It was 2018. Previously, “Max” had steadfastly refused all vaccines. Despite his HIV infection, which was well controlled, and my pleading with him over multiple years to get a flu shot, he was firmly opposed. He was intelligent and very ma…
Category: KevinMD
Palliative care is plagued by misunderstanding
During a recent palliative conference, the discussion turned to the challenges of translating our work to the public and our colleagues. Despite the growth of our field and increasing access, there remains major confusion about palliative care and hosp…
Transforming patient care with cultural values in direct primary care [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join Maryal Concepcion, a family physician, as she shares her inspiring story of transitioning from a traditional health care role to direct primary care (DPC). Discover h…
It’s time to pass federally mandated paid parental leave
“You’ve got some guts starting your residency pregnant!” I was that intern. It was June 2011. A few months earlier, on Match Day—the day when the National Residency Matching Program releases results to applicants seeking residency in …
Revitalizing rural health care with technology and policy
As a physician who grew up in a small town in central Illinois, I’ve witnessed firsthand the decline of rural health care in America. The hospital where I first became interested in medicine is now half its original size, merged with a larger hea…
Time to educate the psychiatric patient
The initial psychiatric interview of a patient is often a crucial part of the developing relationship between patient and physician. Establishing rapport, reaching a diagnosis, discussing treatment options, and formulating a plan, are the main framewor…
How international medical graduates shape U.S. health care [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for a conversation with George M. Abraham, former president of the American College of Physicians (2021-2022) and a professor of medicine. We’ll explore the …
Not all healers wear scrubs or lab coats: Paying homage to our modern-day Santa Claus
Terminology has changed over the years. When I was in training (1996-2000), we were called physicians. Nurses were called nurses. Nurse practitioners (NPs) were called nurse practitioners. Physician assistants (PAs) were called physician assistants. Pa…
Not all healers wear scrubs or lab coats: Paying homage to our modern-day Santa Claus
Terminology has changed over the years. When I was in training (1996-2000), we were called physicians. Nurses were called nurses. Nurse practitioners (NPs) were called nurse practitioners. Physician assistants (PAs) were called physician assistants. Pa…
Healing in a new land: the power of community and kindness
Howera is a twenty-nine-year-old Ethiopian woman. She saw me in the neurology clinic for headaches. Two years previously, she had come to America to join her husband. Since her arrival, he beat her physically and abused her sexually. Being a stranger i…
