COVID-19 melted down the world at a very inopportune time in history. Just as medicine was getting a handle on previously intractable conditions, from sophisticated diabetes management to less invasive surgical procedures, a new threat that devastates …
Bringing in the mail recently, I was pleased to see a thick 5-by-7-inch booklet among the catalogs and bills. The anticipation of reading a few Reader’s Digest short stories and “Humor in Uniform” made the evening seem pleasurable. But when I opened th…
On my second year-long round of burnout, I lay in bed at night as I festered in my negativity, thinking to myself, “What am I good at, what do I like to do, what am I supposed to be doing?” Little did I realize this was a spiritual crisis. …
By this title, I mean whether it is a good idea or not to hire a scribe to enter data into the electronic medical record (EMR) system. I favor having a scribe. I came of age with paper charts, and I found the transition to EMR tricky and time-consuming…
“That is a very heteronormative lens.” These words were uttered to me by a 23-year-old female patient as I explained i-PLEDGE and the steps she must complete to take oral isotretinoin. The visit started as fairly routine. A young female pre…
I know most of us have started adapting to the new way of life in our practice. However, some of us are still skeptical. I’m hoping to reach out to the skeptical ones among us. The reason I say that is I was in your shoes as I started my career i…
“No one anticipated how the pandemic would impact their Deaf colleagues’ work environment and career opportunities. Yet, 15% of adults report some form of hearing difficulty. This number increases dramatically with advancing age, with 50% of thos…
Many Americans will lose access to vital health care services in a few short months unless Congress passes bipartisan legislation already introduced in both the House and Senate. Co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Reps…
Over the years, I’ve had many medical office assistants. Most were good. Some were outstanding. Today, I’d like to tell you the story of one who was exemplary. He was never late to work. He never came in and insisted on finishing his breakf…
It is one of the last days of September. The sun, pale and tired, is slowly surrendering the humdrum of earth to the grey, soulless air. My father and I walk to our very final medical appointment, hopeless, exhausted and befuddled. My father’s la…
