Episodes

Sept. 12, 2021

An emergency medicine life

"I called my wife of 31 days, anxious and dazed. I told her that the pace I was on was crushing me. I told her I had done seven admits since 5 p.m. and taken floor calls, too. It was …

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Sept. 11, 2021

Words of advice from a chief resident

"Chiefs, remember, one of those interns is going to fill your shoes in a few years. They may model you in that role, so you want to raise them well! As a former chief resident, I have lots of pearls …

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Sept. 10, 2021

A heart transplant story in a 1-year-old, as told by his mother

"In January of 1991, at twenty-two months old, Nick had another heart catheterization. Andy and I had started thinking about the next stage of surgery to finish the heart repair. Just before Nick was discharged, I discussed it briefly with …

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Sept. 9, 2021

How I used social media to get promoted to professor

"After my last promotion, my institution adopted new guidelines and criteria for incorporating social media into promotion. I understand several other academic institutions have taken similar approaches, and it is enlightening to learn that academic...

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Sept. 8, 2021

A new paradigm for psychiatric emergencies

"Imagine this scenario: a busy mom struggles to balance work and parenting during the pandemic when suddenly her teenage son begins to anger. He gets out of control, screams threats, and kicks a hole in the wall. Neighbors call the …

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Sept. 7, 2021

Meet the physician who became a medical thriller author

How does a physician become a thriller author? Where do his stories come from? How long does it take to go from idea to finished product? How did his experience as a physician influence his books? is a retired orthopedic …

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Sept. 6, 2021

How doctors can support medtech innovation

"Feedback in the assessment stage is always useful for improving the design of a device — especially as it relates to improving long-term aspects, such as patient outcomes or cost-effectiveness. This kind of feedback can only come after a device …

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Sept. 5, 2021

So, are you committed to medicine — or your baby?

"As I approach this last stretch of residency, still entrenched in the rigors of training and the intensity of raising three young children under five years old, I am in a unique position of being able to reflect on the …

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Sept. 4, 2021

Debunking common virtual therapy myths and tips for new patients

"While the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and normalized the need for increased mental and behavioral health services over the last year and a half, addressing mental health issues as a regular form of their wellness will persist beyond the pandemic....

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Sept. 3, 2021

How shame tried to hijack my medical training

"I’m smart enough to be a physician. As if being the smartest person in the room makes you the best physician in the room. Hint, it doesn’t. Being a good physician is a culmination of knowledge, skills, and strengths that …

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Sept. 2, 2021

All physicians are leaders

"In times of uncertainty, human behavior often makes people resort to less-than-stellar behaviors; unhealthy personal environments can become manifest as well. Often, these coincide with health care being used more frequently and the safe haven of...

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Sept. 1, 2021

You deserve a doctor who’s a good fit for you

"I implore you — even if it’s difficult — if you don’t like your doctor, take the time and find a new one! How do you do that? Check your insurance for who they cover, and then ask your friends …

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Aug. 31, 2021

Structural racism in health tech

"We focus on ensuring our solution works equally well for English speakers with any accent. We regularly hear from doctors how much of a difference this makes in their ability to deliver high-quality patient care. It’s our hope that more …

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Aug. 30, 2021

A physician takes action against an expert witness

"I bring this to your attention because, in 1971, I took an oath to impart precept, oral instruction, and all other instruction to all indentured pupils who have taken the Healer’s Oath. Having done so, if it strikes you that, …

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Aug. 29, 2021

A data-first strategy to recovering surgical volumes

"The first step to hospital recovery is the collection and analysis of data. Organizations that effectively leverage data to optimize surgery can see rapid, quantifiable, and sustained improvements in metrics that directly link to operational...

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Aug. 28, 2021

Behavioral health opportunities during the pandemic

"The dramatic uptick in mental distress, trauma, and substance use since last year has driven a corresponding rise in the use of virtual mental health therapy and psychiatric care, helping us, as a society, more effectively grapple with the fallout...

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Aug. 27, 2021

Can doctors have personalities?

"When I teach medical students who rotate with me at my clinic, I ask them to write about the single most negative and single most positive emotional experiences they have had in their 3 to 4 years of training thus …

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Aug. 26, 2021

If Simone Biles were a doctor she would be vilified, not praised

"Just as Simone Biles has her detractors, there will always be physicians unable to empathize with their mentally ill colleagues, believing psychological struggles are a constant state of being human. But if taking care of oneself means temporarily...

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Aug. 25, 2021

Scholarship tips for medical school

"According to AAMC, the median debt for medical students in 2019 was $200,000. Unfortunately, fundraising for scholarships was difficult for many organizations due to the pandemic despite more students seeking out scholarships. Luckily, more anonymous...

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Aug. 24, 2021

Doctors: You can increase voting in the U.S.

"Our country is facing a voting crisis with multiple layers: chronically low overall voter participation, even lower voter participation among physicians and — to add insult to injury — an increasing number of laws that make voting more difficult,...

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Aug. 23, 2021

Telemedicine in Nepal during COVID-19

"Currently working in a COVID ICU in a tertiary center in Kathmandu, I have experienced how difficult it is for the health system to manage the patient load. A month ago, ICU beds were fully occupied, ventilator alarms would set …

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Aug. 22, 2021

Menopause changes women’s singing voices

"Until recently, voice changes from menopause and aging have been almost unmentionable. If a woman talked about her challenges, especially if she was a professional singer, it could have meant decreased opportunities and even the end of her career....

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Aug. 21, 2021

How doctors think about financial independence is dead wrong

"A rough career transition in 2019 followed by the pandemic highlighted how I was still financially tethered to my job — after 10 years of practicing as a subspecialty trained radiologist, saving, maxing out my retirement accounts, and investing in...

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Aug. 20, 2021

How one word may have harmed my patient

"With this single word, mom had now completely altered her willingness to see the deep suffering of her child. This single word watered all of this child’s five years of depression, crippling anxiety, history full of ACEs, and very significant...

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