Category: KevinMD

The financial independence wild goose chase

I was sitting across from a new acquaintance at the CampFI Midwest and he was telling me about his next budding venture.  He had a brilliant business plan.  An idea which no one had capitalized on before.  He was in the middle of gathering investors and beginning the long process of due diligence.  I probed further.  I am […]

A new physician experiences the opioid crisis

Seven years ago, I officially became a doctor. After years of hard work, sacrifice and insecurity, I finished my residency and passed my board certification exam in internal medicine. I was a fourth generation internist in my family and was so eager to begin my career in a new city with my fiancé. My first […]

I’m not your nurse. I’m your doctor.

It’s 8:00 p.m., and it’s hour 14 in my 28-hour call shift at the large suburban hospital where I’m an intern. You demand to speak with a doctor now, right now. You cannot wait. Your mother is sick, and you want to know exactly what is going on. It doesn’t matter that we already spoke […]

Why physicians should embrace failure

Failure is a guarantee. “Success” assumes that certain metrics have been set and that the words used to describe those metrics are understood in the exact same way by all parties involved. One patient with parotid cancer and given facial paralysis after surgery was thrilled to be alive. Another is furious about a widened scar. […]

6 ways physicians can improve their LinkedIn profile

This article is sponsored by Careers by KevinMD.com. Whether you’re looking for a new position or just wanting to connect with colleagues, LinkedIn is a great resource to advance your career. As a healthcare professional, having an online presence can understandably make you uneasy, especially when it comes to concerns about privacy or potential HIPAA violations. However, in […]

Personal intimacy as an overlooked antidepressant

Depression is commonly linked to career disappointments, financial setbacks, and disruption of normal routines — especially sleep pattern — as well as social pressures and conflict in personal relationships. It is this last factor that has captured my attention in relation to depression. Personal relationships, in particular, the most personal, love partnerships, have a profound […]

Open your heart to your suffering

An excerpt from How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers (Second Edition). Copyright 2018 by Toni Bernhard. Excerpted with permission from Wisdom Publications.  The fifth way I cultivate compassion for myself is to consciously work on opening my heart to the intense emotions — and emotional swings — that […]

Technologists drive quality in medical imaging

As a radiologist, I interpret thousands of imaging studies every year. Of the millions of medical images that have crossed my screen, they all have one thing in common. They were all acquired by a technologist in the radiology department. Imaging technologists perform a vital role in medicine. All have specialized training that is unique […]

Teleneurology works. Here’s why.

Teleneurology is the new and vastly expanding practice of neurology involving the use of technology and/or video chat to improve access to services. With an ever-increasing aging population there is and will continue to be a shortage of neurologists in the United States. Teleneurology has increased patient access to neurologists especially in rural areas but […]

Flu vaccination in pregnant women reduces risk of hospitalization

Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in the United States. Influenza also tops the list of the burden of disease and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) according to a Eurosurveillance article. The flu is more likely to cause severe illness and harm pregnant women as compared to women who are not pregnant. Changes in the immune […]