Physicians writing on KevinMD about burnout, moral injury, depression, and suicide in medicine: what causes burnout and whether the word fits, resilience training and why physicians distrust it, who leaves and why, the fear of seeking help and the licensing questions behind it, what physicians say actually helps, and, on the patient side, psychiatry, access to care, and the arguments over diagnosis and treatment. Three maintained records draw on this archive: Physician burnout: what physicians say, in their own words, Physician suicide: what physicians say, in their own words, and Mental health: what psychiatrists and physicians say, in their own words.

Mindset matters: a doctor’s New Year resolutions

Physician
January 20, 2025

My exact pre-new year’s ritual varies from year to year, but always involves a period of reflection and goal-setting. Some of these New Year resolutions and intentions have become long-running habits (daily practice with a foreign language app, keeping a gratitude journal), while others died prematurely (reading a book a week, meeting up with a different person for pre-work coffee once a week). As I pondered what resolutions to make …

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Mindset matters: a doctor’s New Year resolutions

Breaking the emotional flatline: Reclaiming empathy in medicine [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 15, 2025
YouTube video

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Join us as we explore the emotional toll of high-stakes health care with physician, speaker, and thought leader Pamela Buchanan. Discover her insights on the “emotional flatline,” a defense mechanism that shields health …

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Breaking the emotional flatline: Reclaiming empathy in medicine [PODCAST]

Doctors reveal the unspoken toll of shame and sacrifice in medicine

Physician
January 14, 2025

It’s capitalism, it’s greed, it’s the hospitals, it’s all those things, but for me, it’s sadness, it’s loss, it’s crying myself to sleep. Lest I sound ungrateful, I am appreciative of the income and career it has afforded me. I am not the victim but also not the perpetrator. In reality, we are all both at one time or another.

It’s the hushed calls to let me know a dear patient …

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Doctors reveal the unspoken toll of shame and sacrifice in medicine

Is perfectionism something to strive for or heal from?

Physician
January 14, 2025

I used to pride myself on being a perfectionist and high achiever, and I held onto those identities tightly. Today, my diplomas are stored in a box at the bottom of a closet. I recycled the majority of my race medals, and reviewing my CV contributes to pain. I have created space from these visual reminders of how hard my past self worked to feel some sense of worthiness in …

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Is perfectionism something to strive for or heal from?

The hidden grief of Black fathers after pregnancy loss

Conditions and Diseases
January 13, 2025

In the United States, as many as 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage (before the end of the twentieth week of pregnancy) and approximately 1 percent in stillbirth (after the twentieth week, including time of delivery).

Parents who experience pregnancy loss are often left to grieve not only the child they never had the opportunity to know but also the loss of a future they had envisioned. The …

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The hidden grief of Black fathers after pregnancy loss

Navigating the ashes: Supporting emotional strength amid the Los Angeles wildfires

Conditions and Diseases
January 11, 2025

As an employee assistance program (EAP) therapist at a hospital, I am often called upon to help people navigate the emotional fallout of life’s most challenging moments. The wildfires devastating Los Angeles bring a unique layer of grief, stress, and uncertainty to our community.

David Kessler, a leading voice on grief, emphasizes that loss is not limited to death—it is any change or …

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Navigating the ashes: Supporting emotional strength amid the Los Angeles wildfires

You are already at the table: Letting go of perfectionism in health care

Conditions and Diseases
January 10, 2025

A few years ago, I decided to pursue a PhD. Why … isn’t it obvious? Being a psychotherapist who helps health care professionals navigate burnout and imposter syndrome, raising three teenagers, and holding multiple certifications in everything from DBT to MBSR to CCISM wasn’t enough—or so I thought.

In my work, I help physicians, faculty, and other high-achieving professionals process the relentless pressure of their careers. I often explain that their …

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You are already at the table: Letting go of perfectionism in health care

How slowing down and finding peace can transform your career

Physician
January 10, 2025

While a new year offers new beginnings, it’s not about scrapping everything and starting fresh. Instead, it means sitting still and quiet long enough to truly appreciate life lessons and use them as fuel for growth.

So, here’s what I’m taking from one year to the next.

Peace

In 2024 I learned that life’s events can shake you to your very core, and there’s little you can do to stop it. But when …

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How slowing down and finding peace can transform your career

Reviving the emotional flatline: Addressing burnout in health care professionals

Physician
January 8, 2025

As an emergency room physician with over 20 years of experience, I’ve faced countless moments of emotional intensity—saving lives, delivering difficult news, and navigating the chaos of a health care system stretched to its limits. Yet, it wasn’t a catastrophic patient case or a bad day at work that led me to my breaking point. It was the slow, relentless erosion of my emotional capacity. I call this state the …

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Reviving the emotional flatline: Addressing burnout in health care professionals

Why data-driven telehealth is the key to solving the mental health crisis [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 3, 2025
YouTube video

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The state of mental health care in the U.S. is at a crossroads, with telehealth prescription waivers set to expire and millions of Americans left without access to crucial treatments. Physician executive Mikkel …

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Why data-driven telehealth is the key to solving the mental health crisis [PODCAST]

Don’t dream it’s over: the resilience we all need in 2025

Physician
January 2, 2025

Many songs and famous refrains flooded my mind as we transitioned into 2025. “Living on a thin line,” “It’s all over now, baby blue,” and “Can’t find my way home” were some of the notable downers. On the flip side (no pun intended), I was uplifted by “Land of hope and dreams” and “It’s gonna be a bright sun-shiny day,” and the thought that “Love [would] reign o’er me.”

