Practice Management
Building trust with patients: the power of credibility, trustworthiness, and likeability
An excerpt from The Mumbo Jumbo Fix: A Survival Guide for Effective Doctor-Patient-Nurse Communication.
When advertising agencies launch a new ad campaign, one of their popular strategies is the testimonial. As consumers, we see testimonials all the time in both print and electronic …
The consequence of neglect: the lack of business education in medical schools
Repeated media articles continue to inform the public that we don’t have enough physicians to handle our health care, and it’s worsening. We have at least 174 accredited medical schools in our nation that are still producing medical doctors and about 22,000 annually from all medical schools who enter a medical practice of some kind.
That must be a satisfactory number because they aren’t building medical schools much anymore. The existing …
The tragic case of the anguished physician
In his “Nicomachean Ethics,” the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle points out that anger is not always a moral failure. To be sure, it is usually wrong to give in to it, but situations can arise when a good person naturally experiences a sense of moral indignation. The human mission is not always to hold anger at bay but sometimes to feel it appropriately – why, with whom, when, where, and …
5 simple ways for physicians to create mindfulness and improve well-being
Physicians hit the ground running every day with myriad tasks related to patient care that place us in a hyper-stressed state. Let’s not forget that life’s stressors outside work are equally demanding and beyond equally important.
What are physicians to do?
The myriad of little (and sometimes not so little) frustrations that we encounter daily can drain our energy and impact how we perform. Physicians need focused energy to power through their …
The fall of the patient-doctor bond: How corporate medicine is changing health care
Fifty years ago, medical graduates’ licensing required membership in the AMA, the state, and the local county societies known as organized medicine (OM). Physicians, through their OM, wrote the rules and guidelines of the practice of medicine, controlled the hospitals through their medical staff organizations, and jointly approved what health insurance covered with the insurance carriers.
In the last 40 years, gradual changes in our country have affected our patients and …
Navigating institutional betrayal in health care [PODCAST]
6 tips to make a lasting impact in the medical field
We were best friends and classmates in elementary school until the Persian revolution hit in 1979. We both escaped Iran with our families, emigrated to Los Angeles, and have been friends ever since. Our experiences early in life provided us with the life lessons needed to find success, and we hope that by sharing our lessons, we can help impact the next generation. Below are some tips we wanted to …
Why reaching your goals won’t bring lasting happiness
It’s January, so much of social media, news, magazine articles, and the like turns to goals, goals, goals.
Having a goal for your life is like having a diagnosis for a patient.
Now you have a direction (for healing). You know what you have to do to get there (the specific treatment), you know what the obstacles might be (complications), and yet you have to keep an open mind in case you …
Only physicians can find the balance between tradition and active disruption
It is clear to most of us who practice medicine that the medical system is at a crossroads unlike any other in recent history, between competing crises of uncontrolled medical costs, escalating administrative burdens, consolidation and employment of physician practices, burnout, and the rapid development and entrance of new, largely untested technologies. I am sure that I am not alone as a physician who wonders what will the medical system …
Leading through burnout: How health care executives can address burnout in the workplace [PODCAST]
How physicians can use writing to share their expertise and impact the lives of others
Oh, the stories we hold.
As physicians, we sit in the front row for many defining events in a person’s life. In our offices and hospitals, we bear witness: to whispered fears, hopeful moments, trauma unfolding, death, birth, and life events we could not make up. Whether that is a privilege or a burden depends on the instance or the telling.
And only one person can tell your story.
Many have …
The solution to Canadian physicians’ administrative burdens: Invest in human resources
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
– Gandhi
In Canada, the vast majority of physicians are part of the public health system. One of the biggest complaints among these physicians is the administrative burden they face, including filling out forms for insurance companies, workers’ compensation boards, and the government. This problem is not new, and despite decades of complaints, little has been done to reduce the burden on …
Investing in real estate syndications: Is it right for you? [PODCAST]
Navigating the challenges of coaching in the medical field
Coaching is a synonym for mentoring, counseling, guidance, preceptor, teacher, tutor, and professor. Regardless of how you choose to perceive the word “coaching,” the significant action implied by the word is to provide the client with appropriate verbal, video, written, and audio communication or information necessary to enable you to reach a higher level of success or accomplishment in your medical career.
Ads to physicians, like those below, occasionally have a …
The short-term rental tax loophole: a game-changer for physicians
Tax benefits are one of the primary reasons many doctors invest in real estate. The U.S. government incentivizes real estate ownership as it is considered starting a business, which creates jobs and increases tax revenue. One way to achieve significant tax savings is by becoming a real estate professional, but this is impossible for those working full-time. An alternative option for these individuals is short-term rental properties.
A short-term rental (STR) …
Breaking the burnout: How health care leaders can support physician well-being
Recently I was scrolling through posts from a physician leadership Facebook group. I came upon one that caught my eye. It said something like, “Does anyone have information I can share with my radiologists to show them the impact of working through lunch?”
I was happy to see a post that focused on physician well-being. A leader who cares enough and wants her physicians to take a break. And then …
Why are so many physicians quitting medicine? The real reasons revealed.
It is well-recognized that there is a large number of physicians leaving medicine or preparing to do so. This is not to be debated!
Many physicians are retiring due to age, and others have accepted early retirement as their best option with the current state of health care. Beyond those retiring, it is concerning how many young physicians are leaving medicine and no longer want to stay in the current health …
Why every doctor should have a side gig
Why is it that physicians are seeking alternative avenues to boost their income? It may seem counterintuitive for busy clinical doctors to pursue a side gig, why? In a post-pandemic era, physicians are plagued by colossal debt and increasing rates of burnout. More than 100,000 physicians have left the profession since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. My peers are frustrated, tired, and seeking a way out. For many, …
The DNA of entrepreneurs: How your genes could determine your business success
Creating something new, taking calculated risks, and effectively allocating resources are all aspects of entrepreneurship. Both environmental and genetic variables play a role in this intricate process. This article will examine how a person’s propensity to become an entrepreneur is influenced by genetic and environmental factors that drive entrepreneurship.
Personality qualities and risk tolerance are critical genetic determinants of entrepreneurship. These characteristics can influence an individual’s approach to entrepreneurship and can …
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