Category: KevinMD

Physicians of America, unite! You don’t have to work for hospitals.

A recent report by Merritt Hawkins, the physician recruiting firm, includes two key revelations about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on physicians: Merritt Hawkins’ searches on behalf of prospective employers have dropped by 30 percent since March 3…

A physician had a mild case of COVID. Here’s her story.

No matter what kind of day you are having, when you open up your email and see that subject line, it takes your breath away. While it could be a notice that Jeni’s is out of salted caramel ice cream, you know that’s not likely the topic. So, you take a…

When it becomes time to embrace fear and loss and let the chaos lead to growth

A man outfitted in a lovely blue suit falls through the air, losing his shoe and hurriedly scribbling notes, seemingly ignorant to the gravitational chaos around him. While this picture is featured on the cover of the novel Less by Andrew Sean Greer, I…

When it becomes time to embrace fear and loss and let the chaos lead to growth

A man outfitted in a lovely blue suit falls through the air, losing his shoe and hurriedly scribbling notes, seemingly ignorant to the gravitational chaos around him. While this picture is featured on the cover of the novel Less by Andrew Sean Greer, I…

The key to physician job security

It’s something we are taught from when we are very young and is a core middle class belief: work hard, get a qualification, and then you’ll be able to find a good employer who will send you a nice paycheck every month. On some levels, this seems like a…

It is not OK for physicians’ anxieties to harm their patients [PODCAST]

“It is OK to be scared, but it is not OK to let our own anxieties harm our patients. As we tackle the numerous crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s acknowledge our fear and draw on the logic and clinical reasoning that we have spent yea…

How many people need to be infected to achieve herd immunity?

“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson. Gov. Andrew Cuomo believes that New York has vanquished the virus by good policy. Never mind that New York’s mortali…

A Southern California outbreak highlights failures of the American health care system

As CNN and other outlets report, rates of COVID-19 have been overwhelming Imperial County, California, for the past two months. Bordered to the west by San Diego County, to the east by Arizona, and to the south by Mexico, the rate of new infections and…

The skill doctors need to have, but haven’t been taught

Physicians handle thousands of questions annually. We respond to inquiries from patients, their families, insurance companies, nurses, professional colleagues, pharmacies, pharmaceutical representatives, our staff, and even strangers. This is, of cours…

Many medical marijuana program websites are silent about possible risks

Click through North Dakota’s Division of Medical Marijuana website, past the addresses of every cannabis dispensary in the state, into the presentations and annual reports, and you’ll eventually come to a 32-slide presentation about the sta…