Category: KevinMD

The 4 C’s of the disruptive digital health space

The United States spends more of their GDP on health care than any other developed nation, and yet it produces some of the poorest outcomes — notably in the field of maternal and infant health. The advent of digital health has presented the opportunity…

A student doctor says, “Time’s Up”

According to the NASEM report, half of women medical students experience sexual harassment before they start their careers as physicians. The numbers are even higher for people belonging to minority groups. This harassment is generally overlooked and t…

The tip of the iatrogenic benzodiazepine iceberg

Life experience gives one an intimate appreciation for the meaning behind the saying “just the tip of the iceberg.” Everyone’s encountered something that turned out to be much larger and more complex than was initially understood. In my experience, med…

My first patient taught me a humbling lesson

“How do you say cultural competence in Korean?” “I am always treated with respect in America. So why don’t they care about me here?” My first patient at my community clinic rotation struggled to speak English. But she came prepared, her wor…

Fertility, family planning, and the physician life

Every morning the alarm clock goes off, I hit snooze once, twice, three times — and eventually get out of bed and on with the day. “Snoozing” is a bad habit for sleep hygiene. Unfortunately, I’ve realized the downside of snoozing also is a euphemism fo…

Sharing administrative pain might give us more joy in medicine

I’m still trying to figure out what happened. I don’t want to be put on suicide watch by the wellness office. It definitely began during our weekly noontime mindfulness session. I came in late, furtively signed in (gotta make that metric) and slipped i…

A plastic surgeon explains the dangers of the Brazilian butt lift

The Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is a procedure that enhances the buttocks through fat transfer. Excess fat is harvested from other areas of the body including the abdomen, hips, lower back and thighs through liposuction. BBL is a popular procedure for th…

Here’s why pediatricians ask about trauma and violence

As a behavioral pediatrician, I see children with behavior problems. Kids with aggression, kids who have been kicked out of multiple daycares or schools and kids who are not doing well at home or school. One of the things I always look for are clues as…

This residency interview season: Be the rebel

Ours is a chaotic and overburdened medical system. As a senior resident, there is every temptation to seek in our incoming classes more obedient interns and junior residents who would obey my orders as their senior without question. I challenge that we…

Being a doctor and parent is hard: 10 ways to make it easier

Being a doctor is hard; being a mother is just as hard — if not harder — and being both often seems impossible. Looking back at my medical career it is difficult to fathom not doing both. I was an older, non-traditional student when I came back to coll…