Author's posts
Corruption in health care: when the mice mind the cheese
That the United States spends the most on health care is unsurprising. What’s questionable is paying so much for the worst health care system amongst high-income countries and being far behind many countries that could not be considered high-inco…
A hard lesson for new attending physicians
It is the time of the year in which freshly graduated residents and fellows finally enter the health care systems as an attending after years of hard work and training. A time of celebrating and reflection, and a time to stop and think of what you have…
It’s time to prevent the exploitation of sick people for profit
As a former emergency medicine doctor with ABEM certification, I anticipate questions about why I sought medical care. At this point, my problems are complex, and I need someone with a clear head to weigh in. At every encounter (and there have been nin…
5 reasons physicians are afraid to leave medicine
At age 33, I got my first job as an outpatient pediatric attending. With great pay, nice coworkers, and exceedingly better hours than in training, to everyone around me, I had finally “landed.” Soon after I began working, however, I woke up…
These wounds will never heal
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and I want to share my story of my dad’s journey after his strokes. Doors open and shut during the early morning hours. I hear the drip dispensing the next dose and some muffled chatter outside the room. Several …
A choice of of maternal compassion
It was supposed to be a routine 20-week ultrasound appointment. The specialist abruptly knocked and entered. The next few hours of my life went by in choppy, disconnected segments. The specialist said he was sorry. Her bones were not growing properly. …
Our vulnerabilities, when treated and acknowledged, can become our biggest strength
I will tell you why health care professionals feel they need to be superhuman, without needs or vulnerabilities. Because that is who we want to be, why we got into the field, and then our training reinforces those very ideas. We exist to take care of o…
Toxicity, gaslighting, and passive aggression in fellowship
“Yeah, I mean, whatever, it’s a master’s! Have your own damn party.” My jaw dropped in disgusted shock. The wall was thin, very thin. Come to think of it, it wasn’t even a wall. It was a partition: the separation of space between different office space…
Your doctor may already be gone
The doctor you are seeing may have already left medicine. Yes, you still have an appointment. Yes, they are still in the room, taking your history and performing a physical exam. But inside their mind, they have already decided. They haven’t said it ou…
