As a “dinosaur” emerita professor of pathology who still teaches medical students, I have witnessed some of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1-induced climate changes compellingly. No, I am not a reactionary year…
Category: KevinMD
How to take out a bone loan
After a severe fracture or removal of a tumor, what happens if a segment of bone is missing? The bone ends will try to grow into one another just as they do after routine fractures, but the lack of immobilization and the gap may be insurmountable despi…
The case against the Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam
In the era of the recognition of vast burnout in medicine, particularly amongst medical students, there needs to be a call to address structural problems in medical education. One particularly low-hanging fruit is the Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam (Step …
Speaking out about practicing medicine in Ethiopia
I am a young physician practicing medicine in the “motherland” of God-gifted Ethiopia, which is located in eastern Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. I want to share my personal story, as well as to expose some of the serious problems faci…
To struggling medical students: Meet the physician who conquered the “no’s”
I know what kinds of things I’m supposed to tell you. I know that your other would be advisors will usually stick to the same basic messages: “Keep reaching for your dreams” or “your hard work is all worth it in the end” o…
Bottle-feeding grandmothers vs. breastfeeding daughters: advice from a pediatrician
Recently, a friend’s mother asked me how to best support her daughter’s decision to breastfeed her first grandchild. The new grandmother questioned her ability to encourage her daughter’s decision because she had not breastfed her own child, and this …
If you won the lottery, would you quit being a doctor?
On October 23, 2018, the Mega Millions lottery jackpot was 1.6 billion dollars, making it one of the largest lottery jackpots in history. In the week leading up to the drawing, the hospital was abuzz with chatter. Discussions about the possibility of b…
Language matters: the not-so-innocuous provider effect
Language matters. The use of the word “provider” may seem innocuous, but it is significant both for patients and physicians. For patients, it has been perhaps the most pronounced step — if not leap — away from transparency. (Who is who? Nur…
Please, be kind to your doctor. We need it.
There’s always so much to write about, and there’s never any time. I work too much; it’s become evident recently that I need to cut down. I have started noticing that things affect me much more than they ever did; there are days I hide my tears, and …
Smart beds and sleep apps: Don’t sleep on their data collection practices
Your bed could be watching you. OK, so not with a camera. But if you have any of a variety of “smart beds,” mattress pads or sleep apps, it knows when you go to sleep. It knows when you toss and turn. It may even be able to tell when you’re having sex….
