Author's posts
The power of a simple form: a doctor’s experiment in building trust with patients
While we appreciate the importance of trust, not all patients have the same windows of opportunity to establish it with their physicians. The nature of each specialty and the severity of the patient’s condition influence how quickly and deeply tr…
A tale of medical malpractice, the legal system, and a fight for justice
I have been fortunate in my forty-five-year medical career never to have been sued for the care I delivered to a patient. I attribute this, in part, to being a family physician and having ongoing relationships with my patients and, in part, to being wi…
3 hospitalists’ struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees
When I finished my pediatric residency almost 20 years ago, I embarked upon a career in general pediatrics because I didn’t enjoy any particular subspecialty enough to commit my career to it. After spending several years in a mostly outpatient se…
The Dark Knight of health care: a doctor’s tale of gift cards and patient satisfaction
I was surprised when I began receiving gift cards to a national chain of coffee shops in recognition of positive patient satisfaction comments from my emergency department patients. Reviewing them in my provider report card genuinely felt good, especia…
Trauma in an interview: a not-so-perfect personal statement
I have to write a “perfect medical school personal statement.” I have to write about learning and growth. I want to show empathy and grit. Most of all, I must resonate with the medical school admissions committee reading my story. The overw…
Why patients choose who they trust: Understanding the psychology of health care relationships
Most people, should they be in need of a transcatheter aortic “valve-in-valve” replacement procedure for a failed aortic valve replacement, would be delighted to have one of the world’s foremost experts (who has performed over 6,000 o…
The ICU nurse shortage: How cost-cutting is endangering patient care
Recently, I read an article by an ICU nurse that discussed the disturbing trend of replacing seasoned nurses with inexperienced ones in the name of cost-cutting. This issue is not limited to the ICU but is rampant in every area of nursing. As a psychia…
Transcription troubles: the hilarious and alarming consequences of speech recognition in medicine
Speech recognition software is an important part of my clinic workflow. I use the industry-leading application, which has saved me at least 1,000 hours of documentation time over the last decade. My typing is much slower than my speaking, and since my …
The $6 soup that saved a pregnant patient $20,000
A good cup of soup can be comforting during illness. It’s like a form of medicine. Soups have many vitamins and minerals, protein and carbohydrates, and of course, water or cream to help stay hydrated. Salt makes a sore throat feel better (like w…
Why every doctor should have a side gig
Why is it that physicians are seeking alternative avenues to boost their income? It may seem counterintuitive for busy clinical doctors to pursue a side gig, why? In a post-pandemic era, physicians are plagued by colossal debt and increasing rates of b…
