Category: KevinMD

Vapers may be using more nicotine than they realize

Lucas McClain started smoking cigarettes in high school but switched to vaping after he heard e-cigarettes were a safer alternative. His vape of choice became the Juul, the king of electronic cigarettes — which comes with a king-size nicotine hit. Now …

A parent shares health care lessons with my son as he begins medical school

Dear Alex, As you realize your destiny, I want to share the lessons I have learned in my 45 years on the front lines of health care. I am hoping they will serve you well on your journey. First and foremost, love what you do. Have fun with the people wh…

Neurosurgeon keynote speaker joins Physician Speaking by KevinMD

I’m really excited to introduce Mark McLaughlin, MD, the newest speaker at Physician Speaking by KevinMD. Mark is a practicing board-certified neurosurgeon, a national media commentator, author of the book Cognitive Dominance: A Brain Surgeon’s Q…

Is it physician burnout or perimenopause?

I am an experienced OB/GYN, well-versed in obstetrics, infertility, gynecology, surgery and — yes — menopause, or so I thought. So why was I so blindsided by my own menopause transition? I thought I was going through burnout, with anxiety, anger, mood …

MKSAP: 52-year-old woman with chest pressure

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 52-year-old woman is evaluated for a 6-week history of chest pressure. The symptom occurs when she walks up an incline on her daily 2-mile …

How better nutrition helps this physician get through the day

Take a stroll through any emergency department or hospital break room, and what do you see? Chips, pop, candy bars, and different flavors of junk food. Working in the trenches of medicine requires stamina and mental fortitude. Fueling the body and mind…

Health care facilities are difficult to navigate for older adults

A month ago, during a visit to her doctor’s office in Sequim, Wash., Sue Christensen fell to her knees in the bathroom when her legs suddenly gave out. The 74-year-old was in an accessible stall with her walker, an older model that doesn’t have brakes….

My patients teach me, guide me, and remind me that I am here

It’s an odd thing doing what I do sometimes.  Dichotomies of highs and lows, life and death, joy and sorrow.  In the past 15 years that I have been in health care — a nurse’s assistant, to registered nurse, to now pediatric nurse practitioner &#8…

Invest in real estate with money you have already saved for retirement

So you’ve done your research and you are sold on the idea of investing as a limited partner in real estate syndications such as apartments, mobile home parks, or self-storage facilities. “But,” you lament, “that means I need to …

Overcoming the challenges prosperity can bring to teens and young adults

They received a call that their 19-year-old son had been transported to the local hospital, extremely agitated and intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of .245. What they learned over the next few days was that this wasn’t the first time their son h…