How many physicians know how many visits they are approving when referring to a specialist? This was a germane question posed to me today. I first asked this question of myself as a junior faculty member, while busting the residents’ chops over the egregious numbers of referral visits they were approving. You see, as any […]
I’d be willing to bet most of you have heard of, or previously used, telemedicine in some shape, form or fashion. Stated simply, telemedicine is the process of seeking care from a medical provider using your phone or laptop. This field is exploding, and I have no doubt popularity will continue to grow as large […]
When I think back to the original meaning of the word “doctor,” I believe we may have lost our way in the physician/patient interaction. The word “doctor” originates from the Latin word, meaning to teach. As a physician and educator, I can’t remember the last time I went to the doctor and was taught something. […]
This must be my eighth cancer scare. (No, I really don’t undergo excessive testing.) Decades ago, I’d noted a possibly normal finding but dropped it after getting no response at subspecialist visits. Recently, following pertinent CME, I asked again and the physician bit. You can guess the rest. One night while dodging traffic I accessed […]
What do you think of when you hear the word medicine? Perhaps it includes doctors, nurses, pills, prescriptions, operations, surgery, wounds, illness and disease, curing and healing, science, study, university? But whatever your picture of medicine — does it include love? Continue reading … Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your […]
My name is Dr. Uchenna Umeh, and I am an immigrant (physician). As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be an architect. My journey to becoming a physician started somewhat as a dare. I was born in Nigeria, the first child of six children from middle-class parents. My father served in […]
In the living room of the house where I grew up hangs a framed copy of a 17th-century map of Pennsylvania. The land is divided into tiny plots, each painstakingly labeled with a family name. When I was little, I’d stand in front of the map and search for the little squares labeled “Sharples” — […]
In the living room of the house where I grew up hangs a framed copy of a 17th-century map of Pennsylvania. The land is divided into tiny plots, each painstakingly labeled with a family name. When I was little, I’d stand in front of the map and search for the little squares labeled “Sharples” — […]
I am frequently asked by patients to “run some tests to make sure nothing is wrong.” This makes a lot of sense on the surface but makes no sense as a physician. Why? Because testing without a context or a medical question is nonsensical. Let’s talk about why. How doctors think Studies show that doctors […]
Trends or challenges have been a part of the fabric of social media for a long time. They have ranged from the benign ice bucket challenge (which raised millions for research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) to the highly dangerous Tide pod challenge (which involved eating laundry detergent capsules). All of these internet phenomena involved videotaping an […]
