Category: Conditions

Lessons from Forward Health: How direct primary care is the future of health care

In the rapidly evolving landscape of health care, startups promising disruption often make headlines. But not all disruption leads to success. Forward Health, once hailed as a pioneer with its ultramodern clinics and AI-driven “doctor-in-a-box&#8…

From ER overload to genetic breakthrough: How allergies transformed my life and career

I went to the emergency room 16 times for allergies and asthma as a college freshman. Each time I was given a prescription for an EpiPen, an auto-injector pen that administers a dose of epinephrine, used for the emergency care of an acute allergic reac…

The urgent need for better early intervention programs

As someone working in the health care field, I have become all too familiar with the need for early intervention and how important it can be for a child’s overall progress. There are parents who travel to larger states in search of better medical…

Top-down hierarchies in health care harm patients and health care workers alike

As I lay abandoned on a stretcher in the hallway of my university hospital’s emergency room, I felt powerless in my ability to improve the quality of my care. Nurses bustled back and forth between patient rooms, too busy to give me the attention …

Why your doctor wants you to talk about poop — and it could save your life

A patient came to see me recently (all my stories start like this: “A patient walked into the room…,” akin to “A guy walked into a bar…”), and she was so embarrassed to be there. That’s not uncommon for me. What was unusua…

How we can safeguard patients without restricting telehealth access

The state of mental health care in the U.S. is dire, and with the telehealth prescription waivers projected to expire at the end of the year, it’s only going to get worse. If a temporary extension is granted, we can leverage technology and presen…

Ways that one can succeed in dermatology residency: words of wisdom from a program coordinator

With sixteen years of experience working with dermatology residents, my role as a program coordinator has evolved immensely. Within the auspices of graduate medical education (GME), I manage the dermatology residency program, projects, and program budg…

Abused and broken: her fight for survival in a behavioral health unit

It was that bewitching hour. 0300. Behavioral health unit/behavioral health intensive care unit. She was a small young woman. Her eyes appeared black as coal, as if her soul had been sucked out repeatedly. There were bruises around her eyes, black and …

The emotional toll doctors face: a book review

For over twenty years, I’ve had a recurring nightmare: I’m back in medical training, and my patient is crashing. To save them, I must enter my medical orders into the electronic health record (EHR). The only problem is, there are no open co…

PTSD: Why trauma’s impact is more complex than you think

According to the National Institutes of Health, the majority of individuals experience several traumatic events in their lifetimes, but do they all develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? If you question the general populace or the media, they w…