Philip A. Masters, MD

Articles, page 2

September 8, 2019Sep 8, 20199

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Because I work for a medical specialty society, I’m frequently asked by non-members why I believe they should belong to a medical professional society. This is a particularly…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Because I work for a medical specialty society, I’m frequently asked by non-members why I believe they should belong to a medical professional society. This is a particularly relevant question these days given the rapidly changing landscape of medicine and with physicians becoming much more discerning about the value they perceive in such affiliations.

My …

Physician voices

Why we must embrace medical uncertainty

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

July 23, 2019Jul 23, 2019

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. In the late 1800s, William Osler stated, “… if you want a profession in which everything is certain, you had better give up medicine.” He made this observation…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

In the late 1800s, William Osler stated, “… if you want a profession in which everything is certain, you had better give up medicine.” He made this observation at a time when the science underlying health care was nascent, and little was understood about the effectiveness of treatments available for specific diseases, if they …

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Why we must embrace medical uncertainty

Health policy

In our health system, who “owns” patients?

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

June 7, 2019Jun 7, 20192

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. When talking with patients - particularly those with multiple, complicated medical issues - it often doesn’t take very long to hear about their increasingly suboptimal and sometimes harrowing…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

When talking with patients – particularly those with multiple, complicated medical issues – it often doesn’t take very long to hear about their increasingly suboptimal and sometimes harrowing interactions with our health care system.

Examples include inpatient experiences in which care is provided by a constantly shifting team consisting of individuals from multiple medical disciplines …

Physician voices

The isolation and loneliness that physicians experience

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

May 7, 2019May 7, 20192

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. We are just now beginning to recognize the impact of isolation and loneliness on the health of our patients. Recent cultural and societal changes have led to markedly…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

We are just now beginning to recognize the impact of isolation and loneliness on the health of our patients. Recent cultural and societal changes have led to markedly increased levels of isolation of our patients with a dwindling size and activity of their social networks. Loneliness – the resulting negative emotional response to their …

Conditions and diseases

How medicine rose up to the challenge of the AIDS epidemic

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

April 6, 2019Apr 6, 20192

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. In the run-up to the Academy Awards this year, like many people I made a concerted effort to see most of the top-nominated pictures. Of particular interest was…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

In the run-up to the Academy Awards this year, like many people I made a concerted effort to see most of the top-nominated pictures. Of particular interest was Bohemian Rhapsody, the biographical film about the lead singer of the rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury. Not only had I lived through the Queen era and …

Conditions and diseases

Physicians need to be better judges of science

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

March 11, 2019Mar 11, 20193

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. The aim of medical education is not only to transfer scientific knowledge, but also impart the wisdom accumulated over the long history of medicine that equips us to…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

The aim of medical education is not only to transfer scientific knowledge, but also impart the wisdom accumulated over the long history of medicine that equips us to apply this knowledge for the betterment of our patients.

Although much of medical wisdom transmitted in pre-scientific times was based on ideas that were thought logical and …

Physician voices

Practice at the top of your license: What does that really mean?

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

February 5, 2019Feb 5, 2019

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Much has been discussed in recent years around the concept of “practicing at the top of your license.” But what does this really mean? The most common definition…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Much has been discussed in recent years around the concept of “practicing at the top of your license.” But what does this really mean?

The most common definition is that each medical professional’s routine activities should utilize the full extent of their education, training, and experience, and that their time should not be spent doing …

Physician voices

Reclaiming our mission in medicine

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

January 7, 2019Jan 7, 20194

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. When reading (or writing) blog posts, it’s easy to be left with a mostly negative and often depressing view of the current state of medicine. This is completely…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

When reading (or writing) blog posts, it’s easy to be left with a mostly negative and often depressing view of the current state of medicine. This is completely understandable as people usually write on topics and issues about which they feel strongly, and that (sometimes profoundly) affect their personal lives as physicians and their …

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Reclaiming our mission in medicine

Physician voices

The power of the tincture of time

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

December 6, 2018Dec 6, 20183

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I distinctly recall during residency a much older and well-respected clinical teacher periodically opining that what was needed in a particular patient case was “a dose of the…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I distinctly recall during residency a much older and well-respected clinical teacher periodically opining that what was needed in a particular patient case was “a dose of the tincture of time.”

For those less familiar with more historic terminology, a tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a plant or other chemical substance (such …

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The power of the tincture of time

Physician voices

Why patients don’t do what physicians tell them

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

November 6, 2018Nov 6, 20189

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Those of us who provide clinical care inevitably have patients who simply don’t do what we tell them. And this isn’t limited to only primary care but is…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Those of us who provide clinical care inevitably have patients who simply don’t do what we tell them. And this isn’t limited to only primary care but is encountered in all specialties and by subspecialists and consultants alike.

