“We will cease all remaining clerkships. Please thank your preceptors, collect your things, return home, and practice social distancing.” The email’s words were disappointing, but not surprising. Other medical schools had already pull…
Category: KevinMD
It’s them, not you: the journey of applying to medical school
I hopped out of the elevator and looked at my watch. I was 20 minutes early. My heart was pounding in my ears, and my brain felt suddenly disconnected. I was standing outside of the office of a prestigious surgeon in a prestigious hospital, waiting to …
Meet the physician who left concierge medicine [PODCAST]
“Much is written about the advantages for primary care physicians and patients of working within a retainer model, direct primary care, concierge-type care model. Little is written about the downside or disadvantages. It is time to shine a light …
Opening schools? The devil is in the details.
Concern There is no debate on the insurmountable value of kids needing to be in schools. CDC data shows that children account for 6% of COVID-19 cases and 0.2% of all deaths. Yet, the system can miserably fail if bullied into opening. Children could…
To all the mom-shamers out there: Let’s demand the collective support we, our children, and our society need
How I long for the good old days of mom-shaming. Back then, you could tsk-tsk over any number of maternal decisions: breastfeeding or bottle-feeding; having children out of wedlock or in wedlock with another woman; staying at home, or working full time…
Anatomy of locum tenens contracts: A physician’s guide to understanding contractual provisions to maximize opportunities and minimize risks
Locum tenens means “to hold the place of, to substitute for” and locum tenens contracts are a common form of agreement for physicians who provide temporary medical services in place of full-time physicians. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased …
Writing tips for physicians from a health care editor
Ever since I entered the publishing world as a bottom-feeder editorial assistant in 2001, I’ve gotten all sorts of questions about “how to become a writer.” (Spoiler: Pick up a pen.) As my career progressed, I’ve edited lots of physician-authored mater…
Using plasma to fight COVID-19
We’ve gotten used to a life of restricted menu options during this pandemic, an analogy that extends all the way to our treatment if we contract COVID-19. But there’s an item still on the list at most medical institutions, and if it strikes…
Obesity and the diet-microbiome connection: a conversation with a gastroenterologist [PODCAST]
What should patients know about diet and its effects on the microbiome? How should primary care clinicians address diet and its effects on the microbiome? What are your tips to address obesity? What are the gastroenterological manifestations of COVID-1…
Unethical policy: Resuming federal lethal injections during a global pandemic
The United States government has resumed capital punishment after a 17-year hiatus. Even setting aside questions of whether the death penalty is legal, ethical, or humane, the renewal of the practice of lethal injection poses some grave concerns, parti…
