Category: KevinMD

It’s time to wave goodbye to the handshake

As I sit in the conference room awaiting one of my first interviews for residency, the angst among all the applicants was palpable. We all make awkward eye contact and conversation with each other as our interviewers pull us out of the room one by one …

Physician Strong: a private practice journey

Being a primary care physician, I was afraid to start my own practice. There was discouragement from fellow physicians, hospital leaders, business colleagues, and even patients. Many said that the small practice model was not viable. With insurance man…

Respect the duty to care for all patients equitably

In my first year of medical school, I attended a lecture on health disparities that focused on the difference in patient outcomes based on race and socioeconomic status. The lecture cited multiple peer-reviewed studies that extensively demonstrated the…

Apple, PC, HD, DM: No, we’re talking about health care

I was in the hospital when I heard the word “apple.”  Without hesitating, I reached into my pocket to see if I had my phone.  But the person speaking was referring to the fruit, not the product.  This got me thinking: “Has technology and our products n…

The medical school personal statement struggle

If you are in the same boat as I and aspiring to become a physician, you are likely in the process of compiling an application for medical school. If you are like me, then one of the most intimidating parts of the application process is the personal st…

Never take your eyes off of a bleeding patient

“Please help me. I was brushing my teeth this morning and started bleeding a ton from my mouth.” Joe (identifying information changed) pointed to a bucket next to his bed. I was horrified to see close to two pints of blood in it. With glove…

Millennials: This is our time in medicine

Let’s talk about that infamous transition to third year. This is a precarious time in your medical school career when your resolve faces its greatest challenge yet. After weeks of self-imposed exile to prepare for Step 1, you finally take that dreaded …

A new health care dawn is coming

At some point in my career, I had the crazy idea that if I could scale the patient-centric work I was doing in my community at a small rural hospital — then I could make more of an impact. This is why, when a technology company came calling, dangling a…

How physicians can develop their emotional intelligence

If you’ve browsed the internet recently, you probably have noticed the #10YearChallenge social media trend that has taken over our news feeds. The phenomena have individuals comparing a current photo of themselves, to their former self ten years ago. A…

What physicians can learn from anthropologists

Since the passing of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, it has been said that health tech would dramatically revolutionize health care and the patient experience. Advocates have claimed time and tim…