My journey of missed journaling opportunities in the world of medicine

Physician
January 17, 2024

An excerpt from Medicine on Fire: A Narrative Travelogue.

I regret not keeping a diary or journal to write about patient encounters and interactions with peers, residents and attendings, not to mention the sundry characters connected to the academic health center where I trained and practiced. Had I done that, I would have had a lot more material to write about, and my …

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My journey of missed journaling opportunities in the world of medicine

Enhancing patient care: strategies for physicians to prevent medical gaslighting

Physician
January 17, 2024

As physicians, our primary goal is to provide the best possible care to our patients. However, even with the best intentions, medical gaslighting can occur, leading to patient distress and potentially harmful outcomes. Medical gaslighting is not often intentional. It can happen when physicians, under time constraints, facing diagnostic challenges, or experiencing burnout, inadvertently invalidate a patient’s symptoms or concerns.

Just a few years ago, I found myself on the other …

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Enhancing patient care: strategies for physicians to prevent medical gaslighting

What doctors can learn from actors about artificial intelligence

Tech
January 17, 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize the practice of medicine by expanding our knowledge and reducing our workload. However, physicians should tread carefully and take heed of the example set by other industries. For example, AI was at the core of the negotiations in the recent 2023 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. “AI was a dealbreaker,” said Fran Drescher, a union leader of the …

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What doctors can learn from actors about artificial intelligence

Meditation: a prescription for physician well-being [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 16, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, retired cardiologist Sarah Samaan delves into the world of meditation. We discuss the perception of meditation in health care, its benefits for physicians, and the scientific research supporting its effectiveness. Join us as we …

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Meditation: a prescription for physician well-being [PODCAST]

Chicken farming undergoes a radical shift: the rise of cell-cultivated meat

Conditions
January 16, 2024

Following in his father’s footsteps, my son is a third-year medical student and by the time he completes his training, cell-cultivated chicken meat may be replacing meat from slaughtered birds. My home state of Alabama is one of the top chicken-producing states, but in the future, poultry production may take place in stainless steel tanks, rather than chicken coops.

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Chicken farming undergoes a radical shift: the rise of cell-cultivated meat

Tax tips for employed doctors: the allure and hazards of safe harbors

Finance
January 16, 2024

As a dedicated professional, your work is incredibly challenging as you strive to maintain your primary focus on providing excellent patient care. Your inherent business powers that generate revenue make you a highly valued asset in the health care marketplace. This is why many large corporations have offered financial incentives for you to join their employed workforce. As a result, you can expect a predictably substantial paycheck deposited regularly into …

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Tax tips for employed doctors: the allure and hazards of safe harbors

Medical aid in dying: time for evidence-based legislation

Conditions
January 16, 2024

Medical aid in dying (MAID) is poised to be one of the hottest political health care issues of 2024. As in 2023, more than a dozen states will hold both impassioned hearings in legislative chambers and equally fervent debates in the community. Already, nearly twenty states have introduced bills to authorize MAID this year. They seek to join the eleven states that already authorize MAID for 73 million Americans (California, …

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Medical aid in dying: time for evidence-based legislation

Why new cancer treatments cannot save us

Meds
January 16, 2024

In 2020, the ICPerMed (International Consortium for Personalized Medicine) published a ten-year vision for how personalized medicine, a new form of medicine, has the potential to rebuild an equitable and accessible health care system by 2030.

Precision or personalized medicines are drugs developed with genomic sequencing technologies, targeting the critical genes in specific types of cancer or genetic diseases. Thus, PMs are highly effective in treating their …

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Why new cancer treatments cannot save us

Why physicians should care about the False Claims Act [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 15, 2024
YouTube video

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Our guest, Scott Ellner, a general surgeon, shares insights and real-life stories that shed light on the challenges health care providers face when financial incentives clash with patient-centered care. We’ll explore the impact of wasteful spending, the …

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Why physicians should care about the False Claims Act [PODCAST]

The body positivity movement: Has it become toxic?

Conditions
January 15, 2024

Delving into the topic of the body positivity movement requires the unpacking of many other issues facing society today. This topic cannot be looked at in a vacuum.

We live in an era where diversity and inclusion have become core values in many aspects of American life, and body positivity is a subset of that. The body positivity movement actually started in the late 1960s when women were rebelling against other …

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The body positivity movement: Has it become toxic?

