I’m sorry you are sick. I’m sorry you had to wait a long time in the waiting room. I’m sorry you haven’t gotten your pain medications. I’m sorry I don’t have an answer. I’m sorry the department is busy. I’…
Category: KevinMD
Moral injury in health care: What have we learned?
When we began exploring the concept of moral injury to explain the deep distress that U.S. health care professionals feel today, it was something of a thought experiment aimed at erasing the preconceived notions of what was driving the disillusionment …
Physicians are not commodities to be cut. Physicians are not waste.
Another emergency physician asked me what I think will happen if the “surprise bill reform” with a benchmark fix happens. I told her privately, but I am sharing, so everyone can understand why I am working so furiously on a seemingly boring and crass …
4 tips to become a “nice” doctor
When I was an intern, one of my attendings told me that I was “too nice.” He said it to mean that I needed to toughen up to “make it” as an emergency medicine (EM) physician, and that the alternative might be fatal. To give some context, this attending…
How online physician reviews can be fake news
Many people use reviews to help decide how to choose products and services. However, it is not widely known that an online physician review may not reflect what we think it does. I thought about sharing this information before — but now it is time. Rec…
A reflection of a physician’s firsts
Your first is always special. It is a mixture of youthful inexperience, awkwardness, anticipation, and giddiness that creates a cacophony of emotions and physical changes that is hard to describe unless you have experienced it yourself. Your repertoire…
Which retirement account is best for physicians?
Whether you are starting a new job, like me, or extending the contract at your current one, part of the process may involve signing up for retirement accounts. Most people have heard of a 401(k), but you may have other options available to you such as …
If you want something done right, have other people do it
The line, “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” is complete bull. To run a successful business of any kind — but especially to run a thriving medical practice — you have to make sure you’re using your time wisely and pro…
When physicians focus more on screens than patients
As Wei Wei Lee sat with her doctor to discuss starting a family, she felt a “distance” between them. The physician was busy on the computer and focused on the screen. “It just didn’t feel very personal,” Lee said. “I didn’t feel heard.” It seemed as th…
What to do when physicians get subpoenaed as witnesses
You’re a clinician. You had a patient die under your care, and now your hospital is being sued. You are not named in the lawsuit, but you are being asked to give a deposition. How much of your time is this going to take? If some lawyer sends you …
