"Take the time to invest in yourself; it is the best investment you can make. Work to improve your communication, negotiation skills, and financial literacy skills. Think twice before accepting the first offer at face value; you owe it to yourself. Have a contract lawyer review your contract. A number of factors go into a contract, more so than salary. Consider vacation time, CME time, the amount of call, noncompetes, partnership eligibility, and benefits. Both parties: Have the discussion. Why ...
Sep 27, 2022•18 min
Despite advances in diabetes care, hypoglycemia remains a common complication. Yes, new therapies are associated with less hypoglycemia risk, and patients are increasingly using continuous glucose monitoring, but episodes of hypoglycemia still occur. Some of these episodes are severe, and patients require assistance for recovery. To better support health care providers, Davida Kruger, APN-BC and Anne Peters, MD, in collaboration with the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (ACHL), develope...
Sep 26, 2022•25 min
"When Lauren came to my office as a 16-year-old, she had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and a few other chronic illnesses. By the end of the appointment, she left with a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)." Linda Bluestein is an integrative medicine physician. Lauren Vasko is a patient advocate. They share their stories and discuss the KevinMD article, " The journey to diagnosing a mysterious illness ." Did you enjoy today’s episode? Rate and review t...
Sep 25, 2022•12 min
"Depression involves withdrawal, withdrawal from oneself and others. Feeling safe enough in a relationship to reveal our innermost feelings safely is connective and should be considered a valued part of the anti-depressant lifestyle. Continued relationship satisfaction is based on respectful openness and validation, the kind of communication that built love in the early days. To do otherwise is to risk a relationship with no real relating, and to miss out on a factor that may not only be part of...
Sep 24, 2022•16 min
In this special episode, KevinMD is on the other side of the microphone as he's interviewed by Dr. Alex McDonald, originally aired as a PermanenteDocs Chat presented by The Permanente Federation at Kaiser Permanente. He shares his social media story, reasons why physicians should be involved with social media, criteria for reliable online sources, and tips for those interested in taking the next online steps. Catch up on other PermanenteDocs Chats : https://permanente.org/news/permanente-live/pe...
Sep 23, 2022•21 min
"As we slowly emerge from the physical withdrawal required during the pandemic, the emotional toll of this past year will become increasingly apparent. Complicated problems demand organized, financially-supported solutions. We need a mental health infrastructure bill now, and we need to start rebuilding." Jennifer Reid is a psychiatrist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Jennifer Reid, M.D. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, " We need a mental health infrastructure ...
Sep 22, 2022•19 min
"Just before the pandemic, I walked 96 miles (154.5 km) in seven days on the West Highland Way in Scotland, though I was hardly alone in this endeavor. About 250 people start the walk each day, including the amazing group of primary women that I walked with, indicative of both the attraction of the trail and the popularity of this form of physical activity. All types of people were walking. There were young people and old people, some fit and some not so obviously so. The walk was exhilarating a...
Sep 21, 2022•16 min
"ME/CFS is a complex multi-system illness that destroys lives (essentially killing the person yet leaving them alive). It leaves patients with unimaginable fatigue, post-exertional malaise (meaning that minor exertion makes them feel worse), cognitive deficits, cardiovascular dysfunction, gastrointestinal malfunctions, unrefreshing sleep, pain, and much more. As a person who has lived with ME/CFS for 13 years, I urge everyone to avoid getting it at all costs. I also want to protect people like m...
Sep 20, 2022•24 min
"The boundaries of unacceptable behavior have eroded in the past few years. Politicians, law enforcement, movie stars, health care providers, the health care system, and society, in general, are all acting badly occasionally. I’m amazed but no longer surprised every time it happens. Patients and family members behaving badly have captured headlines lately. I’m sad that in addition to Code Blue and Code Red, my hospital now has a Code Purple, indicating out-of-control parents. And I’m saddened th...
Sep 19, 2022•18 min
"One thing is hard to ignore – nurses need better treatment. Nurses need a seat at the table and advocacy. Nurses need to raise their voices, listen to each other, and unify to achieve the progress that we need to improve our workplace safety, manage and prevent burnout, and promote patient safety. Nurses have traditionally operated with our patients’ best interests at the core of our professional life. Now is the time to advocate for our best interests as strongly as our patients. If not us, th...
