Category: KevinMD

What this physician learned after coming back from a medical crisis

Medical crises come in many forms: from illnesses to sudden injuries. Most often the victims are unsuspecting. They may be gradual in onset or happen in seconds. There are many causes, from faulty drivers to electrolyte disturbances. Mine was caused by…

Physicians who pursue financial independence and early retirement are not wrong. It may save them.

When Jason Kilar graduated from college he experienced tremendous personal and professional adversity.  Three days after graduation, Kilar’s father ended his own life after battling bipolar disorder. Kilar also battled professional valleys. In the mont…

The secondary trauma physicians face

I’ve been out of medicine a little over a month now. The first couple of weeks were crazy; I ran right to Boston to my MFA residency, and was too busy to really process much.  When I got home, there were a lot of people and things to catch up with, and…

What physicians should do today they don’t have wills

I sadly read about another celebrity with significant wealth who died without a will. Aretha Franklin left behind an estate worth $80 million with significant future royalties and no instructions for who should receive her fortune. Over the next few ye…

Fear of missing out can be self-defeating

It’s human nature to be social.  The collective sensation of being in a group or organization helps us belong. We see this in school, where kids band together for activities. We see this in the doctor’s lounge, where the anesthesia guys chat about the …

Fear of missing out can be self-defeating

It’s human nature to be social.  The collective sensation of being in a group or organization helps us belong. We see this in school, where kids band together for activities. We see this in the doctor’s lounge, where the anesthesia guys chat about the …

Health care is on a different trajectory from most other businesses. Why is that?

Health care is on a different trajectory from most other businesses today. It’s a little hard to understand why. In business, mass market products and services have always competed on price or perceived quality. Think Walmart or Mercedes-Benz, even the…

Employee recognition: How to show your appreciation this holiday season

Holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to start thinking about staff appreciation. A recent survey found that over 70 percent of medical office assistants (MOAs) are expecting a holiday bonus this season.  Based on the survey results, the average cas…

Beware the hazards of over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications

A 30-year old male patient was recently admitted to my service via the emergency department. He came in complaining of abdominal pain and dark tarry stools. He mentioned a recent fall resulting in knee pain for which he had been taking 400 mg ibuprofen…

When the best prescription is no prescription

“Get rest and drink plenty of fluids,” might not sound like adequately aggressive medical advice. If you’ve dragged yourself out of bed to visit an urgent care or your doctor’s office, you will probably feel somewhat cheated by an admonition to head ri…