It seemed unthinkable, but I decided to think about it anyhow. Would it be possible to have a hospital birth without maternity coverage? I had time and I had options, so I decided to figure it out. I have to start by being transparent. As the title imp…
2020 is the year that brought many of us to our knees. The COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the entire world, leading to death, job loss, isolation, fear, and stress. Children were all of a sudden learning from home. Women were leaving the workplace. Stay at …
I had very difficult experiences breastfeeding both of my children. I had constant pain, recurrent plugged ducts, and a lot of latch problems. There were many times when I considered quitting, but I persevered because it meant a lot to me, and I woul…
“Wrong! The most important part of your job is to make money.” I will never forget those words from an attending in residency – though I did not know it at the time, it was a pivotal moment in my decision to pursue a nontraditional route in medicine. I…
An excerpt from Breaking the Silence: Why Opening Up About Your Sex Life Is the Best Medicine for Your Health, Relationships, and Overall Happiness. I have been practicing medicine for forty-five years, and it has become clear to me that many of the me…
Even during the pandemic, labor and delivery are the most frequent reasons for hospitalization in Canada, with over 350,000 births per year. That’s happy news. But of these births, nearly one third are by Caesarian section (C-sections). That rate is…
In 2018, then-Senator Kamala Harris introduced the Maternal CARE (Care Access and Reducing Emergencies) Act and added the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020. Collectively, both pieces of legislation would create a task force to study sobering …
“I do want you all to know that shame is a very familiar brain track (like an 8-track tape, if you know what that is), but not one I am stuck in. The above experience of failing a class turned out to be amazing. I am now appreciative of how far I…
I was a fellow physician in neonatology, and my contract was recently not renewed for my three-year fellowship at the end of the first year. My experience highlights the examples that, at times, physicians are treated in a disposable manner. COVID-19 i…
I am a nurse who has worked at a rural hospital. My husband is a board-certified family medicine doctor. In the fall of 2020, I was raped by my massage therapist. I know that everyone has an opinion of what they would do in that situation, and I was pr…