Sep 18, 2022•19 min
"MRI studies of these patients determined that it was not only the circuitry that was affected by the burnout but also the size of the brain structures. Compared with the controls, patients suffering from burnout showed volume loss in the prefrontal cortex. Burnout patients appeared to also have shrinking in their dorsal striatum (caudate and putamen nuclei (areas that modify movement) and hippocampus (an area involved in emotion and memory), but an increased volume of tissue in the amygdalae. S...
Sep 17, 2022•18 min
"Health isn't about luck — it's about intentionality. But even if you're doing and saying all the right things, you might not be any closer to your goals. I know because I was there. As a heart surgeon, I was very good at following the rules. But I was still morbidly obese. I followed the food pyramid to a T. I exercised for the recommended amount of time each day. I thought I was doing everything right. And yet, my heart was at its breaking point. I knew there had to be something more. So in 20...
Sep 16, 2022•16 min
"We cannot change societal norms, gender biases, childhood needs, the education system, or stop a pandemic. But, we can stop gaslighting 50% of the population. We can start acknowledging that the simple fact of gender does greatly affect patient and support staff expectations, time, power, compensation, and career trajectory. Women physicians have gained much ground, but this world and life are nowhere near a level playing field yet. When we all work together to allow our women physicians some f...
Sep 15, 2022•21 min
"There are two valuable reasons why all physicians, especially medical students, should obtain or demand from their medical school academic business education. About 98 percent of physicians and medical students have never had an academic business education. About 30 to 50 percent of graduating medical students prefer private medical practice—which requires business and marketing knowledge to reach their optimal potential in private medical practice." Curtis G. Graham is a physician. He shares h...
Sep 14, 2022•15 min
"People developing anaphylaxis will not always have five extra minutes to spare. I do appreciate that auto-injectors are expensive, but it is not at all expensive to have an ampule or vial of epinephrine on board, which can be drawn up in five seconds. Those also come in a much friendlier concentration of 1 mg/1 mL. The chances of using epinephrine to treat a cardiac arrest patient are astronomically small compared to the chances of needing it to arrest an anaphylactic reaction, particularly if ...
Sep 13, 2022•18 min
"The most important lesson when negotiating contracts is picking your battles and coming at them with optimism and positivity. Yes, you can and should be excited about this new opportunity, but you need to receive what’s fair and reasonable in the market. Don’t be afraid to push back on things that matter, and be smart enough to let the smaller things go." Amanda Hill is a health care attorney. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, " Know your worth: Negotiating employment cont...
Sep 12, 2022•20 min
"The worry and anticipation of getting sued are heightened more than ever in the wake of the pandemic. It is in all physicians’ minds. I recently did a quick poll in some of my physician groups on social media, and roughly 500 physicians responded to this question: Do we need medical malpractice reform? I only had one say no, and one said it would depend. Every other physician said yes. Now, this is a small group, but I believe asking this on a larger scale would get similar results – the majori...
Sep 11, 2022•18 min
"Since President Nixon declared war on cancer in 1971, and despite some great victories and many losses, there continues to be a never-ending battle in this long-fought war that seems never-ending. The convergence of great intellect and resources of academia and industry, fueled by continued entrepreneurship and investment funding into the biotechnology sector, despite the many risks of failure and expense, is one that is obvious to yield the greatest rewards to both prosperity and health. Ultim...
Sep 10, 2022•17 min
"Gun violence, war, pandemic, natural disasters — listening to the news or doom scrolling on social media during times of tragedy can leave us feeling devastated, discouraged, and angry. Tragedy can also make us feel like helping. We’re motivated to reach those affected and do something. Giving money can be a simple way to help. In the wake of a tragedy, many of us react fast and give to the first plea that comes across our Facebook feed. This is reactive giving, and while it’s significant, reac...
