Doctors assumed that patients understood that their illness had a biological cause and that they had very little control over it. On the other hand, patients assumed that their illness was their fault, and as a result, they had a lot of control that they could exert over it. So…
"Shame has no place in illness or in health. The first step to eradicating shame is to openly speak up about symptoms and concerns and for health care providers to commit to acknowledging and interrogating the needs of every individual thoroughly." Susan Salenger is a writer. She shares her story…
“Tell me, in general, some demographic characteristics of those who choose to go to medical school in the Caribbean.” So the students that we have in the Caribbean, about 85% come from the U.S. That's something that I think many people don't know. We do have higher percentages of underrepresented…
One of the strongest misperceptions is that the students who go to international medical schools, particularly in the Caribbean, are not qualified. There is a misperception that the students there somehow are, you know, not as good as their U.S. counterparts. I think there is also a perception that the…
"If we want to achieve a physician workforce that mirrors our population, medical schools must collectively understand that we have created an admissions system that selects against Latinx and BIPOC students. We need a new system. But a new admission system will not be enough. More medical students of color,…
If you are noticing that it's hard for you to keep a job or it's hard for you to be in the workplace because there are too many people in the room that you feel uncomfortable with the lighting in your office, that you feel really out of sorts by…
So what a sensory processing disorder is is that we have five senses. There's either a heightened sense of one of those five senses, so that sight, smell, touch, hearing, things like that, or they have a lower sense of it so that they can be either what we call…
"Understanding and recognizing sensory processing issues may help improve functioning and quality of life for many individuals, starting with children in school. While many are preparing for back to school, it is important for parents, teachers, health care providers, guardians, and policymakers to be aware that millions need funding to…
Suicide is one of the major causes of death from firearms, as well as homicide. So we need to be addressing suicide prevention and asking about depression and suicide, and we also need to be talking about firearms because they may not come up. If you wait to talk about…
We are not powerless. Unfortunately, there is another shooting every week, which is awful and shocking, but we can move from that and do something about it at any level. Clinicians: Talk to your patients. Parents: Talk to other parents, vote, and look up those candidates who vote for gun…
"As a parent of elementary school children, every mass shooting, particularly ones killing school children like in Uvalde, jolts my doing-the-mom-thing-just-keep-busy-can’t-stop denial. On the last day of school before summer vacation, when the bus doors squeaked open, and my kids hopped off, I experienced a momentary sense of relief. They…
“What are some of the chronic symptoms of prostate cancer that they have to suffer in silence with?” I think probably a big one is a self-esteem and a sense of self, a sense of being strong, and having energy. Their sexual function may be an important way by which…
“Give us some specific ways how you would incorporate lifestyle medicine and nutrition in a typical office visit.” So I think it's highly variable. Patients are very different. They come with different expectations. I have some completely plant-based patients, some who are still eating cheeseburgers a couple of times a…
"You have the power to make healthier choices to reduce your risk for prostate cancer. While things like genetics are out of your control, there is a wealth of research showing that there are simple ways to reduce your risk for prostate cancer that are within your control. Over the…
“How would you fix this if you were in charge of the quality metrics?” I think the intentions are good. I think that we need to be more nimble in reacting to unintended consequences. What I'm objecting to, what I'm describing in the Kevin MD article, is the unintended consequences…
There's going to be five or 10 minutes that you have to yourself, and so you can hit all of those areas of pleasure or enjoyment all at once: simply by going outside, during your lunch break, sitting in the sun, or taking a little walk. Maybe you listen to…
In order to be an effective physician, you have to have the desire to be challenged. Not just a desire to be challenged but the desire to also overcome these important, difficult situations. Sometimes when it feels like the world's caving in on you, you stop. You got to keep…
I would say our greatest hardships and failures often pave the way for our greatest successes. Sometimes when you think that something is the end of the world, and it may seem like the world is bearing down on you, that's going to pave the way for something even better.…
"Empathy, intelligence, and commitment are crucial traits every doctor must have to succeed. However, there is one trait that stands above the rest. One of the most important aspects of an effective doctor is the desire to be challenged and overcome difficult situations. I feel I’ve exemplified that throughout my…
To any physician that's suffering from this horrible disease, just know you're not alone. We all feel unique, isolated, and scared to death. And also, you didn't choose to become an addict. Narcotic addiction: These are very addictive medications. I had no idea that I could become addicted, so you're…
Recovery has to be number one. If you want to get back to practicing medicine, everything will fall into place if you take care of that. Don't take your recovery for granted. If I took one pill, it'd be all over. I don't drink alcohol. I'm a Catholic; I don't…
"During addiction, the brain becomes 'hijacked,' which then 'exaggerates the need for the drug and minimizes the dangers associated with the use of the drug.' This is so affirming because the chemicals in my brain told me I was going to die if the opioid was not available. It was…
If you feel as if you don't have time for yourself and your health and your fitness, set your alarm clock an hour earlier. I thought about that and thought, “That's crazy. I can't do that. I need my sleep. I had a late night. I was on call. I…
My definition of burnout was this realization that I was in a situation that I was powerless to get myself out of. I was in a situation where I was powerless to help the people that needed me most at that given time. For the first time in my life,…