Episodes

Aug. 22, 2022

Melting the iron triangle: Health equity in innovative health care la…

"While the technological boom in the health care field is not a circumstance of the pandemic, the accelerated roll-out and adoption of digital features certainly are. And rapid innovation in the health care technology field is not a bad thing in...

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Aug. 21, 2022

Non-judgmental empathy in the exam room

"I think we all have an inclination—at least from time to time—to judge others. No matter how experienced, compassionate, and professional we are as physicians, we’re still human. I can admit that I have indeed struggled with patients like the...

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Aug. 20, 2022

Tips for treating high-weight patients

"It might seem odd to write about what high-weight patients would like when they meet with their doctors. Don’t they want what every patient wants? The answer is yes, but the fact is, they often don’t get it due to implicit anti-fat bias among...

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Aug. 19, 2022

How the culture of health care perpetuates racism

"Many health care professionals go into health care to help people, no matter their race, socioeconomic status, or other identities. Even as white health care professionals start to learn about the systemic nature of racism, something that our Black...

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Aug. 18, 2022

To scribe or not to scribe? That is the question.

"I was working at an urgent treatment center, where a busy Saturday in January would be overwhelming. At one point, I hired a scribe. She was a bright young woman interested in medicine and some alacrity with computers. It was a pleasant change of...

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Aug. 17, 2022

What you need to know about monkeypox

"What is currently known is that monkeypox is transmitted primarily through close contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids, and respiratory droplets. Men aged between 20 and 50 years, many of whom have sex with other men (MSM), are notably included in...

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Aug. 16, 2022

Misaligned expectations lead to conflict, burnout, and disillusioned …

"Would you expect the chef at a restaurant to be told that they are not only required to prepare the food in the kitchen but also deliver it to each of the tables and manage the billing? What about sorting out the restaurant's finances or...

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Aug. 15, 2022

A medical student's advocacy journey

"As I looked across the boxes on my screen, I saw the gleaming faces of my peers. Just as it did then, and as it has for countless of my peers since, involvement in the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) Advocacy Day showed me the...

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Aug. 14, 2022

Are you ready to hear the truths about perfectionism?

"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...

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Aug. 13, 2022

Preserving humanity in the ICU

"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...

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Aug. 12, 2022

What a lifetime of gaslighting by other doctors feels like

"Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patients take an average of 10 years to be diagnosed. In that time, the pain from microtrauma and joint instability can become unbearable. “Just exercising more” can backfire, causing injury and disability and creating a...

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Aug. 11, 2022

A caregiver's love story

"Dying and introspection happening at the same time were a dual reality that I found impossible to ignore when Bill was not doing well. As Bill’s poor prognosis and impending death began to reflect on our life, it was getting harder to respond to...

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Aug. 10, 2022

A physician's work dread and what he did about it

"Work dread. Even if you didn’t know it had a name, you know the feeling. It is that sensation in the pit of your stomach when you realize that the start of your workday or workweek is fast approaching, and you don’t want it to come. Sometimes it...

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Aug. 9, 2022

I’m a physician, not a provider

"This is an important time to rise up, come together, and understand that it is our time to remove the confusing veil put on us. We are not delirious. We are not psychotic. We are physicians. We are the ones who took an oath to benefit patients...

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Aug. 8, 2022

Why doctors are getting their asses kicked by technology

"Physicians have terrible technology, but they refuse to recognize high-tech as a medical specialty. They must integrate technology as they do laboratory science. Physicians are certainly suffering from poorly-designed electronic medical records...

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Aug. 7, 2022

Teen dies when blood culture protocol botched

"Address the patient’s chief complaint first. In this case, the other symptoms were only side effects of the main problem. Pay attention to lab work. In this case, the elevated white blood count and the related blood culture results. Keep an open...

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Aug. 6, 2022

Less resiliency may heal burnout

The word “resiliency” has been lauded, applauded, and buzzed about in talks about physician burnout. When I hear it, I tune out. My stomach churns. I feel sick. Why? Because physicians are resilient. We are, in fact, the walking, talking,...

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Aug. 5, 2022

What it takes to build a pediatric weight management program

"Amazing pediatricians are back where I was years ago, with their C-suite asking for business plans for the medical side of their adolescent bariatric surgery programs. The reality is corporate health care has infiltrated pediatric health systems, and...

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Aug. 4, 2022

Patient-initiated collaborative texting

"Nearly three-quarters of consumers say they prefer texting with a business if an actual human is the returning texts — no bots need reply. But the rise of artificial intelligence has led to further advances in smart texting, including the ability...

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Aug. 3, 2022

A breast cancer story from an Asian perspective

"I was first diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), on May 15, 2015, at 41 years old. I had my annual exam with my gynecologist and told him I felt a small, pea-sized lump under my right armpit close to my breast. He...

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Aug. 2, 2022

How to improve medication adherence

"Automation and technologies can enable adherence, but true change happens when physicians and pharmacists work together in collaborative teams to achieve common goals: Better managed chronic conditions, fewer complications, and improved experience...

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Aug. 1, 2022

What this physician mom learned about shame

"I cry often enough that my kids almost gleefully expect it, checking me for tears during movies or shows, shaking their heads in mock dismay when they see that their prediction is correct. I’ve cried many times at home, watching screens, reading...

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July 31, 2022

A physician mom’s take on telemedicine

"In early 2018 when I started full-time telemedicine, I was quite reluctant about losing the physical hands-on evaluation, especially the palpation, percussion, and auscultation components in the physical exam, and the holding hands, hugs, and...

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July 30, 2022

Transition planning: financial moves for medical residents and fellows

"While you may not know exactly what your transition period will look like ahead of time, you can do your best to prepare for this change. By having a plan in place, you can make sure you are ready for the time between training and your new career so...

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