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Join retired cardiologist and physician coach Sarah Samaan as we explore the significance of professional attire in health care. Discover how clothing choices impact patient perceptions, gender biases, and the doctor-patient relationship. We’ll …
The face of health care in today’s world is unfamiliar to me in many ways. When I was growing up, the family doctor was a well-known and respected member of the community. Patients trusted their doctor to help them navigate life’s challenges – the loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, a complicated pregnancy, or depression caused by life’s stresses.
The physician knew their patients, and the patients knew them …
As primary care providers, we play an integral role in shaping the lives of our patients in critical ways. We are in the unique position to delve into a patient’s unique biomedical, psychosocial, economic, and cultural background, which allows us to understand each patient at a deeper level with a nuanced perspective. This holistic view informs the development of highly personalized treatment plans that have the power not only to …
More than a decade ago I hired my first coach, and life was never the same. During my time with the life coach, I experienced first-hand the value of an end-of-year process that goes deeper than setting a New Year’s resolution.
Years have passed. As a busy physician, I’ve told myself that I don’t have the time for a deep dive reflection of my life and career. I have patients to …
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Join health care executives Susan Montminy and Marlene Icenhower as they discuss the critical topic of patient engagement in health care. In episode, Susan and Marlene explore the impact of patient engagement on provider satisfaction and health …
A recent conversation with a relative inspired me to write this post. She is a physical therapist who often rants about how patients with chronic pain or chronic illness don’t work and are just on disability. I know she’s far from the only health care provider with the same belief. She and her coworkers spend time ranting and complaining about their patients who don’t work and use the therapy sessions …
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently published a statement on the importance of shared decision-making (SDM) between physicians and patients. This concept, though at least 50 years old, has become popular in the last decade or so, with expectations of improving patient care, satisfaction, safety, care efficiency, and cost reduction. Though some preliminary research appears to support these promises, other researchers have found that it can increase costs and decrease …
Maria (name changed to protect patient privacy) is a brilliant woman with a troubled health history. After a mental health diagnosis cut short her career as a high-level government official, Maria has struggled with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, depression, and advanced kidney disease, leading to a series of toe amputations and a decade of disability.
She lives alone, about a half-hour from the nearest hospital, where she has been in and out …
As a year comes to a close and another opens to new possibilities, many find themselves contemplating their successes and opportunities for improvements. The holidays are very busy, and the new year brings hope to slow down and reset. For many health care providers, though, the prospect of slowing down is an unrealistic dream.
For many in health care, the profession is not just a career, but an honorable vocational calling. …
A little over a year ago, unforeseen circumstances led me to walk away from the security of a full-time job and all the benefits that came with it such as employer-based health insurance and retirement contributions.
At the time, I had applied for another position without even realizing that I would be leaving my job. The position seemed to be an ideal next step, being a senior leadership position in academic …
Difficult patients.
We’ve all encountered them.
Maybe we are them. (After all, they say doctors make the worst patients, and there’s probably some truth to that.)
But what makes a patient “difficult”?
Is it someone with multiple complex medical issues or a condition you haven’t been able to diagnose or don’t fully understand?
Is it someone with many questions, especially right at the end of their visit?
Is it someone who doesn’t follow your treatment plan …
Last week I drove to my favorite trails in Point Defiance Park. The roads seemed oddly empty and quiet, even for “the time between the years” as I’ve heard it called. Perhaps I hadn’t noticed it before, since in medicine, it’s always been just another week when most people don’t work, but we always had a full schedule.
The day was overcast, as it so often is during winter in the …
As a lifelong learner who takes pride in self-directed learning, the importance of mentorship has not always been readily obvious to me. When I completed my residency and embarked on a career in academic medicine, little did I realize how important the mentorship of my then department chair, Dr. Janet Townsend, would be in terms of my career progression. In addition to supporting my commitment to staying clinically active while …
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(Spoiler alert: contains spoilers for the movie Barbie.)
In Barbie, a singular scene resonated powerfully with Women in Medicine across the land.
You know the one. Shortly after Ken and Barbie leave Barbie Land and arrive in the Real World, Ken ventures off, discovers The Patriarchy, waltzes into a hospital emergency room, and demands the first woman he sees …
I normally don’t make professional resolutions, but this year I am making an important exception. Why would I do such a thing? Like most of my evolution as a doctor, it comes from the wellspring of wisdom, namely listening to my patients.
I had a conversation recently with a patient, Kate, a retired school teacher, a lovely woman who spent her career in Berkeley County, WV, and taught kids who struggled. …
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Join Dustin Grinnell, the author of The Healing Book. Dustin takes us on a journey through this thought-provoking collection of short stories, where characters embark on paths of self-discovery, healing, and personal growth. We delve into the …
There are a lot of things that I’ve forgotten since 1984, the year I started medical school. But I will never forget the Dean of Students’ proclamation on the very first day of class: “You must dress to inspire confidence,” he thundered. But that wasn’t the last of it. Over and over, our dapper dean schooled us on the importance of professionalism. Whether he said it overtly or not, we …
Strategic thinking: The Doctor Strange of health care. Health care professionals, much like Doctor Strange, often engage in complex decision-making, foreseeing multiple outcomes to choose the best path for patient care. Your ability to strategize and anticipate is crucial in saving lives and ensuring quality care.
Innovation: Channeling Iron Man. Innovation is key in health care. Just as Iron Man tinkers and invents, you too innovate daily – whether through cutting-edge surgical techniques, …
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Join Beth Boynton, a nurse consultant, as we delve into the pressing issue of health care worker resilience. Discover the importance of empowering health care professionals, developing essential interpersonal skills, and the role of emotional intelligence in …
One of my most stressful high school class memories was an AP English class I took during my junior year. Each week, we had timed writings where we were given a specific amount of time to write an essay on a given topic. As soon as the timer went off, we had to put our pencils down and raise our hands, signaling that we were done, regardless of what was …
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