I saw a “difficult” patient in the clinic this week. We’ve all been there, sometimes multiple times a week. The patient who is upset and won’t stop telling unrelated history. The one who comes in every week with vague complaints…
Category: Dermatology
Not all physicians wear a stethoscope, even during a pandemic
I’m a dermatologist, so I’m not on the front lines of this pandemic. And thanks to public health measures, I may never be called to work at coronavirus drive-thru testing sites because we are flattening the curve of infections. Nevertheless…
A letter to her daughter: 8 things I learned from being a doctor and a mother
My dearest daughter, Life is unpredictable. In case I won’t be around one day, here are things I learned from being a doctor and a mother that can guide you always. 1. New level. New devil! There will never be a time outside of death that life wi…
Beyond the EpiPen: Irrational drug prices are now pervasive
There was outrage over the sudden rise in the price of the EpiPen. But the rise in many other pharmaceutical prices gets less attention but is just as concerning. It can be easy to forget issues like this until they affect us personally. My two encount…
MKSAP: 40-year-old man with a flesh-colored lesion
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 40-year-old man is evaluated for a firm, flesh-colored lesion that has been growing on the back for several months. Foul-smelling material …
Hair is undoubtedly the politician’s crowning glory
It all started with John F. Kennedy’s campaign for the presidency. After eight years with President Eisenhower’s baldness and Vice President Nixon’s receding hairline, the American public was ready for a change. Kennedy had great hair, which he flaun…
Hair is undoubtedly the politician’s crowning glory
It all started with John F. Kennedy’s campaign for the presidency. After eight years with President Eisenhower’s baldness and Vice President Nixon’s receding hairline, the American public was ready for a change. Kennedy had great hair, which he flaun…
A dermatologist mourns alone
Some may think that being a dermatologist means taking care of the “superficial.” I beg to defer. We spend a great deal of time performing procedures and talking to patients. During our visits, patients share their truth, and open up their hearts to us…
Here’s why your patients disregard prescriptions
Take one-half tablet three times per day with meals, increasing by half each week until reaching a maximum of three tablets three times per day. Did you get a new prescription from your doctor? If so, there is a 50 percent chance you will not adhere to…
A hidden cancer success story: declining deaths from melanoma
Here is some news about cancer that isn’t widely known and is hiding in plain sight: Deaths from melanoma — a skin cancer that has lethal potential — have declined dramatically over the past several years. And while that fact alone is surpr…
