Category: KevinMD

Nurse burnout: causes, symptoms, and solutions by gender and generation

Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout occurs gradually over time and has three fundamental symptoms: Exhaustion is feeling physically and emotionally exhausted and can be related t…

A crisis of alcoholism is surging in the United States

The CDC is trying, desperately, it seems, to pound a square peg into a round hole, blaming COVID-19 for a surge in alcohol use and ignoring a glaring problem with the evidence. That’s not something you generally expect from scientists. However, I…

The hidden menu of physician contracts

Many of you prioritize the clinical aspects of our profession, but understanding the business side of medicine is equally crucial. One key area to consider is your contract, as it can significantly impact your career path and financial stability. I bel…

Evolution of targeted cancer therapies: a radiation oncologist’s perspective

On July 1, 1987, I started treating cancer patients as a full-time radiation oncologist – a cancer specialist who uses radiation therapy to help cancer patients beat their disease. Now, nearly 37 years later, I have the privilege of caring for cancer p…

Disability insurance for doctors: the key to protecting your financial future

This article is sponsored by Pattern.  Pattern advisor Shelby Heiser discusses how disability insurance is more than a box that doctors need to check—it’s a tool for financial security and peace of mind. Each physician is unique. They come from d…

Common pitfalls underlying cause-and-effect relationships

In the realm of medicine, cause-and-effect relationships are those where a specific cause, such as a disease, condition, or treatment, directly leads to a specific outcome or effect. An example of this is the established fact that smoking causes lung c…

Laughter is the best medicine (but use it wisely with patients)

According to The Onion founder Scott Dikkers, “Comedy is meant to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.” As physicians, our patients are the “afflicted,” so how can we use comedy to comfort them? Before we get to th…

Palliative and hospice care in hospitals and clinics: the good, the bad, and the ugly

I walk into the patient’s hospital room during evening rounds. He looks pale and tired, having recently completed a round of chemotherapy for his stage IV pancreatic cancer. His wife is at the bedside, scared and concerned about her husband&#8217…

Hospital retaliation and my fight for patient rights

I found myself compelled into the complex world of health care advocacy under extraordinary circumstances last year when I went to my university administration to request a table to do a free speech petition because of a personal and troubling experien…

A surgeon’s journey with Taylor Swift [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join us as we sit down with Andrea L. Merrill, an assistant professor of surgery, to explore the powerful intersection of music and surgery. From her early days as a train…