Episodes

Sept. 13, 2020

COVID-19 is rattling the nerves of preemie parents

"With COVID-19, all of those memories have come flooding back. It is as if I am back in the NICU staring at that tiny infant and worried that she would get sick. Only now I have to pull myself out of that horrific daydream and stare at my teenager and...

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Sept. 12, 2020

A palliative care physician's brain bleed

"As a runner, my pulse rests around fifty, but the ICU team had worried when it dipped to thirty-five, and my blood pressure hovered around ninety over fifty. Understandably, bags of saline were hung, and steroids were added. My headache improved, but...

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Sept. 11, 2020

COVID-19 reveals gaping holes in locum tenens contracts

"I called the locum agency in the morning to air my concerns. To their credit, they admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event for which no one could have planned. They had developed a fund through which they could support health...

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Sept. 10, 2020

Health care should be apolitical, but it isn’t

"COVID-19 is a tragedy that could have easily been prevented if our leaders cared more about the well-being of their citizens instead of economies, stock markets, and their political campaigns. To all those arguing about how the economy is more...

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Sept. 9, 2020

Anesthesia touches nearly every area of medicine

"I suppose those of us between zero and ninety-three are blessed in our own way as well. We are here, swirling in a jumble of the inconsequential and consequential. We’ve enjoyed some of the world’s beauty and reserve the potential to experience...

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Sept. 8, 2020

Many medical marijuana program websites are silent about possible ris…

"There are roughly 221 million people — including 48 million kids — in states where marijuana has been named a medicine. These include patients who suffer from depression and could see their symptoms worsen. Mothers who could give birth to babies...

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Sept. 7, 2020

Rural communities have unique vulnerabilities worsened by the pandemic

"While Imperial County faces a confluence of vulnerabilities that have led to its susceptibility during COVID-19, it is not alone. Like an insidious undercurrent, these deficiencies are lurking in every region of the United States. Structural issues...

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Sept. 6, 2020

Medicine's culture forces us to ignore our health

"Physicians are steeped in a noxious culture that seems to be averse to creating healthy physicians. We ignore mountains of evidence that show exercise, sleep, and healthy eating is beneficial for cognitive function, learning, and performance — all...

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Sept. 5, 2020

Recognizing childhood stress is so important. Here's why.

"Advocate for the children in your community. Studies show that one of the most powerful buffering factors for kids experiencing toxic stress is having at least one supportive, caring adult in their lives. Who in your circles needs you to provide this...

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Sept. 4, 2020

A journey from security guard to nurse, and why nurses don't get the …

"The pharmacy department plays a vital role in hospitals. They prepare and dispense medications. Sometimes the pharmacist will receive an order from the doctor on a med whose written dosage he is not sure of. In some cases, the pharmacist will call...

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Sept. 3, 2020

Blowing the whistle on health care fraud

"Fraud in the health care industry is a fact of life.  In 2016 alone, the federal government estimated that improper payments by Medicare and Medicaid totaled about $95 billion.  And that’s only a single year’s amount for just two of the...

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Sept. 2, 2020

An infectious disease physician says: Wear a F-ing mask

"In honor of one of the great classic novels, Go the F**k to Sleep, I would like to present to you my literary work: Stay the F@$k at Home. To the healthy 20 year old who asks, “Why should I stay the F@$k at home, COVID-19 is not going to kill...

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Sept. 1, 2020

Virtual care needs to be designed for equitable usage and accessibili…

"Although technology and disruptive innovation theoretically diminish systemic barriers and geographic isolation, in practice, they frequently widen chasms in access for vulnerable populations. The reality is telemedicine disproportionately caters to...

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Aug. 31, 2020

Making a career change for better work-life balance

"Is it possible to have it all?  Can you have a job that you love, helping people and using your brain and hands all at the same time; plus, a family, with a spouse and children, that you are always there for?  Is it possible to have a...

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Aug. 30, 2020

Estate planning and personal finance tips for physicians

"With COVID-19 raging through the nation, and limited supply of PPE at hospitals, doctors and other critical care personnel are at high risk due to their increased and daily exposure to the virus. For health care workers, the need to plan for a...

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Aug. 29, 2020

How to help families struggling to find their way in a foreign culture

"We are blessed to work in a clinic that has a very large immigrant population. Over the years, we have cared for those who speak over 80+ languages with an even higher number of unique countries and regions represented. Arabic and Spanish are our two...

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Aug. 28, 2020

AI-powered, digital voice assistants in the exam room

"Building great tech for doctors is no different from ventilator technology. In some scenarios, you will want to talk to the EMR like you talk to Siri, rather than poring over a screen littered with boxes and lists. In other cases, you will want...

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Aug. 27, 2020

How COVID-19 impacts rural America

"We all knew this pandemic was going to change how we practiced medicine, but I, personally, was not prepared for how much it would challenge the ‘work-life balance’ that I have spent years carefully maneuvering. Female physicians are often...

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Aug. 26, 2020

Physician personal development and growth

"COVID-19 has given all of us the opportunity to live in extremely challenging times. We can choose to run away from this challenge or decide to acknowledge it as part of our journey to grow and transform. So, will you face your habitual reactions,...

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Aug. 25, 2020

Challenges female physicians face in medicine and the strength of vul…

"I know I am not alone in my thoughts; I am just echoing sentiments of other female physicians. We are mothers, wives, patient advocates, and educators. And we’re all suddenly finding ourselves in unchartered waters. In weathering this pandemic,...

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Aug. 24, 2020

Remembering Kobe Bryant and what basketball can teach us in medicine

"Through my coaching of girl’s basketball in California’s Central Valley, my daughter and I were fortunate enough to know Kobe as a mentor and coach, and a person who inspired my daughter to be the best through hard work, dedication, and passion....

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Aug. 23, 2020

Now is not the time for medical students to be spectators

"It is time to stop being spectators. We are at a critical turning point in our fight against this disease, and our actions now will determine whether we stay on the sidelines, or put an effective end to the scourge of the disease.  If we want to...

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Aug. 22, 2020

Why physician advocacy is so important

"We need to stay healthy for our patients, but also for ourselves and our families. We need to mobilize the faction not just with regard to this pandemic, but by anticipating the arrival of others. So how do we advocate for ourselves? A great way to...

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Aug. 21, 2020

Pediatric practices face financial strain

"Physicians are trained to do what is best for their patients and to do no harm. Independent practices have sat quietly watching, feeling hopeless as our communities cannot access the care they need, shamefully shutting our doors to spend hours on the...

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