OB/GYN
From womb to burnout: a physician’s reflection on the impact of maternal burnout on her journey
I was driving in the rain, taking in all the abundant Carolina greenery around me, reflecting on how wonderful it was to be out of the hospital and experience this current moment. I started to wonder when was the first time I ever felt burned out in my journey as a physician, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Like a scarring memory deeply suppressed, rising to …
U.S. maternal death rate keeps climbing: Understanding root causes can help reduce maternal mortality
As we recognize Mother’s Day on May 14, let’s take this time to reflect on how we can help ensure all moms celebrate with us, year after year. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the U.S. maternal mortality …
Is FDA-approved Veozah a game-changer in menopause hot flash treatment?
The medical world is buzzing following the FDA’s green light for Veozah. This is a one-of-a-kind, non-hormonal drug designed to tackle hot flashes in menopausal women. It brings fresh hope to countless women in the U.S. who’ve been grappling with these troublesome symptoms.
Around 80 percent of menopausal women suffer from hot flashes, which bring sudden spells of sweating, flushing, and chills. This unpleasant condition is caused by a glitch …
Breaking the silence on pelvic congestion syndrome: Diagnosing and treating chronic pelvic pain with interventional radiology
One in six women in the U.S. suffers from chronic pelvic pain (CPP), yet many receive improper treatment for the condition, or no care at all. They’re frustrated – and rightfully so. Their health care providers are frustrated too because what their patients are experiencing has historically been very difficult to diagnose. It is estimated that about 30 percent of patients with CPP suffer from a condition that can be …
The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees
The ACLU is currently tracking over 400 anti-LGBTQ bills this legislative session, the highest number on record. Over 150 of these pertain to transgender people, including many targeting health care for transgender youth.
As of April 2023, thirteen states have passed laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for youth, while more than fifteen others have introduced similar bills and policies. These actions may forbid or criminalize evidence-based medical treatment for …
The truth about hard cases and abortion: Separating fact from fiction
Though celebrated by anti-abortion advocates across the country, the overturning of Roe v. Wade by no means closed the book on the abortion debate. However, it was a victory for both human rights and federalism. The decision reinforced that the U.S. is a constitutional republic composed of individual states, each with its own agenda. States are now individually empowered to enact abortion legislation anywhere along the human gestation cycle. As …
Transforming birth: How advocacy and sharing stories can shape policy and empower families
Musical genius and mogul Rihanna recently graced the Oscars stage for her second performance after the birth of her son, with a baby bump indicating her second pregnancy. She described her first birth as “blessed” and “beautiful.” While many expecting parents long to describe their birthing process similarly, there are realities within the medical system that complicate this narrative for those who are not celebrities. When my partner and I …
Why an apology matters in medicine
March was Endometriosis Awareness Month, and my journey with the disease involved a medical error. The apology I received restored trust in my care, a pivotal moment I hope can occur between more patients and physicians.
Medical error disclosure to patients, where a medical professional reports and explains a medical mistake to a patient, is encouraged by the Joint Commission …
Breaking the silence on infertility: a urologist’s journey through IVF [PODCAST]
From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury
December 20, 2012, started like any other day as an OB/GYN when I was called to do a precipitous delivery. I immediately saw that the baby’s heart rate was dangerously low, and I knew I had to act quickly. Several nurses helped me maintain the patient’s position to get a vacuum on the baby’s crowning head. While placing the vacuum, the patient kicked me in my brachial plexus, and my …
The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters
As an OB/GYN, I know that medication abortion is safe, commonly used, and effective. Women’s rights, family building, and abortion are recognized in many international human rights documents. The United Nations’ 1966 Human Rights Treaty states that all people have a right to the highest attainable standard of health. The ability for someone to choose when and if they want to have a child is the basis of the Reproductive Justice framework and is paramount …
Fool women twice? Drug makers revive menopause as a “disease.”
In the words of the late soccer great Pelé spoofed on Saturday Night Live, women’s health has been “very, very good” for drug makers. In 2002, 61 million prescriptions were written for women in the U.S. for hormones to treat the so-called “disease” of menopause (which was once treated with electroshock therapy—yes, ECT).
Until the government-sponsored Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) found in 2002 that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) …
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Uncovering the overwhelming impact of the advanced maternal age patient on nursing
Imagine you have a busy full-time job. You get married at age 31. You and your new partner travel to Italy, Ireland, and Hawaii before settling with the kids. You both make pretty good money, so you buy a house. Of course, it needs furniture. And you have to have the new I-phone that just came out. You’re finally ready to get pregnant, but after two years, it hasn’t happened. …
A human’s a human, no matter how small
Theodore Geisel, known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, wrote hundreds of children’s stories that continue to shape young children’s development to this day. Dr. Seuss was a lifelong Democrat and favored many of FDR’s New Deal policies. However, an NPR article notes his widow mentioned that she did not like it when his characters were used to push particular political points of view. The book …
Addressing disparities in gynecological care for women with physical disabilities
I recently read a story in which a woman named H. Lee, who has muscular dystrophy, details a decade-long struggle to receive adequate cervical cancer screening. Providers have been unable to find her cervix due to the curvature of her spine, examined her in her wheelchair because there were no height-adjustable examination tables, and outright turned her away for “liability reasons.”
By the time she finds an accessible provider, she …
From studying to baby kicks: Navigating motherhood in medical school
It’s 1:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I’m sitting comfortably, propped up by four pillows with my feet on a medicine ball in front of the sofa. I laugh with complete delight as I stare at my belly and see the spunky kicks of my daughter, dancing inside my womb to the beat of her own music. The joy I feel is indescribable. But then, I look around. A UWorld …
The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act
Nebraska has taken another step towards effectively banning abortion and criminalizing the practice of medicine. I want to try to clarify that this bill is not supported by the medical community. It does not seek to improve the lives of Nebraskans. In truth, this bill is not what it seems, and I hope you will take a minute with me to turn down the emotional noise from both sides and …
What does an ENT doctor know about childbirth?
An excerpt from Fifty Years a Doctor: The Journey of Sickness and Health, Four Plagues and the Pandemic.
I went to medical school for four years.
I was a medical intern for one year and a surgical resident for one year. And finally, an otolaryngology resident for three years.
My medical license permits …
Why Black women are dying during pregnancy and what we can do about it
“Dr. Forna, I’m not going to die this pregnancy, am I?”
“No, ma’am. You’re not going to die this pregnancy. Not on my watch! We are going to do everything we can to keep you safe.”
I’ve had this conversation with pregnant women many times in my over 20-year career as an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN). Still, they have become more frequent in the last few years as more stories of Black women dying …
Past Week
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Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line
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The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school
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Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care
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Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit
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Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters
-
Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers
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Past 6 Months
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Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications
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How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust
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Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
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The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care
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Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line
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Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
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Recent Posts
-
Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters
-
Why telling kids to eat less and move more fails to address obesity
-
Why enterprise risk management is key to value-based health care success
-
Rethinking physician resilience for sustainable well-being
-
How shared language saved a patient from isolation
-
The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school
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Past Week
-
Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line
-
The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school
-
Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care
-
Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit
-
Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters
-
Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers
-
Past 6 Months
-
Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications
-
How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust
-
Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
-
The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care
-
Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line
-
Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
-
Recent Posts
-
Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters
-
Why telling kids to eat less and move more fails to address obesity
-
Why enterprise risk management is key to value-based health care success
-
Rethinking physician resilience for sustainable well-being
-
How shared language saved a patient from isolation
-
The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school
-
