A few months after meeting her during rounds at a dialysis center, an elderly woman gripped my hand and quietly asked, “Do you think I’ll make it in time?” Her voice trembled. She had been silent for weeks, worn down by dialysis and overwhelmed by the long transplant process. Her question pierced through the clinical routine. I looked into her eyes, squeezed her hand gently, and said, “We’re going to …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
General surgeon Arthur Williams discusses his article “A surgeon’s battle with ketamine-induced hallucinations.” He shares an account from his novel of an experience needing a pacemaker for a “janky heart” prone to …
Aloma Isaac Junior, a Nigerian comedian popularly known as Zicsaloma, recently underwent rhinoplasty. This intervention exposed deep-rooted biases about masculinity, beauty, and body autonomy in Africa. Instead of curiosity or support, his decision was met with mockery, outrage, and accusations of self-hate.
This backlash reveals a cultural blind spot. Plastic surgery is often seen as an indulgence for women, while men are expected to accept their looks as they are. Medical …
Imagine this: Two attending surgeons undertake a surgical procedure on a patient. The surgical residents have draped the patient; the surgical tech and the circulating nurse are ready to begin the operation. The surgical attendings enter the OR, scrub in, and move to the next order of business: “How are we going to bill for this procedure?”
Often, there is an unspoken—and spoken—consensus that the medical field is a lucrative one. …
As I step into my fifth year of superspecialty surgical practice in corporate hospitals, I find myself reflecting on a recurring challenge that has profound implications for both patient care and professional satisfaction. Despite clinical expertise and the goodwill we work tirelessly to build, patient experiences in hospitals are often marred by factors beyond our control.
In my experience, negative feedback about hospital services is overwhelmingly linked to operational inefficiencies rather …
It was a Sunday morning, a rare moment of leisure for a young surgeon stepping into the fifth year of his superspecialty practice. Sitting with his family, savoring the tranquility of a slow day, he felt grateful for the pause. But as the evening crept in, so did the familiar storm: Calls started pouring in—an OT staff member asking about requirements for the next day’s surgeries, a medical officer updating …
We recently resolved a complex peer review case involving a surgeon in a Midwestern state. The case arose as the hospital began transitioning to an employed-physician model, seeking to phase out its non-employed, voluntary medical staff. Our client, a non-employed surgeon with privileges to treat patients at the hospital, was among those targeted in what appeared to be a strategic effort to remove voluntary non-employed physicians from the …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
We explore the high-stakes world of life-and-death decisions in medicine with William O. Collins, an otolaryngologist and airway surgeon. Drawing from personal experiences, he shares the challenges of performing under pressure, the importance …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
We dive into the transformative power of recovery with Courtney Barrows McKeown, a surgeon who shares her journey of sobriety and resilience. From navigating career setbacks to fostering personal growth, Courtney discusses how …
In the silence of a rural village, where dreams were often tethered to survival, I first learned the language of resilience. Life’s trials were as persistent as the dusty winds, shaping every step of my journey from those humble beginnings to becoming a surgeon. My story, like that of many others in the medical field, is one of quiet perseverance—a journey marked not by loud victories but by the soft …
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
– Henry Ford.
The changing landscape of health care, along with a rising trend among patients for more affordable, manageable, and specialized solutions, has made ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) gain noticeable traction as a preferred surgical option. The value ASCs provide to patients, providers, and insurers is a perfect combination of convenience, safety, and cost savings. Here are ten data- …
As a pediatric dentist and owner of a tongue tie center, I pride myself on having a conservative and collaborative approach when it comes to treating oral restrictions. Too many providers rush to release, and too many parents are misinformed thinking the release is going to be a “magic fix.”
I’ve compiled a list of important things that I feel everyone (both providers and parents) should know about tongue-ties and lip-ties.
1. …
I have found that many physicians are not happy. I wanted to share with them some ways to find “amrita” in life. Then we can face life with joyful countenance, ready to receive the Maker when we hear the knock, as described in Revelation 3:20. It is important to associate with virtuosity. La Chaim!
The excitement: Albert Camus said that the “struggles that one encounters in life are by themselves the …
ADVERTISEMENT
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
—Victor Frankl
I celebrated three years of sobriety earlier this year. It’s been a long, circuitous path, marked by seeking help, practicing acceptance, and diligently working a twelve-step recovery program.
Brené Brown, who’s been sober for twenty-seven years, shared in a 2019 article that her sobriety …
Attending academic conferences as a medical student offers a wealth of opportunities. Whether it’s networking, finding potential mentors, deepening your knowledge of specialties, or simply exploring new cities, conferences provide unique experiences that can significantly shape your career. As a medical student, I had the chance to attend both regional and national vascular surgery conferences through travel scholarships, and I want to share the lessons I learned in the hope …
There’s a patient who comes to see me every week. Every time we part ways, I say, “OK, Susan (name changed)! See you in a month!” But inevitably, she’ll call on a morning when she knows I’m in the office, and my staff will fit her in. She likes to tell me about what she did with her granddaughter that week. She doesn’t have anything terribly wrong with her; she …
ADVERTISEMENT
I am a person—a person with hopes, dreams, fears, and a favorite color. I am just like anyone else, trying to find my place in this world. Yet you only see me as a nuisance. I am always in your way, you say. I am an idiot. My existence is like a personal insult to you—and you never miss a chance to show it.
I was once a bright-eyed child full …
The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on every aspect of health care, including neurosurgery. As a fourth-year medical student navigating my neurosurgical rotations during this unprecedented time, I experienced firsthand how the pandemic reshaped our approach to medical education, patient care, and surgical practice. This period has been transformative, challenging my understanding of neurosurgery and reinforcing the need for adaptability and resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges.
Before …
ADVERTISEMENT
“In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much – how little – is
Within our power.”
—Emily Dickinson
Health care around the world faces an existential crisis. While the quality of medicine continues to improve, its cost remains unbridled and out of control. Better means more expensive, be it a drug or an imaging modality. The whole world is aware of this impending financial crisis, and heads are hunched together to find …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
