Category: KevinMD

Nobody should ever be forced to make a medical decision on the basis of congressional hearings

On October 12th, 2020, I underwent a LEEP procedure to remove the distal portion of my cervix. In the wake of COVID-19, with PPE and willing staff in short supply to complete Pap smears in clinic, a colleague and I were trialing self-swab HPV testing &…

Free speech, cancel culture, and taking down statues [PODCAST]

“History cannot be changed and should not be erased. The First Amendment was placed first for a reason. It is the bedrock of our nation’s ability to overcome despots like Hitler and to abolish slavery. However, it comes at a price. You may hear t…

COVID-19 will kill 500,000 Americans. Here’s why.

Among the questions I’m asked most often as host of the podcast Coronavirus: The Truth are: “How have other nations effectively contained the pandemic?” and “Why can’t the United States copy their success?” For months, health experts have answered thes…

Conversations are the best ways to overcome concerns

When I organized my medical practice, I tried to find individuals with great customer service skills and medical knowledge to work in internal medicine practice. We all do our best to meet the needs of our patients, but sometimes, even with the best of…

The million-dollar ski boat mistake

Forums and Facebook groups abound with a frequently asked question that sounds something like this: “Should we sell our positive cash flow rental to buy (insert fun new toy), so we don’t have to attain a loan?” When someone wants to b…

Is there life after medicine?

My group of nephrologists is trying to convince our 75-year-old colleague to retire from full-time clinical practice.  I think he truly believes that the day he retires, his essence, soul, chi — whatever you want to call it — will be forcib…

COVID-19 anosmia: Unmasking a new dark “twist”

A 4-day-old term, formula-fed male infant with an uncomplicated prenatal course and no ABO set up or other identified cause of excessive jaundice was admitted to the hospital for phototherapy treatment of hyperbilirubinemia with a peak bilirubin of 19….

A physician receives a derogatory email. Here’s what she did next. [PODCAST]

“The disparity of women physicians in research is a systemic issue that should be mitigated appropriately.  Women, especially minorities and immigrants, need institutional support to succeed as clinician-investigators. Medical institutions should…

The rise of telehealth: How to overcome provider burnout while making a quick shift in health care delivery

This article is sponsored by The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX). The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered seismic shifts in health care delivery. Never before has the health care system mobilized to handle a massive surge in one type of illness whil…

The role of residents in teaching and creating a positive clinical learning environment  

The hallways were dark, and the door had a passcode that I didn’t know. What I knew was that I was nervous about entering the team room on my first day of internal medicine, my first rotation of the third year of medical school. Fortunately, it didn’t …