Not only can this be frustrating and annoying but at times may lead us to become frankly …

Physician voices

When doctors behave badly: a call for civility

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

October 7, 2018Oct 7, 20184

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. It can be as blatant as a public argument between a hospitalist and emergency medicine physician about whether a patient requires admission. But most commonly it is more…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

It can be as blatant as a public argument between a hospitalist and emergency medicine physician about whether a patient requires admission. But most commonly it is more nuanced and subtle. Such as members of one speciality “bad-mouthing” another or a subspecialist criticizing a generalist for asking for a consult they don’t think is …

Physician voices

We are losing our ability to unplug

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

September 12, 2018Sep 12, 20182

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I’m writing this as both an observation and confession. The observation is that my professional colleagues are increasingly unwilling or unable to disengage from work-related technology in what…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I’m writing this as both an observation and confession.

The observation is that my professional colleagues are increasingly unwilling or unable to disengage from work-related technology in what would otherwise be considered “personal” time.

It is increasingly common to receive work-related emails or see non-urgent entries in the electronic health record (EHR) in the evenings, very …

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We are losing our ability to unplug

Health technology

Physicians must reclaim the medical record

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

August 16, 2018Aug 16, 201812

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I recently saw a new patient who came to our practice following a lengthy hospitalization. He is in his 80s with a fairly complex medical history typical of…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I recently saw a new patient who came to our practice following a lengthy hospitalization. He is in his 80s with a fairly complex medical history typical of many in this age range. Yet, after carefully sifting through my first introduction to this gentleman — a 32-page discharge summary — I was completely unable …

Health policy

Restoring the trust in the medical profession

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

July 13, 2018Jul 13, 201814

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Trust is the belief that another person or entity will act in your best interest, and it serves as the foundation upon which the doctor-patient relationship and our…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Trust is the belief that another person or entity will act in your best interest, and it serves as the foundation upon which the doctor-patient relationship and our health care system are built.

But we have a significant trust paradox in American medicine. As individual physicians, we do very well in holding the public’s trust …

Physician voices

Remember our past in order to protect the future of medicine

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

June 6, 2018Jun 6, 20183

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Her name is Wanda Poltawska. She is currently 96 years old and showing the physical signs of advanced aging, but remains mentally sharp and insightful. What makes her…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Her name is Wanda Poltawska. She is currently 96 years old and showing the physical signs of advanced aging, but remains mentally sharp and insightful.

What makes her special is that in 1941, at 19 years of age, she was sent to a concentration camp in Germany, and while there was subjected to medical “experimentation” …

Physician voices

Undoing what we’ve done: Why deprescribing is so difficult

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

May 8, 2018May 8, 20183

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I recently saw a 74-year-old patient to establish ongoing care. In reviewing her medical history, she presented me with the list of the 15 medications she was taking.…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I recently saw a 74-year-old patient to establish ongoing care. In reviewing her medical history, she presented me with the list of the 15 medications she was taking. I was a bit shocked given her medical history which really consisted of only the “usual” issues commonly seen in her age range, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, …

Physician voices

“I had no idea”: the power of patient stories

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

April 10, 2018Apr 10, 20183

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. A number of years ago I had an older patient, John, who had just been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. In discussing his diagnosis, he asked me if…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

A number of years ago I had an older patient, John, who had just been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. In discussing his diagnosis, he asked me if I thought that his exposure to radiation in the past might be responsible for his illness. Intrigued, I asked him what radiation exposure he might have …

Physician voices

Achieving aequanimitas and physician well-being

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

March 12, 2018Mar 12, 20183

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Being a physician is hard. And given the current landscape of medicine, it feels as though practicing medicine may be as difficult as it ever has been as…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Being a physician is hard. And given the current landscape of medicine, it feels as though practicing medicine may be as difficult as it ever has been as evidenced by extraordinarily high rates of stress and physician burnout.

However, in these times I often find it helpful to seek the perspective and accumulated wisdom from …

Physician voices

The challenge of the worried well

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

February 15, 2018Feb 15, 20182

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I recently saw a 35-year-old patient of mine who came into clinic requesting brain imaging. Although she had no specific symptoms, she had a friend who was diagnosed…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I recently saw a 35-year-old patient of mine who came into clinic requesting brain imaging. Although she had no specific symptoms, she had a friend who was diagnosed with a brain tumor several months ago and is concerned about the possibility that she could have one as well. When asked why she thinks she …

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The challenge of the worried well

Physician voices

Are physicians losing the healing touch?

American College of Physicians & Philip A. Masters, MD

January 11, 2018Jan 11, 2018

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I keenly remember the thrill of making my way to the medical bookstore as an early first-year student to buy my first stethoscope. Although receiving the short white…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I keenly remember the thrill of making my way to the medical bookstore as an early first-year student to buy my first stethoscope.

Although receiving the short white coat at the start of medical school symbolizing the transition into the medical profession was incredibly meaningful, the stethoscope was a much more tangible indicator of the …