A free Wednesday afternoon, time to catch up on charts and paperwork, do a little online CME. “I’ll see a few walk-ins if anyone comes by,” I told my front office. A knock on my door sometime later: “A patient for you, Doctor.&#…
Category: primary care
Make the time to pause during the busyness of the day to reflect upon all we have
“The only end to pain is the graveyard.” Those words are etched forever in my mind. They underscore the hopelessness of so many throughout the world. She was 90 years old, crippled by arthritis, no family, and lived alone in a dirt floor hovel with no …
Virtual care needs to be designed for equitable usage and accessibility [PODCAST]
“Although technology and disruptive innovation theoretically diminish systemic barriers and geographic isolation, in practice, they frequently widen chasms in access for vulnerable populations. The reality is telemedicine disproportionately cater…
A post-COVID medical world
As we navigate everyday life in the midst of battling COVID-19, our thoughts naturally migrate to what medicine might look like post viral pandemic. As the new norms of social distancing, virtual meetings, and little to no human contact continue, we ca…
Making a career change for better work-life balance [PODCAST]
“Is it possible to have it all? Can you have a job that you love, helping people and using your brain and hands all at the same time; plus, a family, with a spouse and children, that you are always there for? Is it possible to have a balance be…
AI-powered, digital voice assistants in the exam room [PODCAST]
“Building great tech for doctors is no different from ventilator technology. In some scenarios, you will want to talk to the EMR like you talk to Siri, rather than poring over a screen littered with boxes and lists. In other cases, you will want …
When physicians get sick: We are just a human as the patients we treat
Physicians are natural caregivers. We are in-tune with the needs of our patients, often to the detriment of our own health. It is a rite of passage during medical school to stand in for lengthy eight to ten-hour surgeries, as retractor holders, keeping…
How COVID-19 impacts rural America [PODCAST]
“We all knew this pandemic was going to change how we practiced medicine, but I, personally, was not prepared for how much it would challenge the ‘work-life balance’ that I have spent years carefully maneuvering. Female physicians are often hesit…
An alternative to the current model of primary care
What does a primary care visit look like from the patient’s point of view? I often wonder this myself, as a resident physician currently seeing patients at an FQHC in Austin, Texas. A brief look at the process reveals an often tumultuous ordeal for pat…
Challenges female physicians face in medicine and the strength of vulnerability [PODCAST]
“I know I am not alone in my thoughts; I am just echoing sentiments of other female physicians. We are mothers, wives, patient advocates, and educators. And we’re all suddenly finding ourselves in unchartered waters. In weathering this pandemic, …
