Burnout isn’t a personal shortcoming; it’s a system warning. A peer-reviewed Annals of Internal Medicine cost estimate pegs the annual bill for physician burnout near $4.6 billion in turnover and reduced clinical time, an operational risk with human consequences. As an executive who works across clinical and administrative teams, I see this as both a human tragedy and an operational failure that demands leadership attention. The good news: There …
As a pharmacist, I have spent years behind the counter filling prescriptions, answering questions, and giving quick consultations. Most of my days felt routine: scanning barcodes, checking drug interactions, and moving from one patient to the next. But one encounter changed the way I saw my profession forever.
It was a quiet afternoon when an elderly woman walked into the pharmacy. She handed me a prescription for blood pressure medication, but …
In the grand edifice of American medicine, where the Enlightenment’s promise of rational progress once shone brightly, a shadow now lengthens across the corridors: the tyranny of the metric. Conceived in the spirit of Taylorism’s efficiency and Deming’s quality control, these numerical arbiters were meant to elevate the healer’s art, transforming subjective judgment into objective excellence. Yet, as with so many well-intentioned intrusions of bureaucracy into human affairs, they have …
My mind became the centerpiece of my identity early on in life. I lived so intimately with my thoughts that I came to believe this is who I was. As academic success and the praise of being “the smart one” set me apart, I internalized a sense of uniqueness. Others saw it too, which created early recognition… and isolation.
And here lies the hidden cost:
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Patient advocate Timothy Thomas discusses his article “The Cap’n Crunch philosophy of medicine.” Timothy shares his personal experiences with gaps in primary care, from learning of his diabetes diagnosis at a Walmart …
Cap’n Crunch never held a true naval rank; he was called “Cap’n” because he was the highest-ranking person present, not because he replaced someone more qualified. In some clinics, it is the same: the system is built so you rarely, if ever, see a real doctor. Whoever is around with the right badge simply gets the title and responsibility by default. This “Cap’n Crunch” phenomenon is not limited to one …
For years, concierge medicine and direct primary care (DPC) were viewed as fringe alternatives, reserved for affluent patients or entrepreneurial physicians willing to step outside the insurance system. But in my opinion, these models are no longer “nice-to-have” side projects. They’re becoming essential pathways for physicians to reclaim careers, reduce burnout, and meet patient expectations in an evolving health care landscape.
Burnout is pushing physicians to the edge.
The pandemic only magnified …
Twenty years ago, when I started medical school, I had no idea that this would be my path. Coming from a research background in cancer biology and biophysics, I did not have much exposure or interest in integrative medicine. My path to practicing integrative and functional medicine and incorporating new modalities to my foundation as a general internist, was not linear, and not expected.
I was pregnant twice during my three-year …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Primary care physician Jerina Gani discusses her article “My journey to loving primary care again.” Jerina shares her deeply personal story of nearly walking away from medicine after burnout, exhaustion, and endless …
“I was excited to see you today because I thought you were going to answer all my questions,” a patient once told me. I smiled, masking the insecurity. “I wish I could.”
The truth is, I often cannot (at least not in a single visit). Medicine is rooted in curiosity and lifelong learning. Patients expect certainty, but doctors live with uncertainty. We know enough to know how much we do not …
Let me just start by saying: If you are reading this and thinking, “Who voluntarily takes medical board exams at 63?” You are absolutely right. Normal people do not do that. They take up golf from the Green tees, try to marry off their kids, and complain that the younger generation cannot drive. But me? I spent four precious months of my remaining life cramming for the ABIM boards like …
Lifestyle medicine is now a known, respected and utilized aspect of medical care to help patients live healthier lives and ward off chronic disease. Clinicians often counsel their patients on the pillars of LM: movement, nutrition, sleep, stress management, connection, and avoiding risky substances. These pillars are powerful and proven to be effective. But after integrating my training as a physician and health coach to lead group wellness travel adventures …
The door closes with a soft click, sealing me inside a room that smells of alcohol and cotton swabs. The light is too bright, pouring down from overhead panels that have withstood the test of time. The entire room is bathed in a white-wash of light, leaving no shadows, except those that lie within me. A token landscape or two adorn the antiseptic walls, attempting to distract me from the …
ADVERTISEMENT
The overlooked treasure of primary care: Why this field is more rewarding than most realize
Primary care often carries a reputation: long hours, too much paperwork, and not enough pay. Many providers see it as a burden, a stepping stone, or simply “less glamorous” than other specialties.
But here is the truth most clinicians overlook: Primary care holds hidden rewards, both financial and emotional, that can transform not just your practice, but …
One thing I know for sure is that, as a whole, our medical training system has gotten it all wrong when it comes to helping students correctly identify which specialty they want to apply to.
Coming from undergraduate school to medical school, I spent four years learning about myself. I went to graduate school, worked for a few years in the real world, and gained real-life experiences. During that time, I …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Family physician Amir Atabeygi discusses his article “Building trust in dyad leadership partnerships.” Amir explains why trust is the foundation of successful dyads, highlighting how implicit follow-through and consistent communication turn a …
I recently attended a three-day workshop on how to lead transformational workshops. The experience was both meta and genuinely transformational, and a number of the lessons I took away continue to stand out for me.
Safety comes first. The workshop leaders highlighted over and over again that psychological safety comes first. You cannot belong to a group if you do not feel safe. They created the prerequisites for safety and then …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Physician Jessie Mahoney discusses her article “Learning to trust your body again: Healing the hidden wounds of medical training,” exploring how the culture of medicine conditions physicians to ignore their basic bodily …
Since spring 2020, Molly Humphreys, a native of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, has photographed workers in and around the Berkeley Medical Center (BMC) and, in the process, has created a rich mosaic of the complex realities of health care in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Specializing in portraiture, Humphreys had never worked in the health care space—that is, until I invited her to partner in …
When I arrived in the U.S. as a young physician in the early first week, I didn’t know what “passed out” meant. Or “threw up.” My English was polished—British-style, courtesy of Indian schooling—but I wasn’t prepared for American slang, accents, or sports metaphors. So there I was in a Philadelphia hospital, fumbling through a patient history. I was embarrassed—by my accent, my vocabulary, my uncertainty. But I wasn’t humiliated. That …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
