Author's posts
Medical students in Korea face expulsion for speaking out
For over a year, we, Korea’s medical students, have lived under the weight of institutional threats What began as a disagreement over health policy escalated into an all-out campaign to silence us. We were told that if we resisted, we would be pu…
Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam
Hypothetically, imagine you complete three years of internal medicine residency; working nights, managing complex cases, making real decisions. Then you’re told: To work in the hospital, in the in-patient setting, you must complete additional yea…
The altar of equity: a cautionary tale from the temple of healing
In a nation where the Hippocratic Oath stands as a sacred covenant, one expects the temple of healing to be a fortress of precision, expertise, and unerring competence. Yet, a recent pilgrimage to an academic hospital in our fair city unveiled a scene …
Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story
She was pale, underweight, fifty years old and scared. Mrs. G was a breast cancer patient on the oncology unit whom I met by chance, as she appeared on my patient census list that morning. As I walked into her room, I noticed the fragrant flowers, the …
From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
Unless you’ve lived it, you can’t fully understand. We’ve all cared for patients with cancer. We’ve delivered hard news, sat beside bedsides, explained scan results, and offered hope when we could. We’ve been the calm in t…
The disease of modern medicine: How a sick system is failing physicians
“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti The American medical system is ill, and physicians are among its sickest patients. As a dual-boarded physician, an assistant professor…
The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
This story is dedicated to all my female friends in medicine. Didi does not love her job. What started as a noble purpose of helping people made her feel as though she has become a glorified customer service representative. She focuses on her Hippocrat…
The untold toll of COVID-19: a doctor’s battle to save lives and family
Hello! Your friendly next-door ID physician here checking in! I haven’t submitted anything here in several years. I’ve been too caught up with my work and family to delve into my creative side. But the very recent news that we will have a n…
Why many hospitals refuse to pay market value for radiology until it’s too late
Nationwide, radiology groups are approaching hospitals and asking for massive subsidies to maintain their radiology coverage. Much of the time, hospital administrators and CEOs balk and would prefer to drag their feet or try to replace the group rather…
Breaking the silence on physician burnout and suicide
KevinMD has been publishing multiple reports about the current widespread, deeply worrisome physician burnout and suicide phenomena. As a card-carrying epidemiologist, I have sought to categorize these reports into the three overarching factors we migh…
