This story is fiction but inspired by the real and worsening challenges faced by international medical graduates navigating U.S. immigration policy. The acceptance letter sat printed on top of Nabeel Khan’s passport, still warm from the old inkje…
Category: Public Health & Policy
When credibility is your only asset: the cautionary tale of DrKoop.com [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Historian and ethicist Nigel Cameron discusses his article, “How DrKoop.com rose and fell: the untold story behind the Surgeon General’s startup.” The co…
The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk
In recent years, an alarming trend has emerged within the health care system, one that is eroding the very backbone of medical care delivery: the physician. What once were rules and regulations designed to protect and elevate the standard of medical ca…
Ethical dilemmas in using unclaimed bodies for medical research
In January, I wrote regarding the biased NBC report on unidentified bodies from a coroner’s office being used by a medical school. Subsequently, the network aired two related episodes. The second report centered on a self-employed purveyor of bod…
How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery
I have never been outside my hospital since I joined two months ago. As the only doctor in the oncology department, I cannot take the time to roam around the hospital. My duty hours are filled with chemotherapy treatments and the continuous monitoring …
A day in the life of a WHO public health professional in Meghalaya, India
8:00 a.m.: The start of a not-so-perfect morning I wake up, already running a bit behind. I toss last night’s leftovers into a lunchbox while thinking, Will this meet my nutrition for the day? Maybe tomorrow I’ll pack something better. Morn…
Why U.S. health care pricing is so confusing—and how to fix it
Imagine assembling an IKEA bookshelf with instructions in 12 languages, missing pages, and screws that cost vastly different amounts depending on which store you went to, unbeknownst to you. Then, after assembling it, you discover you’ll be charg…
Why physician voices matter in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! LGBTQ+ journalist BJ Ferguson discusses the article, “Why physician voices matter in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ laws.” The conversation serves as a call to …
Inside human trafficking: a guide to recognizing and preventing it [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Public policy analyst Julia Drydyk discusses her article “Human trafficking isn’t what you think: Why education is key to stopping it.” Julia clarifies t…
In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals
In memory of Brian Wilson (1942–2025). In a world increasingly marked by fracture and fear, it is hard not to return to the quiet, aching clarity of Brian Wilson’s song Love and mercy. Originally released in 1988, the song was not a protest anthe…
