I went to a bar last night — and I looked good: red coat, black dress, knee-high suede boots. I was feeling pretty good. I met my best friend at this bar — he lives elsewhere now — but this is his favorite spot in the world. Like No…
Category: KevinMD
An orthopedic surgeon goes to a bar. Here’s what happened next.
I went to a bar last night — and I looked good: red coat, black dress, knee-high suede boots. I was feeling pretty good. I met my best friend at this bar — he lives elsewhere now — but this is his favorite spot in the world. Like No…
Patient demand doesn’t justify medical excess
We live in an era where plastic surgery is routine. Indeed, in many parts of the country, plastic surgery is an expected rite of passage. Years ago, facelifts and “tummy tucks” were done on those in middle age who were trying to experie…
The thought cancers that almost took my life
The night I almost swallowed a bottle of Percocet post-call in residency is still clear in my mind, as is the hours leading up to it; the thoughts going through my head, the swirl of emotions seemingly pulling me like an ocean undertow. I can only att…
What can a famous actress teach us about curing addiction?
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing famous television and film actress, Claudia Christian. She has played significant roles in many notable movies and shows, including lead roles in the long-running sci-fi series Babylon 5 and the Disney film, …
Burnout is death by a thousand cuts
I think I’m finally burned out. And it’s been a long time coming. It likely started when my private physician-owned emergency group got bought out by one of the big corporate groups. The changes were small at first. Turning us into hourly paid employee…
Experience and in-depth knowledge can empower you with an appreciation for nuances
In medicine, contrary to common belief, it is not usually enough to know the diagnosis and its best treatment or procedure. Guidelines, checklists, and protocols only go so far when you are treating real people with diverse constitutions for multiple p…
Our optimal future U.S. health care system
Next in a series. The Healthcare Incentives Framework helps show how to fix incentives in health care systems. It starts by enumerating the five jobs we expect a health care system to do for us and then identifies which parties in the health care syste…
Combat burnout one bite at a time
I can’t speak on behalf of all in my specialty, but I wager that there is a good percentage of radiologists out there who essentially work nonstop from the moment they walk in the door to the moment they leave, working through lunch hours, etc. T…
Experienced-based medicine has value
There was a time, before treatment algorithms, when physicians would rely on the detailed bedside and/or office observations of their patients in conjunction with the most recent published peer-reviewed studies. Time spent with each patient was conside…
