“Sometimes sh*t just happens.” Just a few days ago, I finished yet another string of four hectic shifts in the ER of our incredibly busy trauma center. After saying my goodbyes to my coworkers and transferring the care of my remaining patie…
Category: KevinMD
Technology is corrupting the culture of medicine
To help then-candidate Bill Clinton remain focused on the No. 1 voter issue ahead of the 1992 presidential elections, political strategist James Carville coined an unforgettable mantra, which he posted inside Clinton campaign headquarters. It read, “Th…
You’re lucky to have a medical student in the family
One of the most common experiences faced by a medical student is being asked for health care advice from a friend or family member. My initial reaction to these questions is usually something along the lines of, “Are you sure you want to be askin…
A key strategy to use for difficult conversations: Ask questions
No matter what profession you are in, having uncomfortable and difficult conversations is something you have to get used to. Tim Ferris said in his bestselling book, The 4-Hour Workweek (which I’d highly recommend), “A person’s success in life can usua…
The tension between guidelines and individualized treatment
I recently read an article in a peer-reviewed journal citing the benefits of a few eggs per week as part of a low carbohydrate dietary intervention for Type 2 diabetes. The information was so meaningful about a controversial food source of protein tha…
Your home life is what you make it. Don’t let your specialty control you.
The Match is complete, and now the fourth-year medical students are preparing to make their move to residency and chief residents are preparing to start their new career as an attending. The next phase of their lives is about to begin. The Match got me…
Why doctors shy away from business
The Hippocratic Oath says nothing about taking out a bank loan to outfit your own office to start your practice, nor does it include investing in real estate to diversify your income. Of course, most doctors didn’t opt to enter medicine with the inten…
The end of a life never just impacts the individual who died
To my knowledge, three people who were under my care killed themselves. The first was a young man — late 20s, maybe? — who I met while I was a psychiatry intern. He was hospitalized in the psychiatric unit where I had just started my rotati…
What does it mean for physicians to be financially free?
What does it mean to actually be financially free? If we make it a goal, what are we really working toward? Rather than looking at financial freedom as an abstract concept, it can be very useful to visualize exactly how it could impact your life. Ultim…
The sigh of relief on Match Day quickly changed into a sobering reality
The residency interview trail quickly becomes a lonesome journey, so when I was on it this winter, I’d usually have the hotel room television turned on for some background noise and often find myself watching ESPN’s SportsCenter. On my last interview i…
