Category: KevinMD

How perception can affect your financial situation

An interesting phenomena recurs when I work with physicians to makeover their finances. They almost never believe that overspending is the problem. They believe the reason their credit card balance is growing, and their large monthly income isn’t enough to pay their expenses can’t be due to their own choice to overspend. They always have […]

What parenting has taught me about doctoring

Last year, my high school aged son took an interest in healthy eating. He began examining nutrition labels and scrutinizing the foods that we routinely keep around the house and came up with a list of criticisms and suggestions — some well-founded, and others a bit extreme. At first, my wife and I were quick […]

What parenting has taught me about doctoring

Last year, my high school aged son took an interest in healthy eating. He began examining nutrition labels and scrutinizing the foods that we routinely keep around the house and came up with a list of criticisms and suggestions — some well-founded, and others a bit extreme. At first, my wife and I were quick […]

How our health care system traumatizes patients

The health care system has never been so complex as it is today. As doctors, we’ve seen the struggles that happen just trying to help patients get the medical care they need. Patients are now ladened with high deductibles and often are the victims of baseless denied coverage for diagnostic tests and medication. Insurance companies […]

Embrace the gift of criticism

“Yes, you are like that,” said my husband one night as I was lamenting criticism I had heard about myself that day. “I am?” I asked, shocked, a little hurt, and angry. “You are, “ he replied. “Everyone who knows you knows this.” Gulp. No one likes to hear criticism. Our lives are so busy, […]

The best way to fight misinformation in health care

Fake news is a term that’s become notorious over the last couple of years. For notorious reasons perhaps. But there’s actually another serious arena where there is inadvertently an awful lot of “fake news” on a daily basis. And that is, well you guessed it: in health care throughout our nation’s hospitals and offices! Let me […]

The momentum effect is causing you to stay in your job

We have all heard of the one more year phenomena.  Financially independent people, such as myself, hit the wall of fear.  Although we have enough, we persist in our W-2 day job for no reason.  There are many explanations for our persistence.  Yet none of them adequately account for why it is so hard to shake our indentured servitude once […]

Changing the treatment plan when covering for another doctor

I was a little taken aback when Dr. C. changed my patient from warfarin to one of the novel anticoagulants. And one I seldom use, at that. I have only worked with her for about three years, and we seem to come from the same mold: seasoned family docs with a penchant for teaching and […]

Changing the treatment plan when covering for another doctor

I was a little taken aback when Dr. C. changed my patient from warfarin to one of the novel anticoagulants. And one I seldom use, at that. I have only worked with her for about three years, and we seem to come from the same mold: seasoned family docs with a penchant for teaching and […]

How to improve the care of in-flight emergencies

“If there is a physician on the plane, please press your call light!” The vast majority of doctors who have flown on airplanes have heard this, and most of us are willing, if not entirely eager, to respond. What follows is usually a far from ideal encounter with inadequate information, too much noise, a cramped […]