Category: KevinMD

Death by patient satisfaction

The new Holy Grail of business, Customer Satisfaction — CSAT to her close friends — is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet customer expectations. In a marketplace where businesses compete for customers, CSAT is a key eleme…

A physician who’s angry at the anti-vaxxers

If you’re a parent who is still on the fence, trying to decide whether or not to vaccinate your children, I’m going to try to be kind and helpful. Here is a link to a video by a physician and father, Dr. Zubin Damania, with facts that may address some …

Should I pay down my debt or invest in the market?

An excerpt from The Physician Philosopher’s Guide to Personal Finance: The 20% of Personal Finance Doctors Need to Know to Get 80% of the Results. At my little girl’s golf practice one day, I got to talking to her coach. I asked him how he decide…

How to help your doctor with diagnosis

To treat any condition, the doctor needs to know what it is. You would not expect to have your sore ankle treated with penicillin or to have an appendectomy recommended for your sore throat. While this may be self-evident, I know of at least one patien…

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…