“One should . . . be able to see things as hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald I’m in a massive ballroom with numerous tables and promotional placards lining the walls and center. In att…
Category: primary care
A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients
Pages of my life turn over as the breezes of time flow over me. Remembrances of your presence as the world welcomed my firstborn so many years ago. Your calming voice and words of wisdom reminded me that life would be different but oh so much better. M…
How biased language and stigmatizing labels affect patient care and treatment
During her treatment for acute leukemia, my friend Susan came to me for help and advice while she was in the hospital receiving chemotherapy. I also did her laundry. She went to one of the specialists at a major tertiary care center and had access to t…
Reflections on 500 patients, unique cases, and making a difference in health care
As I reflect on my first year of residency, it’s hard to believe that I’ve cared for nearly 500 patients spanning across multiple departments; floor medicine, ICU, ER, neurology, cardiology, and surgery. I’ve had the opportunity to pe…
Family physicians unite at the U.S. Capitol, seeking congressional support for Medicare reform and health care transformation
Picture this: Hundreds of family physicians and future family physicians arriving on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to share the top challenges they face and to ask their leaders to make a purposeful investment in primary care. They’ve earned the …
Unlocking the secret to more time and energy: How saying no can change your life as a doctor
I am someone who consistently makes New Year’s resolutions. I find New Year’s to be a great time to reassess how all the aspects of my life are going and whether they continue to align with the direction I want to take. In previous years my…
Why is being a patient a difficult pill to swallow?
While being treated for an aggressive hematologic cancer, the former head of a department of medicine at a large teaching hospital told me he wished he could hang a sign on his headboard, reading P-I-P: Previously-Important-Person. Despite extraordinar…
How embracing mistakes and finding self-compassion can bring more joy and growth into your life
How do we react to them? For ourselves or maybe when kids make them. We will all make them, so we might as well make the best of it and realize they are learning and growth opportunities. I was recently a guest on the podcast Thrive State which I was s…
Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards
For years, I have tried to interest journalists in the machinations of state medical boards, but all we ever see in the media are notices of doctors sanctioned by state boards. Unfortunately, when journalists report only on sanctioned physicians, the p…
Navigating the levels of knowledge, skill, and passion to create a high-value patient-doctor relationship
An excerpt from Standing Up & Speaking Out for Patients & Doctors: First Steps Toward Focused Healthcare Solutions. The casual observer, the season ticket holder, the player, and the coach have very different levels of knowledge, skill, and pas…
