September, National Suicide Prevention Month, is coming to a close. National Physician Suicide Awareness Day was September 17. What happens now that September’s over? All month, I’ve wanted to write this post. I’ve been hesitant beca…
Category: KevinMD
Inside the mind of the surgeon writer [PODCAST]
Explore why this general surgeon wrote a novel, and how writing helps with the stresses that accompany a surgery career. What is his #1 tip for those interested in surgery? What are the challenges facing the profession today? How can surgeons find that…
Are physicians the stewards of healing that they are meant to be?
I am a board-certified endocrinologist, and I have been in practice for 15 years. I have seen and helped thousands of patients with various endocrine disorders over the years, and I have really gotten to understand in depth the conditions that I have s…
The business of women’s health: an economic burden with simple solutions
We have been discussing the importance of women’s health for decades without significant advancement for the issues at hand. I propose a new perspective on the topic that focuses on the financial health of a business. As physicians, we do not eve…
What we define as “right” in primary care matters
“Your numbers are horrible!” I was a resident physician in internal medicine seeing patients in primary care clinic. These words, from an attending physician, were meant as off-the-cuff feedback, and their impact surprised me. I suddenly felt exhausted…
Physician burnout: Find your balance
When entering a stressful and demanding career, it’s important for individuals to maintain their mental and physical health as they strive for a balance between their professional and personal life. There were times when I felt so defeated and worn-out…
Why science matters this election year
I grew up loving politics. At age 11, I watched my mom run for and win a city commissioner position in our small town in Ohio. In 7th grade, I wrote Ronald Reagan a detailed letter with my solution for lowering the national debt. In high school, I was …
This pulmonary physician has a message for you [PODCAST]
“To the people who say that wearing a mask perpetuates the conspiracy: Tell that to the health care workers who have put their lives at risk to face firsthand an unknown disease. Tell that to the families of frontline workers who have contracted …
The detrimental effect on patients of an insurance company slashing its fee schedule
In these tumultuous times, it’s hard to find common ground. But I believe we can all agree on one thing: Health care heroes deserve our support. Physicians have spent the last several months working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some w…
A patient’s plea: I don’t know who to put my trust in
Do you wake up these days thinking that you’ve been whisked off your feet by some strange force and dropped in some unidentifiable place, similar to what happened to Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz? For the two of them, there was a happy en…