Sep 09, 2022•20 min
"All physicians need to be concerned about issues such as potential delays in the start date, restrictive covenants, potential ownership in a private practice, malpractice tail coverage, employee benefits, etc. Unfortunately, until discrimination against female physicians ends, female physicians need to be especially vigilant in protecting their rights." Dennis Hursh is a physician contract lawyer. He blogs at Physicians Contracts Blog . He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, " S...
Sep 08, 2022•20 min
"Jumping on the recent TikTok trend of medical professionals sharing the things they would never do given their knowledge and expertise, I am sharing the five things I would never do as a board-certified allergist-immunologist." Kara Wada is an allergist-immunologist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, " 5 things I would never do as an allergy and immune system expert ." Did you enjoy today’s episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD...
Sep 07, 2022•19 min
"New resident physicians who have earned their MD degrees will be heading to hospitals to start their residencies during the last two week in June and the first week in July. What can a beginning doctor do during the first month of internship to get his or her career off to a good start, and in so doing, also learn to provide the best care to patients?" Vijay Rajput is an internal medicine physician. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, " Top 10 things new interns should do ." ...
Sep 06, 2022•20 min
"What really is best and first when it comes to infant feeding: support. Support is best. Whether we are talking about infant feeding or frankly anything else related to postpartum or the fourth trimester, support is critical. The other slogans just fall short." Michelle Haggerty is an integrative family physician and breastfeeding medicine specialist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, " When it comes to feeding infants, support is best ." Did you enjoy today’s episode? Rat...
Sep 05, 2022•16 min
"It is time that every health profession school specifies their criteria for optimal teaching primary care practices and for the training that would optimize their students’ experience. It is time that we, as primary care physicians, advocate for the resources necessary to expose ourselves and our students to the best that primary care has to offer — and, in doing so, provide the best possible care to our patients. We deserve that, as do our students and most importantly, our patients." Russell ...
Sep 04, 2022•19 min
"Obesity is genetically common in our family. I was being gaslighted and judged by a bunch of obese people, most of whom were doing nothing to improve their health and obesity issues. Yet they fully believe to this day that I am just naturally thin and could not possibly understand their obesity issues. When all I have ever suffered from is normal weight obesity and, in my adult years, being overweight and obese, no matter how diligent my diet, exercise, and lifestyle." Marc Nelson is a scientif...
Sep 03, 2022•14 min
"No matter how far we’ve come, women are still judged by fertility status but shouldn’t be. If it’s clinically pertinent to ask about reproductive health, then yes, absolutely ask … in a respectful way. That doesn’t mean judging personal decisions or situations – it means asking pertinent questions and responding with an assessment of the need for support. Make appropriate referrals when that support is needed. Don’t assume. Everyone has their own story." Gail Miller is a life and wellness coach...
Sep 02, 2022•18 min
"Companies that embrace digital processes will reap the rewards, as shown by the Forrester survey taken in 2020 after the pandemic began. The survey found that digital document processes were helping organizations maintain their business resilience and even reap direct rewards of their digitization effort. By leveraging digital document processes, organizations can increase employee productivity and collaboration in a remote environment while continuing to serve customers. Nearly three-quarters ...
Sep 01, 2022•18 min
"In silico technologies also enable drug developers to perform, in theory, an unlimited number of tests using a wide range of variables that include age, sex, and the health status of each member of the virtual patient pool, compared to the more restrictive parameters of a traditional trial. By reducing the amount of trial and error involved in collecting data, drug developers can focus on therapies that prove to be more effective in treating a specific group of patients." Tanja Dowe is a health...
Aug 31, 2022•14 min
"While the world has spent the last two years laser-focused on the COVID pandemic, another public health threat is still lurking in the shadows: the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognized since the early 1900s, yet rigorous research over the past decade has illuminated the magnitude of the threat and its implications for future infection control. More than 35 thousand patients die from antibacterial resistance every year, and antibiotic-resistan...
Aug 30, 2022•17 min
"Every January, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions. It’s a joyous time full of high hopes. Ask people what they wish to achieve or hope to accomplish in the following year, and the answer will usually be something such as any of these: “I want to: lose weight; improve my finances; get a new job; exercise more; revamp a relationship; manage stress; stop smoking; set aside more time for myself.” But according to U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions ...
Aug 29, 2022•21 min
