A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Because of their unpredictable occurrence, ubiquitous nature, and the fact that they present us with a previously unknown disease to learn and manage, pandemics have always posed a major threat to humankind. And the novel coronavirus pandemic we are currently experiencing is no …
The critical role of physicians as pandemic truth-tellers
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
National Internal Medicine Day is October 28, 2020. It’s a time for internists to reflect on the work they do and take pride in being a part of the greater internal medicine community.
Recognizing internal medicine and the work of internists is particularly pertinent …
Internal medicine, the pandemic, and William Osler
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Making an accurate clinical diagnosis is one of the most important things physicians can do for their patients.
But being able to do so is not an easy process to begin with. It takes years of preparation in learning as much medicine as you …
Clinical diagnosis in the age of COVID-19
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Pandemics periodically alter the course of history, reshaping society as people struggle to deal with the consequences of a new and often devastating disease. As with past pandemics, over just a few months we have witnessed the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus stretch our …
Overcoming the invisible “coronavirus wall” between doctors and patients
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Practicing medicine has always been hard, and as all of us have experienced over the past several months, living and working through a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has only made it more challenging.
For those on the front lines of patient care, the added stresses …
The hidden danger to physicians in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
The recent occurrence of widespread civil unrest in the context of the coronavirus pandemic has challenged us as physicians about our appropriate role in dealing with both.
The response of doctors to the pandemic has been fairly straightforward. The central role of individual physicians …
Why physicians must speak out about social inequity
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Although I work for the American College of Physicians, I’m writing this as a general internist who has practiced both primary care and hospital-based medicine for over 25 years.
Hopefully by now, you are aware of Better is Possible: The American College of Physicians’ …
Reclaiming the future of health care
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.
Engaging personally with our health care system either as a patient or family member is usually an eye-opening experience for most physicians. It provides a glimpse of what those under our care likely deal with on a daily basis while attempting to manage …
Treating the patient, not the disease
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
In many ways, the patient-physician relationship is seen as being mostly one-sided, with doctors possessing medical knowledge and wisdom, and patients with less medical information being in a position where they need a physician’s help and guidance in managing their health issues. Consequently, …
What doctors can (and should) learn from patients
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Regardless of specialty, medical practice is challenging in today’s health care landscape.
Increasing demands related to workload and job inefficiencies, an ever-increasing administrative burden, the consuming nature of health information technology, and personal and professional values that often conflict with the expectations of the …
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
The administrative burden associated with caring for patients in today’s health care system has emerged as a primary driver of the loss of joy in the practice of medicine and the epidemic of burnout among physicians.
No medical specialty is immune from the upward …
How the administrative burden contributes to physician burnout
A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Of all medical specialties, perhaps the most difficult to understand is internal medicine.
While the name suggests that those who practice internal medicine focus primarily on non-dermatologic diseases of “Internal” organ systems (which in many ways is true), unlike other medical fields whose names …
How internal medicine got its name
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 …
Why should you belong to a medical professional society?
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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 …
Why we must embrace medical uncertainty
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 …
In our health system, who “owns” patients?
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 …
The isolation and loneliness that physicians experience
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 …
How medicine rose up to the challenge of the AIDS epidemic
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 …
Physicians need to be better judges of science
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, …
Practice at the top of your license: What does that really mean?
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 …
Reclaiming our mission in medicine
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