As I sit here contemplating the beginning of this unsent letter, I find myself questioning its intended recipient and purpose. The truth is, I don’t have the answers just yet. Perhaps, by the end of these few paragraphs, some clarity will emerge….
Category: Hospital-Based Medicine
Battling COVID chaos and recruiting doctors
An excerpt from Our Hospital. Kush Kare Hospital in Columbia, New York, was the flagship of Kush Kare Private Equity Inc., a for-profit chain of hospitals across America. A for-profit that was listed on a lot of lucrative trading routes. Clearly its wo…
Patient complaints prompt hospital to reevaluate doctor’s bedside manner
Tom, a doctor friend, recently told me he was reprimanded by Michael, his hospital’s medical chief of staff, after two patients lodged complaints against him. One instance involved a man whom Tom informed of a cancer recurrence. When the man crie…
Teaching moments in medicine: Balancing autonomy and comfort
Late last year, I decided I needed to get my health checked up on. I went through the motions, trying to make an appointment with the doctor that was assigned to me. Nothing was available for months. I called every other day, asking about cancellations…
A love letter to the doctor I was
I recently returned to the hospital where I had first worked as an attending. Everything felt different. It seemed darker and smaller, reminiscent of the feeling when you revisit your elementary school, and the water fountains appear almost touching th…
Pain and laughter for a veteran patient
Mr. Sampson, a 70-year-old man with a history of diabetes, was referred to us by his primary care physician for nerve conduction studies. He had been experiencing increasing numbness in his right hand for the past year and had recently started having t…
Internship survival guide: Thriving on the night floor rotation
During my first week as an intern, a question weighed heavily on my mind: “How am I going to survive my night shift rotation?” Soon after, another question arose: “How can I make the most of my night shifts and continue to learn and g…
The case for eliminating recertification by the ABIM
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has long been responsible for setting standards and ensuring the competence of internal medicine practitioners. However, the practice of mandatory recertification has faced increasing scrutiny and debate w…
What Lucille Ball and Einstein can teach us about overcoming burnout
In the demanding health care industry, physicians are frequently susceptible to burnout. The constant pressures, long hours, and emotional toll can be detrimental to one’s health. To support physicians on their path to wellness, we have compiled …
The epidemic of narcissistic abuse in the medical field
I didn’t go through that to go through this. “She doesn’t know how to work within a system,” said Snakeskin Shoes. Narcissists grow and thrive in children’s hospitals. Their strategy is to inflict moral injury upon physici…