Of all, …

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Don’t dream it’s over: the resilience we all need in 2025

Small moments that made 2024 unforgettable

Physician
January 1, 2025

Frank Sinatra’s 1965 hit, “It was a very good year,” framed the benchmarks of a life well-lived through relationships at various ages: when he was 17, “small-town girls … on the village green”; at 21, “city girls who lived up the stair”; at 35, “blue-blooded girls of independent means.”

Fast forward 60 years. What are the ingredients that now constitute “a very good year?” Data from a survey of 2,000 …

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Small moments that made 2024 unforgettable

How a mid-flight emergency taught me to put myself first

Physician
December 30, 2024

It’s crack-of-dawn early, and I’m on a flight. Working swing ER shifts has left me exhausted, barely packed, and running on fumes. But hey, as long as I’ve got my passport and clean underwear, I’m good to go. There’s a mall in every city, right?

I settle in, headphones on, ready to dive into the latest episodes of The Lincoln Lawyer. I’m beyond tired – there aren’t even words for this …

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How a mid-flight emergency taught me to put myself first

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Physician suicide: Addressing the silent epidemic

Conditions and Diseases
December 30, 2024

Suicide is the act of an individual ending their life. It is generally caused by the convergence of multiple factors, the most significant of which is untreated or end-stage psychiatric illness. As a practicing psychiatrist who has been involved in the Pennsylvania Physicians Health Program for more than a decade, I believe we need to do better to stem the increasing numbers of physician suicides. A better understanding of and …

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Physician suicide: Addressing the silent epidemic

Through a physician’s eyes: Living twice as long as your parent

Physician
December 28, 2024

Do you remember the exact moment in your life when you had that knowing feeling inside that drew you to your chosen career? My usual answer to that question occurred in October of 1973, at 7 years old in 3rd grade, when my teacher rolled out a life-size skeleton. I was mesmerized, hungry to learn much more about the human body. But if I am being honest with you, and …

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Through a physician’s eyes: Living twice as long as your parent

Why ADHD diagnosis in adults is often overlooked [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 27, 2024
YouTube video

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Explore the complexities of adult ADHD with Muhamad Aly Rifai, a practicing internist and psychiatrist. This episode dives into the evolving understanding of ADHD as a lifelong disorder, the stigma surrounding diagnosis and …

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Why ADHD diagnosis in adults is often overlooked [PODCAST]

Breaking the silence on physician burnout and suicide

Conditions and Diseases
December 25, 2024

KevinMD has been publishing multiple reports about the current widespread, deeply worrisome physician burnout and suicide phenomena. As a card-carrying epidemiologist, I have sought to categorize these reports into the three overarching factors we might see in any epidemic, namely: agent, host, and environment. If we were to use this conceptual framework for research, we could gain a better understanding of how much each of its various facets contributes to …

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Breaking the silence on physician burnout and suicide

The oxygen mask principle: a critical lesson in health care self-preservation

Physician
December 24, 2024

In the high-stakes world of health care, medical professionals are renowned for their selfless dedication to patient care. They work long hours, navigate complex medical challenges, and consistently prioritize the needs of others. Yet, within this culture of compassion, there exists a profound and often overlooked truth: to provide optimal care, health care workers must first care for themselves.

The oxygen mask principle, famously demonstrated during pre-flight safety instructions on commercial …

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The oxygen mask principle: a critical lesson in health care self-preservation

The burnout crisis runs deeper than you think

Conditions and Diseases
December 22, 2024

The recently growing attention to the burnout crisis in health care has begun a much-overdue conversation. However, the discussion has thus far been focused primarily on physicians and nurses and has not yet considered the larger health care team enduring the same environments. This includes receptionists, pharmacy assistants, medical scribes, personal support workers (PSWs), rehabilitation support workers (RSWs), and many more. These are the unregistered health care personnel (HCPs) that …

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The burnout crisis runs deeper than you think

How early intervention changes the game for children with developmental delays [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 21, 2024
YouTube video

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We explore the critical role of early intervention programs in supporting children with developmental delays. Pediatrician Maria Mba Wright shares insights into recognizing red flags like poor joint attention, navigating therapy options, and …

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How early intervention changes the game for children with developmental delays [PODCAST]

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