Psychiatry
The troubling trend of violating resident physician rights
Resident physicians are vital to the health care system, delivering essential medical services while training to become fully licensed doctors. However, a troubling trend has emerged nationwide, with residency programs and hospitals frequently violating the rights and protections resident physicians are entitled to under employment contracts, state labor laws, and accreditation standards. I personally was forced to deal with these issues, despite having virtually zero knowledge regarding the legal side …
Ensure your physicians always have crisis support: 5-step awareness program
Physician leaders: Are you committed to doing everything you possibly can to prevent physician suicide?
This CHAP is how you answer that question.
This document contains two steps that will ensure you do everything possible to be there for your people when they need you the most.
- A simple audit that will show you how badly you fail to support your struggling doctors. It will take you less than 15 minutes to …
How one patient’s death transformed my approach to mental health care
Prior to working as a nurse practitioner, I worked as a psychiatric registered nurse in an inpatient behavioral health setting, caring for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). Individuals with SMI die ten to twenty years earlier than the general population due to comorbid medical conditions. I had been aware of this statistic for some time but only understood the devastation after I had an encounter with a patient in …
Debunking the top myths about schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness often misunderstood. Stereotypical portrayals in movies and TV perpetuate false narratives, leading to inaccurate conclusions. Here are five common myths about schizophrenia and the truth behind them.
Myth: People living in poverty are more likely to get schizophrenia.
We tend to pair schizophrenia with assumptions of low income or poverty, but that’s not accurate. Sometimes, due to their illness and its effects, patients with schizophrenia may …
Why do physicians – and psychiatrists in particular – write?
All writers want recognition of some sort. No?
Recognition can take many forms, such as positive feedback, awards, or simply the knowledge that their work is being read and appreciated. However, it is important to note that motivation can vary among writers. Some may write primarily for personal satisfaction, to express themselves, or to contribute to a specific field or cause.
Some writers write to make a living. In fact, professional writing …
Physician burnout: We’re partly to blame, here’s how to fix it
From the heart of one doctor to another, let’s address the evil spirit haunting our halls: burnout. It has become the unwelcome companion of many physicians, including myself, who frequently lament our moral injuries and the mistreatment that seems to shadow us. We seek refuge as wellness coaches or in the serene embrace of time away, hoping for respite. We call for laws and policies to protect us from the …
The many losses of a long psychiatry career
At the beginning of a career – sometimes when viewed through rose-colored glasses not yet spoiled by reality – you hope to be able to lose loss to stay away. Somehow you feel like if you just try hard enough – practice psychiatry in the best way possible you can somehow prevent death by suicide. This is obviously magical thinking, and you begin to realize that there will be a …
Dance, play, heal: a nurse’s guide to processing trauma [PODCAST]
Resident struggles: How hierarchical health care systems impact IMGs
Residents, particularly international medical graduates (IMGs), often navigate a challenging position within health care institutions, where hierarchical structures overshadow their authority and autonomy. This dynamic can leave residents feeling disempowered and vulnerable, underscoring the importance of understanding their rights and protections within their programs. For IMGs, cultural and systemic differences may further amplify these challenges, making knowledge of their rights especially crucial as they enter residency programs.
As a final-year resident, …
Lessons learned in psychiatry: How experience shapes your career
I am now in the twilight of my psychiatric career. Yes, I can write that without wincing now, almost, well, maybe just a little. I have made decisions in the last twelve months that have changed my daily schedule, my work life, and my relationships profoundly. Everyone around me, including friends, family members, and even some of my coworkers, thought that I was retiring. It’s not working any longer. Quitting. …
Incurable psychiatric disorders: Should we offer palliative care or medical aid in dying?
The application of palliative care to intractable psychiatric disorders has been debated at least since 2010, when a journal article reported that a patient with severe anorexia nervosa died in hospice after being referred there by her psychiatrist. The New York Times published a thought-provoking article earlier this year on the same topic: whether we should ever deem severe, treatment-refractory anorexia incurable and terminal.
Are there incurable psychiatric patients?
Proponents …
From medicine to fictional memoir: an author-psychiatrist explores opioids [PODCAST]
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Today, we are joined by James Champion, a psychiatrist and author of Adventures of an American Medical Student. With his extensive experience in mental health and addiction, James brings a unique perspective to our discussion, …
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Bridging the gap: When experience meets innovation in health care
Reflecting on a recent meeting about upcoming audits by regulatory agencies, I couldn’t help but notice a significant shift. As the lone male leader and the second eldest person present, surrounded by a dynamic group of younger women, I couldn’t deny the passage of time since I embarked on my journey in administrative and public psychiatry. Far from lamenting, I welcomed this change, recognizing its necessity and long-overdue arrival. Witnessing …
The DEA’s latest targets: doctors treating addiction instead of pain
I have been writing for a while about how the DEA will run out of targets for opioid prosecutions because most doctors are too terrified to treat pain, and now it looks like it has happened. Three doctors in Tennessee were recently convicted of prescribing controlled medications “outside the usual practice of medicine” and “not for a legitimate medical purpose.” The interesting thing is that these doctors weren’t treating pain; …
Broken but beautiful: Healing ourselves and the world [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
Join Nessa Meshkaty, an internal medicine, pediatrics, and infectious disease physician, as she explores the profound intersections of empathy, human connection, and societal challenges in this thought-provoking podcast. Drawing on insights from her …
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Second opinions are no laughing matter
The practice of seeking second opinions in medicine has a long history, dating back to ancient times. The concept is deeply rooted in the ethical and professional principles of medical practice.
In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, often considered the father of modern medicine, encouraged patients to seek second opinions. He believed that a different physician might have a different perspective or alternative treatment suggestions. This practice was considered a way to confirm …
Couples counseling: Understanding conflict and building intimacy
Situations that trigger a call for assistance with couples counseling are generally described as a need for improved communication, chronic conflict, lack of physical or emotional intimacy, or a desire to better understand the impacts of past trauma. Therapeutic work can evolve into tackling more specific long-standing disappointments in emotional and physical intimacy. Disconnection is often exacerbated incrementally by increased responsibility with children, aging parents, and cultural differences, among other …
70 and thriving: How I discovered my encore career
In the midst of moving and changing my residential address, and at 70 years of age, I finally figured out my encore career: building Bankers Boxes. Perhaps my skills will transfer to folding pizza boxes.
This is as good a time as any to use humor, i.e. while winding down your career. Most people glumly retire. It has to be done with a modicum of planning and foresight, as well as …
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A disabled sibling’s right to stay home [PODCAST]
Past Week
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How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
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From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
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Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed
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Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
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Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
-
The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
-
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
-
How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
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Recent Posts
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Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]
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Calling for a heart surgeon: a plea for change
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When modesty kills: the CPR gender gap you didn’t know existed
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Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story
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Why the FDA’s outdated prescription rules hinder access to birth control and naloxone [PODCAST]
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Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster
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Past Week
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
-
Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed
-
Why vaccine access still fails America’s most vulnerable groups
-
The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
-
Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
-
The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
-
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
-
How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
-
Recent Posts
-
Leading with care: a new approach to health care leadership for well-being [PODCAST]
-
Calling for a heart surgeon: a plea for change
-
When modesty kills: the CPR gender gap you didn’t know existed
-
Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story
-
Why the FDA’s outdated prescription rules hinder access to birth control and naloxone [PODCAST]
-
Medical school admissions are racing toward an AI-driven disaster
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