Category: Hospital-Based Medicine

Medical residents signed up to live in the hospital, not to die there

I saw a tweet recently from a medical resident training at another hospital that really hit home for me: “In response to a rumor that health care workers who treat COVID patients will be prioritized for vaccination in our health system, one of my co-re…

Turn 2020 into an opportunity by changing your mindset [PODCAST]

“A few months ago, I signed up for a virtual conference for women in medicine. It’s a group of women, over 10,000 of us, who have watched me and supported me through the past two years of my career. Two years of struggle. Two years of perso…

More physicians have tattoos, and how that makes them more genuine at the bedside

Throughout my time in medical school, residency, and now as a practicing physician, I have noticed physicians’ changing face. When applying for medical school, I remember choosing a medium-grey pantsuit to match my medium-brown hair to wear for m…

How to decrease your dread of being on-call [PODCAST]

“Have you ever wondered how much time we spend worrying about call, versus the amount of time that we actually spend being on call? What about the Monday after a long weekend, returning from vacation, or an overnight shift? Is it as bad as we thi…

Reflecting on the advice of a revered physician counsellor

I turned into the hospital parking lot, placed my car into park, and looked up at the time. 5:44 a.m. I’d spent the previous night researching COVID-19 symptoms and treatment options, preparing to field questions from my patients, family, and friends. …

How this surgeon beat a medical staff disciplinary action

I recently represented a physician in a noteworthy peer review case at an academic medical center. The medical staff president initiated a complaint against a surgeon, who would later become my client. The complaint was that the surgeon inappropriately…

Physicians who work themselves into the ground are nothing to be proud of

There were recently many news articles and coverage exalting a physician for working 250 straight days during COVID. 250 days, that’s nearly 8 1/2 months without a day off. While this physician displays dedication and caring, I don’t think we should ce…

We keep our sleep-deprived physicians in hospitals full of calorie-dense food

Medicine causes just as much disease as it solves. We must adopt the lifestyle to get through college, medical school, residency, and fellowship is nothing close to a healthy lifestyle. Previously, we discussed the long hours and the lack of exercise, …

How this physician’s first experience with death affected her [PODCAST]

“My sister called me. I answered. And, then, I lost it: ‘He died. He died,’ I repeated. ‘Our patient died. I literally did CPR on this guy. We tried to save his life, and he died,’ I repeated over and over. The tears strea…

A patient revolution for careful and kind care

An excerpt from Why We Revolt: A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care. It was late at the premier teaching hospital in the country, and we were overworked and overwhelmed. Those patients in most trouble had made it in, but many waited outside, …