Category: KevinMD

Many diseases represent an arbitrary number

A wag once said: “There is no such thing as a healthy person, just one who has not had enough tests.” As we make every minor deviation from the average into a disease, that jest is becoming uncomfortably close to the way our current medical system beha…

Nurses Week. Always and forever.

I have to work tonight. It’s Saturday. And I don’t want to go in. It’s springtime, the skies are blue, birds chirping, and the flowers show off their magnificent colors. But it’s Saturday. And along comes being a nurse. We have mandatory weekends, mand…

MKSAP: 28-year-old woman with decreased exercise tolerance and ice cravings

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 28-year-old woman is evaluated for decreased exercise tolerance and ice cravings for the past several weeks. Medical history is notable for…

Join the KevinMD Facebook group for physicians

I’m excited to introduce my Facebook group for physicians, Physician voice by KevinMD. I went into social media so our voices can be heard. During my 15-year (and counting!) journey, it’s been so rewarding to see that our voices aren’…

Thank you for letting us be a part of your child’s life. You truly are the heroes of medicine.

The following is something I wrote for our annual memorial service for children who have died at our Children’s Hospital. But these same thoughts are with me every day. It’s an honor to be here with you to celebrate the lives of our patients. Thank you…

Thank you for letting us be a part of your child’s life. You truly are the heroes of medicine.

The following is something I wrote for our annual memorial service for children who have died at our Children’s Hospital. But these same thoughts are with me every day. It’s an honor to be here with you to celebrate the lives of our patients. Thank you…

5 things this doctor wished he could tell his patients

1. I am not omnipotent.  As health care providers our ability to treat is sometimes affected by factors beyond our control— limitations in technology, variations in our work environment, and human nature.  While we always commit to performing our…

Questions about Public Service Loan Forgiveness that you were afraid to ask

As a graduating medical student with around $200,000 in student loans, I’m planning to enroll in Public Service Loan Forgiveness. When I shared this proclamation with my classmates they had mixed reactions and several questions. Just in case you’re won…

The effect of mobile devices on our collective psyche

During a recent walk at Crystal Cove, a splendid California State Park with miles of pristine coastline, I encountered two young women sitting on a bench with a magnificent view of the ocean.  Yet their only view of interest was their cell phone screen…

How I share my creativity with others in medicine

The creative platform Lyrical Mezzanine (@LyricalMezz) aims to nurture resilience or resiliency in clinicians, caregivers, patients, chaplains, family members, friends, scientists, teachers, and others — and to combat burnout simultaneously. I created …