“I love stories, either told, written, or listened to. Songs tell stories, as does art. Blogs such as the rich content open so many doors for rich conversations. Telling stories is part of who I am. My father loved to tell them, as did my grandfa…
Category: primary care
Leaving academic medicine was a matter of self-respect
“Mom, every time I look in the mirror, I see something different. Sometimes it’s good, and I feel good about myself. But, sometimes it’s not.” It was well after dinner, and my nine-year-old daughter was perched on the kitchen co…
A holiday greeting card from the land of primary care
I wish you and your family a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season. I hope your new year is bright and better. And in the campy spirit of the family newsletter some folks send out each year (which I love to read), here is one from me to you. This yea…
Let’s not become a nation of physician-robots
My 5-year-old proudly told me during lunch, “Did you know animals don’t cry?” When she told me this, I had to think about it and then immediately Google this. Having small kids teaches you many random facts, including that sharks don&…
Osler and the doctor-patient relationship
I first heard about Sir William Osler (1849-1919) through my primary care physician. His biography stated: “I practice family medicine because every day I get to meet new people from all over the world. I get to hear their stories, meet their families,…
Could you solve this medical puzzle?
An excerpt from Yankee Doctor in the Bible Belt: A Memoir. Doctors like to solve puzzles. These are ideally diagnostic puzzles. The following is a story about a patient whose illness was unsolvable: the pieces of the puzzle did not fit together. No mat…
Could you solve this medical puzzle?
An excerpt from Yankee Doctor in the Bible Belt: A Memoir. Doctors like to solve puzzles. These are ideally diagnostic puzzles. The following is a story about a patient whose illness was unsolvable: the pieces of the puzzle did not fit together. No mat…
What Dr. Seuss reminds us about Christmas
Once upon a time, in a magical land of Whoville, lived the Whos. They were a group of little humans who loved Christmas with passion. But not too far from their beloved town and in a place called Mount Crumpet, inhabited the Grinch, a grouchy creature …
CME budgets expire soon: Use it or lose it
Most physicians receive a budget for CME expenses, and many of those expire on December 31. It’s important to take action now – if you have funds left, there’s a good chance they will be disappear when 2021 ends, and you will then be spending your 2022…
Listening to patients with our eyes [PODCAST]
“Patients communicate immense amounts of information through body language. The primary understood, universal body language is choking. Anywhere in the world you go, if someone is choking, they use both hands to grab their throats. No matter what…
