I love being a doctor. But I almost walked away from medicine entirely—not because I did not care, but because it almost killed me.
I am a neurodivergent, African-American woman who grew up poor and beat the odds to wear a white coat. But nothing in my medical training prepared me for the business of medicine. In fact, I would argue the system was designed to keep me from learning it.
We …
Why every physician needs business skills to thrive
I’m a family medicine-trained doctor working in a rural ER. I drive 90 minutes to get there, and I do it because if I don’t, no one will. The county I serve has seen its nearest hospital close. The OB unit is long gone. Specialist referrals are hit or miss. And the patients? They’re sick. Sicker than they should be. Because when access to health care disappears, what follows is …
Rural hospitals are vanishing—and lives are vanishing with them
I have wanted to be a doctor since I was 12 years old. I revered my pediatrician, Dr. Helen Nash, who was a giant in our community. Growing up poor in St. Louis, it was rare to see a Black doctor. Seeing Dr. Nash—owning her own practice, helping people, and commanding deep respect—was inspiring. She was an advocate for health care in the African American community, and whenever she spoke, …
The harsh reality of becoming a doctor: a dream turned nightmare
When I was a brand-new doctor, I was fresh, eager, and determined to succeed. I grew up poor, so I worked and worked—full-time during the week and taking travel assignments on weekends to make ends meet. Many of these travel assignments were in areas with less diverse populations, places where I was often the only Black doctor in the hospital.
One such assignment took me to Hannibal, Missouri, the …
Why diversity in medicine saves lives
As an emergency room physician with 20 years of experience, I’ve witnessed countless moments where patients come to the ER not because their symptoms demand urgent care, but because they lack understanding about their own medical conditions. These are not isolated incidents—they’re a systemic failure in communication that contributes to patient distress, health care inefficiency, and physician burnout.
This week alone, I had two particularly heart-wrenching encounters:
A 65-year-old man with metastatic …
How poor communication is killing patients and burning out doctors
I am a family physician by training, and I thank God every day for that foundation. About a decade ago, I transitioned to emergency medicine, thinking I’d left primary care behind. Back then, primary care problems—hypertension, diabetes, routine medication refills—would occasionally show up in the ER, but they weren’t the norm. Fast forward to today, and they’ve become a central part of my shift.
It’s not because people suddenly decided the …
The ER doctor who became the new PCP
As an emergency room physician with over 20 years of experience, I’ve faced countless moments of emotional intensity—saving lives, delivering difficult news, and navigating the chaos of a health care system stretched to its limits. Yet, it wasn’t a catastrophic patient case or a bad day at work that led me to my breaking point. It was the slow, relentless erosion of my emotional capacity. I call this state the …
Reviving the emotional flatline: Addressing burnout in health care professionals
I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was 12. Growing up, I idolized my pediatrician, Dr. Helen Nash, one of the first Black female physicians in St. Louis. Her warmth and competence left a lasting impression on me. Medicine became my calling, my purpose, and my dream. I worked tirelessly through high school, college, medical school, and residency to make that dream a reality. But no one warned me …
How burnout nearly killed me—and what doctors must do to survive
It’s crack-of-dawn early, and I’m on a flight. Working swing ER shifts has left me exhausted, barely packed, and running on fumes. But hey, as long as I’ve got my passport and clean underwear, I’m good to go. There’s a mall in every city, right?
I settle in, headphones on, ready to dive into the latest episodes of The Lincoln Lawyer. I’m beyond tired – there aren’t even words for this …
How a mid-flight emergency taught me to put myself first
In the high-stakes world of health care, medical professionals are renowned for their selfless dedication to patient care. They work long hours, navigate complex medical challenges, and consistently prioritize the needs of others. Yet, within this culture of compassion, there exists a profound and often overlooked truth: to provide optimal care, health care workers must first care for themselves.
The oxygen mask principle, famously demonstrated during pre-flight safety instructions on commercial …
The oxygen mask principle: a critical lesson in health care self-preservation
Imagine your immune system as a vigilant guardian suddenly turning against the body it’s meant to protect. This is the reality of autoimmune diseases—a group of complex conditions where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, leading to chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
A striking statistic reveals a sobering truth: 80 percent of autoimmune diseases occur in women, with an even more pronounced impact on Black women. …
The hidden cost of neglecting self-care: the autoimmune connection
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