Vineet Arora, MD

Articles, page 2

November 1, 2010Nov 1, 20102

I am teaching a new course entitled “Turning your Clinical Cases into Scholarly Work.” I hope to draw on my own experiences through the years mentoring students and residents in writing up several clinical cases, but also in making diagnoses.…

I am teaching a new course entitled “Turning your Clinical Cases into Scholarly Work.”

I hope to draw on my own experiences through the years mentoring students and residents in writing up several clinical cases, but also in making diagnoses. In preparing for this course, I have also learned quite a bit about the controversy surrounding case reports and the challenges that they face in today’s healthcare system.

Unfortunately, case reports have …

Health technology

Powerful examples of using the iPad on the wards

Vineet Arora, MD

September 16, 2010Sep 16, 20106

I recently completed a two week tour of duty on the wards in July with new residents, interns, and students. Attending (serving as the supervising doctor for the team of residents, interns and students) in July can be challenging, but…

I recently completed a two week tour of duty on the wards in July with new residents, interns, and students.

Attending (serving as the supervising doctor for the team of residents, interns and students) in July can be challenging, but also one of the most rewarding clinical experiences as a faculty member. The interns and residents are eager to learn and your teaching may have a more lasting impact as the residents …

Physician voices

Stop calling doctors fleas and teaching professionalism

Vineet Arora, MD

August 15, 2010Aug 15, 201010

At the recent AAMC meeting on how to integrate quality into teaching hospitals, the question that kept popping up from speaker after speaker was how to address the fact that doctors in teaching hospitals don’t get along. Unfortunately, all the…

Unfortunately, all the specialty bashing that takes place prevents the adoption of a team based culture necessary to advance quality and safety. As one speaker highlighted, how can we really start to address this …

Medical education

What residents and medical students should wear in the hospital

Shalini Reddy, MD & Vineet Arora, MD

July 13, 2010Jul 13, 201017

At a recent meeting I attended, a vigorous discussion broke out about what medical students, residents and attendings should wear, and more importantly what they should not wear. Interestingly, patients have been asked to weigh in on this discussion. What…

At a recent meeting I attended, a vigorous discussion broke out about what medical students, residents and attendings should wear, and more importantly what they should not wear.

Interestingly, patients have been asked to weigh in on this discussion. What to wear is also on the mind of many current second year medical students who may find themselves trying to take study breaks from USMLE 1 to go buy …

Medical education

Tips for students who want to shadow doctors

Vineet Arora, MD

June 17, 2010Jun 17, 20106

On a recent Saturday, I rounded in the hospital. I met up with Zainab, the president of the minority premed association for the University of Chicago, who asked to shadow me. While she was doing research at the hospital, she had not ever rounded in the hospital before. It was Saturday so our team was mostly off so it was just me and my very capable resident who is about …

Physician voices

Hospitalists are killing primary care, and other myths debunked

Vineet Arora, MD

May 26, 2010May 26, 201011

Those who hate hospitalists believe that students and residents are choosing hospital medicine over primary care so hospitalists are to be blamed for the primary care shortage. They also believe that the rise of hospital medicine has made primary care less attractive. Then, there is the salient argument that care transitions are more inherent and vulnerable due to hospitalists.

Of course this hatred is not new. As a …

Medical education

China medical school and residency training

Vineet Arora, MD

May 6, 2010May 6, 20103

My husband and I recently traveled to Wuhan Medical School in the Hubei Province in central China. Our medical school has partnered with Wuhan to help inform their curricular reform efforts. We spent 4 days touring the hospitals and teaching…

My husband and I recently traveled to Wuhan Medical School in the Hubei Province in central China.

Our medical school has partnered with Wuhan to help inform their curricular reform efforts. We spent 4 days touring the hospitals and teaching facilities, meeting students and faculty, going on rounds, and giving talks. Although the language barrier was challenging, we had incredible translators who worked to translate every slide we spoke …

Medical conditions as seen in the movies

Vineet Arora, MD

April 17, 2010Apr 17, 20105

I recently went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D. This epic creation by part genius–part disturbed director Tim Burton features the wickedly talented method actor Johnny Depp as the ‘Mad Hatter.’ As I was watching Johnny Depp’s orange hair…

I recently went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

This epic creation by part genius–part disturbed director Tim Burton features the wickedly talented method actor Johnny Depp as the ‘Mad Hatter.’ As I was watching Johnny Depp’s orange hair and freakish eyes, it occurred to me that some of the most popular fiction movies over the last several years have featured some notable legends and their medical …

Medical education

Residency training is like James Cameron’s Avatar

Vineet Arora, MD

April 1, 2010Apr 1, 20102

Dr. Carolyn Clancy, head of the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, recently highlighted the definite need for enhanced patient safety and training on healthcare IT for residents who will be the practicing docs of the future. At the very…

At the very end, she compared the future of residency training to James Cameron’s Avatar – an epic battle followed by enlightenment.

Because I am a huge science fiction fan and working in graduate medical …

Health policy

Medicare doc fix questions and answers

Vineet Arora, MD

March 17, 2010Mar 17, 20103

A 21% cut for Medicare physician fees is set to go into place soon. This year, fixing physician payment has been overshadowed by all the talk about health insurance reform. In fact, I remember being invited to talk about healthcare…

A 21% cut for Medicare physician fees is set to go into place soon. This year, fixing physician payment has been overshadowed by all the talk about health insurance reform.

In fact, I remember being invited to talk about healthcare reform on a panel for medical students this past fall. As part of my remarks, I mentioned the 21% pending cut in physician payment and recall the questions and …

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Medicare doc fix questions and answers

Medical education

Patient handoffs limit residents work hour cap gains

Vineet Arora, MD

March 10, 2010Mar 10, 20109

Anyone affiliated with a teaching hospital knows that the controversy regarding resident work hours is heating up again. It's been over 5 years since the ACGME limited resident hours to 80 hours per week with a maximum of 30 consecutive…

Anyone affiliated with a teaching hospital knows that the controversy regarding resident work hours is heating up again. It’s been over 5 years since the ACGME limited resident hours to 80 hours per week with a maximum of 30 consecutive hours. While this may not sound like ‘reform’, as someone who trained prior to these rules, it is definitely a change.

More recently, the Institute of Medicine issued a …

Physician voices

Can doctors learn medicine from physician lounges?

Vineet Arora, MD

February 25, 2010Feb 25, 20103

I just finished rotating at a community hospital where one of the most interesting things I’ve enjoyed is stopping by the Doctor’s Lounge. I can always count on a getting coffee there and hearing some good conversation – doctors asking for input on interesting cases, laughing, sharing stories, both personal and professional, and catching up on each other’s busy lives. In fact, I ran into an old friend of mine …