For years, empathy has been seen as a moral virtue that binds relationships, the antidote to pain and suffering while caring for patients. But lately, empathy is facing a surprising backlash in society and the medical profession. From being called R…
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Internal medicine and infectious disease physician and author Joshua D. Hartzell discusses his article “Leading with care: How health care leadership can transform p…
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve typed out a broken heart emoji in response to yet another tragedy, I’d probably be able to take a break from work for a while. But here I am—because I love what I do despite it all. There are many days …
A chilling incident from a past summer camp at Achimota School still resonates: A young woman collapsed with her life hanging in the balance. The male Red Cross prefect, attempting to administer potentially life-saving CPR, was quickly stopped by conce…
She was pale, underweight, fifty years old and scared. Mrs. G was a breast cancer patient on the oncology unit whom I met by chance, as she appeared on my patient census list that morning. As I walked into her room, I noticed the fragrant flowers, the …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Surgeon and author Jeffrey A. Singer discusses his article “The FDA’s outdated prescription rules are failing women and opioid users.” He argues that the…
Artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs) and the systems based on this technology have recently emerged onto the medical scene with huge promises to “disrupt” and innovate upon traditional clinical practice. Ignoring the hy…
Increasingly, it’s showing up in people in their 20s and 30s—individuals who don’t drink excessively, don’t appear outwardly unhealthy, and often have no idea their liver is under stress. The condition, now referred to as metabolic dy…
The actions taken by the Medical Board against a compassionate physician dedicated to alleviating chronic pain are nothing short of egregious, deeply flawed, and emblematic of a system that seems intent on punishing rather than protecting. This esteeme…
I stood at the check-in counter of my physician’s office, waiting for my yearly physical. Beside me, another patient was checking in. I recognized her instantly. It was Denise—my childhood best friend. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to sa…
