“I propose Zooming while driving be added to the DSM criteria for ADHD. I have gotten a new glimpse into the world of some of my patients. One patient even mentioned it’s hard for them to come to appointments, even with transportation, and we wer…
Category: KevinMD
Why working at polling locations is good public health
Much of the conversation around voting in the primaries and general election has focused on the safety and feasibility of mail-in voting, yet we must also protect the millions of Americans who vote in-person during these elections. While we encourage p…
A no visitors policy at your facility? Here are 4 crucial tips.
One of the most harrowing challenges of COVID-19 has been the “no visitors” policy virtually all institutions were forced to implement. In order to protect our patients, our staff, our communities, we’ve had to put these visitor limit…
Ownership of outcomes: Reuniting power and responsibility
Expectations, particularly when unmet, can be a source of disappointment. Anticipating something to happen a certain way and having it not come to fruition can leave us wanting, waiting, wondering. It can be particularly challenging when we feel respon…
A physician’s work is hard. And it is sacred.
In today’s increasingly technological, data-driven, depersonalized world of health care, I wonder if the concept of “a good death” is even possible. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has caused me to reflect on this. What does it look like? How do…
Pandemic dysphoria and pandemic paralysis: How to get through it
I’ve had to give myself a break recently and extend myself some grace. I hope, especially if you’re an essential worker, parent, or caretaker, that you have, as well. During this crazy coronavirus pandemic, I’ve been trying to take ca…
Why it’s so important for medical students and physicians to write and share their stories [PODCAST]
“I wrote a 55-word story in solidarity with my medical students and colleagues I had invited to share their lived experiences during COVID-19 on our Stories in Medicine blog. I wrote out of a need to “unmask” the guilt and angst of some of my col…
Why postpartum depression screening is more essential than ever
As a practicing physician, there is a lot to be mindful of right now. Today, COVID-19 is on the forefront in most healthcare settings, both in identifying and treating symptoms of the virus, and in inhibiting its community spread. In the multiple labor…
The next time you’re on call, please rethink what white and black clouds mean
I distinctly remember one of many times I was reminded of “my place” in medicine. It was during the third year on a call day shift that had been lighter than most for our bustling hospital. As the residents were discussing who it was that had brought t…
A nurse remembers her true hero
I had to earn my “stripes” in ICU. After I graduated from nursing school, the “big” hospitals wouldn’t take me into the ICU, as I had no experience as an ICU nurse. Back in the early 1980s, there was no such thing as an internship program. I desperatel…
