displays our love for each other by spending approximately $25 billion on cards, roses, chocolates, and dinners. Why so much? WTF! Like one's dating…

Valentine’s Day marks the most romantic day of the year. For this Hallmark holiday, this country displays our love for each other by spending approximately $25 billion on cards, roses, chocolates, and dinners. Why so much? WTF!

Like one’s dating status on Facebook, the origin of Valentine’s Day is “complicated.” Formal messages or valentines appeared as printed cards in the late 1700s. Today, Hallmark sells about 145 million cards at an …

Physician voices

Not just another Hallmark holiday: Happy National Women Physicians Day

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

February 3, 2023Feb 3, 2023

February 3rd marks the annual observance of National Women Physicians Day, a special day dedicated to honoring the countless female physicians who have dedicated their lives to the health and well-being of their patients. The holiday was created in response to the fact that although women make up over half of all medical school graduates, they still only make up a small percentage of physicians in practice today. This day …

Physician voices

From science nerd to accomplished ballroom dancer: my story as a hospitalist

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD

February 1, 2023Feb 1, 2023

"Life is about taking chances, trying new things, having fun, making mistakes, and learning from them." – Anonymous Early journey as a science nerd In high school, science was my thing. I wasn't like the others. I wasn't interested in…

“Life is about taking chances, trying new things, having fun, making mistakes, and learning from them.”
– Anonymous

Early journey as a science nerd

In high school, science was my thing. I wasn’t like the others. I wasn’t interested in teenage drama. The boys didn’t chase me, and I didn’t chase them. I was that nerd; I was committed to science. My love for science drew me to a degree in biology which …