I ring the doorbell, waiting patiently outside. I hear a weak “coming” and some shuffling. Who greets me is a mother in her robe, hunched over at the waist, supporting her protruding postpartum belly. Her hair is disheveled. Her mask is revealing e…
Category: Conditions
When coaching physicians with wellness, don’t lead with mindfulness
Times of great change can cause people to reflect on their career and work-life balance and evaluate what supports meaning and joy. When the COVID-19 pandemic reaches a manageable state, I believe that health care providers and physicians, more specif…
Which COVID-19 test should I get?
COVID-19 testing has been on the rise – with more and more tests being developed and more testing sites available. Many are drive-thru and walk-in test sites, and anyone is able to show up and get tested. There are so many different types of COVID-19 t…
In the rush to get back to school, let’s not forget teachers’ mental health
Teachers in Ontario, Canada never imagined they would leave for March break and not return to finish the school year with their students. Many classrooms were frozen in time with Friday, March 12, 2020 still displayed on the walls. Before COVID-19, the…
2 tales of physician assistant burnout
For the first 12 years as a physician assistant, I thought provider burnout only happened to wusses, those better suited to working in health insurance or doctoring at a summer camp. Sure, I felt overwhelmed at times, but I planned to soldier on in cl…
Colorectal cancer screening: colonoscopy vs. Cologuard
When COVID-19 hit, routine cancer screenings nearly came to a halt. Now those postponed appointments and overdue tests will likely result in delayed cancer diagnoses. Now more than ever it’s an opportune time to educate the community about the importan…
Colorectal cancer screening: colonoscopy vs. Cologuard
When COVID-19 hit, routine cancer screenings nearly came to a halt. Now those postponed appointments and overdue tests will likely result in delayed cancer diagnoses. Now more than ever it’s an opportune time to educate the community about the importan…
Why the pandemic is the perfect opportunity to introduce meditation to children
As the globe continues to surf the wave of this unpredictable global pandemic in a time of technological advancement, one question seems to come up often during pediatric outpatient visits: Will the kids be OK? One thing is for certain: all this uncert…
A physician on the importance of taking pause
“I’m one of the doctors taking care of your dad.” As a resident, I made this call countless times. Even more than breaking bad news to patients, I feared surprising their families at night by telephone. Nearly always, though, people were calm and cer…
How COVID-19 worsens digital eye strain
While retailers have been struggling with business after lockdown, optometrists have noticed something rather unexpected. COVID-19, it seems, has caused the number of people getting eye tests to skyrocket. Pre-COVID, most people came simply because the…
