Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us on this episode as we welcome Mohammed Umer Waris, a family medicine resident, to discuss the alarming rise of “deaths of despair” and its impact on life expectancy in t…
Category: primary care
Unveiling the healing power of compassion [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for an insightful podcast episode with guest Kara Wada, a board-certified academic adult and pediatric allergy, immunology, and lifestyle medicine physician. Together, we explore th…
Medical ethics: Navigating ambiguity, honesty, and patient well-being in health care
I love medical ethics, and I am fortunate to be able to spend a substantial portion of my professional life working within this growing field. I recently demonstrated that when medical students engage in debates involving bioethics, it improves their t…
The transformative power of volunteering at the science fair
“Thank you so much for taking the time today and judging,” yet another person said as they approached me, smiling or shaking my hand. “You are welcome,” I said, smiling. It was my pleasure—my genuine internal pleasure. I have be…
Embracing life’s unexpected turns and finding contentment along the way
I sometimes grieve the life I left behind … and that’s OK. Necessary, even. I wonder if I got in my own way, if I tried hard enough, if I fought hard enough. What would have happened if I believed in myself? Trusted that I could accomplish …
From failure to success: How a nurse overcame challenges and thrived in the medical field
I remember the day clearly – sitting in a convenience store parking lot after buying a pack of pencils on my way to my first day of nursing school. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Or, perhaps more realistically, I had no idea how il…
The magic of human connections
I was doing laundry last week when my engagement ring snagged on a shirt. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the four prongs holding the diamond in place was sticking up and on the verge of breaking. Quickly, I took off the ring and placed i…
Understanding the mind’s role and embracing contentment for a flourishing life
It is challenging to open a medical journal in any specialty without coming across an article on burnout. These articles present statistics, trends, and various causes in detail. Some even propose sensible solutions such as flexible scheduling, peer su…
Unlearning perfectionism: Embracing imperfection and finding my true self through improv
I walked into my local improvisational comedy theater a few years ago and started taking classes to escape burnout and have some fun. It was so freaking difficult. Here I was, a frazzled, tightly-wound mid-career pediatrician, surrounded by all these c…
The power of embracing life’s seasons: rest, reflection, and growth
If we look around and spend time in nature or just walk outside, we realize everything has a season. The trees, the flowers, the weeds—they all change during the seasons. Flowers don’t constantly bloom; trees show their beautiful display of color…
