Category: KevinMD

Empathy is a crucial component when working with older adults

An excerpt from Tough Decisions In Care Of Elderly Loved Ones (A guide for caregivers). Empathy is more than just loving an elderly loved one. It is more than simply making the decision we may feel is best for our loved one. Empathy is different from s…

When physician leaders get acquired and squeezed

As a child, when I first read The Little Prince and saw the picture of the boa constrictor swallowing an elephant, I would often ponder what it felt like to be the elephant. Later in seventh-grade science class, when I learned of amoebae and how they s…

During the coronarvirus outbreak: A failure to recognize physicians’ worth

Recently, Congressman Jimmy Gomez, D-California, questioned HHS Secretary Alex Azar about improper preparation of health care workers before and during their interactions with Americans repatriated from Wuhan, China. A whistleblower reported to the Cal…

During the coronarvirus outbreak: A failure to recognize physicians’ worth

Recently, Congressman Jimmy Gomez, D-California, questioned HHS Secretary Alex Azar about improper preparation of health care workers before and during their interactions with Americans repatriated from Wuhan, China. A whistleblower reported to the Cal…

IT deficits are eating hospital profits. CEOs need to wake up.

I work for a hospital network with the world’s slowest computers.  I timed it: Last shift, it took me fifteen minutes to log on. The first computer obtained didn’t function at all.  It had been worked on the day before by information techno…

How 5-year-olds brought out the joy of learning in medical students

Last week, Lais and Yuri, our five-year-old twins, were volunteers at the school of medicine, for students to learn how to examine children. Full disclosure: Volunteers do get a gift card. Therefore, I asked them if they wanted to “work and get s…

Intellectual property provisions in physician employment agreements

An excerpt from The Physician Inventor: The Doctor’s Handbook to Patenting Medical Devices and Methods. “I love my employees, even though I hit one of you with my car.” – Michael Scott When you are offered a position at a hospital or …

What I learned from Kobe Bryant as a parent, coach, and doctor

I’m still coming to terms with the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and the seven others killed in the helicopter crash. Kobe was not just a superstar on the court. He was a dedicated father and community leader whose…

Our seniors deserve better. It’s time we all paid more attention.

Most Canadians are familiar with nursing homes or long-term care facilities that provide 24-hour care to seniors who are no longer able to care for themselves independently – but we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about them. Given our rapidly aging…

What it’s like to take a MPH gap year

It has been nearly seven months since I made the decision to take a year off from medical school to pursue a master’s of public health (MPH) degree in Baltimore and nearly eleven months since I last saw a patient. From attending a Public Citizen …