Very rarely, a physician can ask for too much

Finance
January 15, 2024

For over 40 years, I have been harping on the fact that physicians rarely understand their true value when they are looking for a new position. I always advise physicians that they get 0 percent of what they don’t ask for.

In my practice, I review physician agreements and provide a letter on my law firm stationery requesting changes. I frequently need to convince physicians that they should send my letter …

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Very rarely, a physician can ask for too much

The “Ozempic body” phenomenon

Conditions
January 15, 2024

In a serendipitous encounter, I crossed paths with an old schoolmate of mine whimsically dubbed Fluffy Carol during our shared medical residency. Famous for her arresting charm and infectious smile, she was, in many ways, the life of the party if we ever had one.

Despite her endearing qualities, one mischievous fellow in our group had bestowed upon her a less-than-ideal nickname that stuck, though it was seldom uttered in her …

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The “Ozempic body” phenomenon

Redefining “defensive” in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 14, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Maryna Mammoliti, a psychiatrist, as we explore the complex concept of “defensiveness” in the medical field and beyond. We’ll discuss why labeling reactions as “defensive” can carry negative connotations, the role of defensiveness as a natural …

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Redefining “defensive” in health care [PODCAST]

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A revolutionary new understanding of the mind/body connection

Conditions
January 14, 2024

There is a widespread belief that the emotional distress we feel causes or contributes to many common medical conditions. However, decades of mind/body research performed by research psychologists who strongly believed this failed to confirm these beliefs. Worse, studies also could not confirm any benefit of stress reduction techniques in the management of common medical conditions.

Then, is there a mind/body connection?

The answer is yes, but it is very different from …

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A revolutionary new understanding of the mind/body connection

Medical residency closures: Is nothing sacred anymore?

Education
January 14, 2024

Closing a residency program can significantly disrupt a physician’s training. In 2019, the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia forced 570 residents to find new placements. First-year residents discovered a week before they started that the hospital was closing after its owner filed for bankruptcy.

Fast forward to January 2024. Within days, two additional residency training programs in the Philadelphia area announced closures.

Albert Einstein Medical Center said it was ending its …

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Medical residency closures: Is nothing sacred anymore?

How comprehensive data documentation holds the power to transform maternal mortality rates

Conditions
January 14, 2024

The United States is a global medical care leader in many aspects, including the development of new pharmaceuticals, acute stroke care, and cancer screening. Yet, despite our advances and wealth, we lead peer nations in maternal mortality and morbidity.

While the vast majority of the nearly four million women who give birth in America every year do so without complications, maternal deaths have more than doubled over the past two decades.

In …

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How comprehensive data documentation holds the power to transform maternal mortality rates

How psychological depth shapes paranormal fiction [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 13, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Daniela Valenti, a psychiatrist, as she brings a unique perspective to her writing, weaving psychological depth into her characters. Today, she discusses her book, Sentinel 10, The Edge of Destiny. We’ll explore the creation of her …

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How psychological depth shapes paranormal fiction [PODCAST]

Global aspirations for value-based health care

Policy
January 13, 2024

The authors of the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst article urge countries to allocate 1 percent of their health care budgets toward establishing standards and processes for assessing the value of health outcomes. What matters most to patients is the fundamental principle of value-based health care. The cost of unnecessary care amounts to billions every year, not only in the United States but worldwide. This article presents the …

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Global aspirations for value-based health care

What the DEA does not understand or does not care about medication cessation decisions

Meds
January 13, 2024

Reports sent back to Washington during the Vietnam War made it clear to everyone. The U.S. was winning. There could be no debate or doubt. It was right there in the numbers. When searching for a metric to measure “success,” U.S. politicians and the military had come to rely on body count comparisons. Defining “winning” as having a higher body count. And by that measure, the U.S. was indeed winning. …

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What the DEA does not understand or does not care about medication cessation decisions

How health systems are improving preparedness for winter surges

Tech
January 13, 2024

Winters often bring a surge in sicknesses that can overwhelm many health systems. More specifically, a winter-related uptick in the flu, COVID-19, and other illnesses can create overcrowding in physician offices and emergency departments (EDs), which then decreases a health system’s ability to provide timely access to care for non-urgent issues, such as chronic and preventive care needs.

Additionally, EDs see a rise in a wide variety of non-respiratory illness cases …

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How health systems are improving preparedness for winter surges

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