Family medicine — something I devoted my life to and believe in — is being undermined by local doctors and hospital administrators. And I would move, but it seems to be a national trend as well. It’s more cost-effective to hire NPs and turn a bli…
Category: KevinMD
The best teacher of medicine I ever had
The best teacher of medicine I ever had was during my medical residency. He was a tough, old-school physician, trained at one of the premier institutions in the country, and specialized in pulmonology and intensive care. Before I had even rotated throu…
Exceeding the stool limit in the emergency department
Not long ago our emergency department got a call from the health department informing us that we had exceeded our stool limit. Not quite sure how this was measured, who sets the limits, or even why such a call would be necessary, but I do know that onc…
When he knew his career as a surgeon was behind him
I feel like I’m in prison. Vacation was a small taste of freedom. A fresh breeze on my face at 9:00 a.m.—the feeling of my mom’s breakfast casserole in my stomach—the small things that remind me I’m still human. I don’t know what I stand for anymore. I…
Urgent care is emblematic of problems in our health system
Working in urgent care, I’ve started supervising some of the other providers at sites other than my own — 19 sites in all in Pennsylvania and Delaware — so I hear about a lot of patient situations. The urgent care site where I work i…
Learn to forge ahead with feedback in medicine
A successful career in medicine means learning how to forge ahead with feedback and not allow it to stop you in your tracks. For some doctors, this is a challenge. Feedback feels bad. It’s perceived as negative, not being good enough. We’re exposed …
What is “good enough” for a surgeon?
A surgery resident from halfway around the world emailed me the other day looking for advice as she was nearing graduation. She confessed, “I am beginning to question myself if I am good enough … what is ‘good enough’ anyway?&#…
I wanted to care for people, so I became a direct primary care doctor
For whatever reason, being 35,000 feet in the air makes me reflective. During one flight, I had a flurry of thoughts, and the reason I decided to get into this whole mess of direct primary care spilled out of me. I want to share it here because if you …
The key to happiness is not a mystery
Happiness doesn’t always come easily. Some people seem naturally happy, like they inherited the right gene or were born into the right circumstances. Many other people struggle to find happiness. Perhaps even more people hope to become happier than the…
Why I love caring for geriatric patients
As I enter the exam room, I hear, “Don’t get old honey!” As a physician caring for a large population of geriatric patients in Florida, I hear this approximately five times a day. To this statement, I always reply, “There’s no alternative, though!” I …
