How every doctor should address a patient’s pain

From medical school to residency, I’ve worked with colleagues who don’t prescribe pain medications for their patients who truly need them. Or they are just very hesitant about doing so. Some simply don’t believe in them. Others fear the legal implications like being named to a med mal or wrongful death lawsuit. And several avoid Read more… How every...

7h

Academic medicine on life support: a letter to a newly appointed CEO of a leading academic medical institution

Congratulations on our leading academic medical institution (LAMI) yet again making it to the top ten list of the U.S. News & World Report! You have taken the reins in perilous times (globally and domestically), and what you do and what you stand for will determine if this great hospital will not just survive but Read more… Academic medicine on...

7h

Trauma and burnout among frontline health care workers

Thinking back to 2020, concerning the emergence of COVID-19 and the first hard lockdowns all over the world. Individuals from all walks of life were frightened, locking themselves in their homes for fear of being infected. Yet, frontline providers and health care workers had to carry on with their daily jobs. Were they less scared Read more… Trauma...

16h

Are you ready to hear the truths about perfectionism? [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! “Are you a perfectionist? Did you know that perfectionists are actually some of the biggest procrastinators? Yes, really. In theory, perfectionism sounds like a good thing. Who doesn’t want to do and be their best? It can even seem like a harmless way to Read more… Are you ready to hear...

19h

How doctors can regain control of their software

I spent a year as a UCSF postdoc with the leaked tobacco documents. And this article is taken directly from the tobacco-control playbook. In the tobacco wars, we learned that: when a disease is caused by a for-profit industry, the only successful approach is regulation first, followed by treatment. Here is exactly how and why Read more… How doctors...

1d

I didn’t know her name until it was over

I didn’t know her name until it was over, much too late. What I knew was she was thirteen and that on this winter day, someone in her family had been pulling her behind their car on a sled. No doubt laughing and looking in the rear-view mirror, the person driving had whipsawed around a Read more… I didn’t know her name until it was over originally...

1d

A pervasive culture of time constraints in health care

Picture this. A patient in a hospital or rehab facility has just finished exercising with therapy. He is thirsty, and he thinks he might as well ask for a snack now because he will be hungry in 30 minutes. His therapist sets him up in his wheelchair (brakes locked), tray table with all necessities positioned Read more… A pervasive culture of time...

1d

Preserving humanity in the ICU [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! “Five days before this story begins, where everything is upside down, and the end is the beginning. Me, standing in my PICU, slowly approaching that cradle, then removing the medication, one by one, turning off the syringe pumps. Saying out loud the number of Read more… Preserving humanity...

1d

Our Shakespearean love affair with BMI

I’m standing outside the exam room, reviewing Marcus, my 16-year-old patient’s growth chart, specifically his BMI. It’s up again, and my heart sinks. I feel that all too common rush of frustration and disappointment and, “Why am I here and what is the point?” “Am I just here to document weight gain in my patients?” Read more… Our Shakespearean love...

2d

Breast implant illness: It’s not all in your head

“It’s just part of getting older.” “Welcome to being a woman.” “I hear this all the time from women. You just need to learn to deal with it.” “Here’s a pill. See you in six months.” “I have run all the labs I can think of. They are all normal. There’s nothing wrong. I’m sure Read more… Breast implant illness: It’s not all in your head originally appeared...

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