Category: KevinMD

Pageantry: an unconventional education for aspiring psychiatrists

With the elegant gowns, stylized hair, carefully applied makeup, and moments in the spotlight, beauty pageants have attracted longstanding criticism for being allegedly superficial competitions that foster narcissism. But beneath the surface lies a wea…

Talk to your patients about money

A non-compliant patient arrives at the ER for evaluation of high blood pressure. Why isn’t she taking her medication? It costs $300 per month, and she can’t afford it. Has she talked to her doctor about a less expensive alternative? No. Unf…

Polypharmacy and prescribing cascades [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for a discussion on medication awareness and prescribing cascades with Paula Rochon, a geriatrician. As we embark on a new year, many focus on diet and exercise re…

Medicine is not apolitical: Your vote dictates your ability to practice medicine

It’s Wednesday, March 6th, 2024. The day after Super Tuesday. I am sitting in the library, taking a break from writing a final paper for my health economics class, when I see a Politico article: “San Francisco’s Proposition F passed.&…

Gene therapy’s impact on incurable illnesses

Gene therapy has been used recently to cure previously incurable diseases, including sickle cell anemia. It is a horrible disease that I have seen so many times in the ER that it haunts me at night, especially one patient. He was a sweet man with a lov…

Rethinking teen medical consent: Navigating complex health needs

Is it time to reconsider the age of medical consent for teens? This is a question I have been asking myself as my children are approaching 18. For many years, I’ve dreaded the thought of my medically challenging child turning 18 and suddenly bein…

Navigating crucial conversations in health care [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We sit down with Kim Downey, a physical therapist, and Frances Mei Hardin, an otolaryngologist, to dive into the nuances of navigating difficult discussions in the medical…

From perfunctory to profound: 4 self-evaluation questions that blew my mind

The McLaughlin 360 Evaluation: preparation (part one) Have you ever heard the expression, “The truth will set you free”? Well, it might. But before it sets you free, it’s probably going to piss you off. If you are seriously interested…

What’s love got to do with it? The emotional toll of the practice of medicine.

In medicine, we are taught to be professional and, at all times, to keep our emotions at bay. While this approach may work for some professionals, it is particularly challenging in medicine, especially in primary care. As a family physician, I have wit…

EMRs and insurance: a pediatrician’s success story

I am a pediatrician who trained in a residency program that taught us insurance companies were evil entities intent on profits over patient care. As ICD codes and CPT codes expanded, my colleagues complained that these were ways insurers could deny car…