When I decided to become a doctor, little did I know that medical school and residency would be like a hazing for future physicians. We are broken down mentally and physically and then remade in the image of the “strong” doctor and to admit…
Category: Hospital-Based Medicine
Patients: Take back your health information. Here’s how.
Have you ever wondered why your personal health information essentially belongs to your health care provider or institution? I mean: why do they keep your information under lock and key, and you have to sign a release to get it? After all, it’s your bl…
Considering locum tenens? Think about these factors first.
Locum tenens is a great way to make a living or earn some extra income. But frankly, there are some groups of physicians who should not even consider doing locums work. When you pair the right person with the right job, you can get employment bliss. Bu…
Are hospitalists to blame for the fragmentation of medical care?
“What About Recovery” is a provocative essay by Yale professor Lenore Buckley, MD, in JAMA. She writes in detail about the death of her 68-year-old brother in a hospital. She felt his doctors did not do enough to help him recover because his nutritiona…
Why you’re an unhappy physician
Health care is a tough job to work in — whether you are a doctor, nurse or any other professional. We are dealing with matters of life and death, our patients expect (and deserve) the best from us, and we always have a hundred-and-one things to d…
Why medical writing is essential to medicine
I wasn’t as happy as I expected to be when I walked out of the hospital on my last day in medical school. But then again, there was little to celebrate — my last few patients had terminal cancer, a stroke, and end-stage liver disease from a…
The problem of physicians and nurses connecting patients with hospital fundraisers
Many organizations solicit private donations from benefactors and philanthropists. Is there a stadium in the country that does not bear the name of a prominent donor? There are also anonymous donors who are not cursed with egos that require their names…
The problem of physicians and nurses connecting patients with hospital fundraisers
Many organizations solicit private donations from benefactors and philanthropists. Is there a stadium in the country that does not bear the name of a prominent donor? There are also anonymous donors who are not cursed with egos that require their names…
The sigh of relief on Match Day quickly changed into a sobering reality
The residency interview trail quickly becomes a lonesome journey, so when I was on it this winter, I’d usually have the hotel room television turned on for some background noise and often find myself watching ESPN’s SportsCenter. On my last interview i…
10 tips for success after you finish residency
If you’re done with your residency or fellowship, you’ve paid your dues. And I am excited for you. Life is about to get better. A lot better. If you read my prior article about going unmatched, you know that things have not always gone smoothly for me….
