The Podcast by KevinMD

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Doctors are humans, not heroes Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

"The truth is, we were all drowning, alone, and hiding behind the image of perfection. Clearly, each of us secretly thought that the others had it all figured out. We were so afraid of admitting weakness or asking for help, so we kept it to ourselves and muddled through, burnt out and miserable, terrified of being judged for our vulnerability.

When we negatively judge ourselves for needing help, we end up judging others who need our help too.

Our patients feel this undercurrent of judgment when they ask for our help. They don't want to face that vulnerability because they too feel judged.

Asking for help and facing our struggles with honesty is a sign of courage and compassion. It is human nature to need each other and to feel connection.

Maybe if we'd all been a little less armored, more vulnerable, and shared our struggles with each other, our cohort of future doctors could have leaned on each other to cope better back during our intern year too."

Jordana Rothschild is a preventive medicine physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Doctors are humans, not heroes." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/doctors-are-humans-not-heroes.html)

Alternative cryptocurrencies: 5 tips for physicians Nov 13, 2021

Show notes

"What are altcoins, and should you be investing in them?

I cannot speak to whether investing in altcoins is appropriate for you. Altcoins are a highly volatile and risky asset class that offers the potential for high returns. Every investor must decide whether they are willing to bear the associated risk. When evaluating thousands of coins to select the best opportunities, it is critical to have an appropriate framework to work from. That is why I am sharing my 5-step framework."

John Stillson is a medical student and an investment manager.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Alternative cryptocurrencies: 5 tips for physicians." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/alternative-cryptocurrencies-5-tips-for-physicians.html)

Physicians aren't all hanging in there. And that's OK. Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

"Go ahead, give yourself permission, summon the compassion and grace you'd bestow on your best friend, and tell yourself, "This is the breadth of the human experience, and I'm only human." There is immense beauty and strength in that vulnerability. I lied to myself for too long, couldn't see the road ahead through the cracked glass until it, and I, in turn, shattered. Once those broken shards that obscured and distorted the path forward have been swept away, only then can the clarity of a stronger, more resilient soul begin to emerge.

I'm not back to normal, and it's possible I may never get there. But each day, there are glimmers of hope that I might be closer to my true self than before — and that's all I can ask for right now."

Luyi Kathy Zhang is a palliative care physician and can be reached on Twitter @DrKathyZ.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Maybe we're not all hanging in there. And that's OK." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/maybe-were-not-all-hanging-in-there-and-thats-ok.html)

Pamela Wible, MD on physician suicide and medicine's culture of betrayal Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

"When the medical profession—a career you have pursued for years, a career you love and trust to do no harm does something to shatter the foundations of your sense of trust and worldview, the resulting trauma can be severe resulting in loss of sense of self and life-altering betrayal grief that mirrors the stages of acceptance of one's own death (or the death of a piece of one's soul when swept up in the betrayal cascade)—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As a witness to immense betrayal within the medical profession, I've felt them all."

Pamela Wible is a family physician and author of Physician Betrayal: How Our Heroes Become Villains.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Medicine's culture of betrayal." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/09/medicines-culture-of-betrayal.html)

Surviving medical school with depression Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

"I was first diagnosed with major depressive disorder as a preteen after my teenage sister died. I attempted suicide three years later. This would be the first of several attempts and the first of countless times I felt my life was not worth living. But I am not unique.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 person dies by suicide every 11 minutes.

My depression is like a chronic autoimmune disease — constitutively present at a low level with flares. But there's no Humira for depression.

At baseline, I am exhausted, anxious, lacking motivation, and full of self-doubt. When severely depressed, I am at the bottom of the sea, struggling to breathe and unable to swim. I am paralyzed by a high-pressure, heavy and humid darkness. Through physical or mental isolation, I may not see another living creature for hours, days or weeks. I can look up and see the sun shining beyond the water surface, but the surface is miles beyond my reach. I must physically force myself to breathe as my mind tells me to stop. Trying to take a test, see patients or study can prove impossible."

This anonymous medical student shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Surviving medical school with depression." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/surviving-medical-school-with-depression.html)

How this physician built a direct specialty care practice Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

"I am here to testify that it is possible, and I am not alone in this specialist direct care market. There are other specialists' practices like mine, hidden gems for patient care. During my journey, I learned specialists are thriving to remove the "middlemen" and reconnect with patients. Patients are eager to shop for their health, discover transparent pricing and excellent quality. Patients and physicians desire mutual accountability. Since the direct primary care movement started approximately ten years ago, many patients that signed up to this model quickly realized the benefit of having access, affordability, and price transparency.

Specialists in direct care now exist across the country. In the last two years, I have been in contact with many thriving physicians providing a direct care model. However, it was so hard to find and connect. Our hope – and our patients' need – is that connecting patients with direct care specialists gets easier. We are working on that now – we are working to change the system because our patients need it – and practicing good health care depends on it.

This is just the beginning of a new era in medicine, where patients and physicians reunite."

Diana M. Girnita is a rheumatologist and founder and CEO, Rheumatologist OnCall. She can also be reached on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The emergence of direct specialty care." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/09/the-emergence-of-direct-specialty-care.html)

A physician's tribute to nurses Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

"At the hospital, the nurse is the one who is at the patient's bedside around the clock. When the patient has to go to the bathroom or needs help to sit up in a chair, he or she calls the nurse. The nurse is the one who is changing the diapers for the elderly; she is the one cleaning the sputum and the spilled urine; she is the one holding the patient's hand and stroking his hair while he is having a painful procedure done. She is the one arranging the flowers and picture frames in the room. She is the one administering the medications when the patient is in pain or nauseous. She is the foremost advocate for the patient. She is at the bedside when the patient is taking his last breath, and she is the one to call the doctor to pronounce him dead after having first witnessed and confirmed it herself."

Farhan S. Imran is a hematology-oncology physician who blogs at Did I Ask?

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "A nurse is to a patient what a mother is to a child." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/05/a-nurse-is-to-a-patient-what-a-mother-is-to-a-child.html)

Getting messy in the game of health care Nov 07, 2021

Show notes

"Many patients, doctors, nurses, and health care administrators appear to have a seat on the blimp with little concept of how the game has evolved over the years and is being played now. They may have attended the game in the past, but they likely haven't seen the action from 5,000 feet above the field—and seeing the health care picture from the big picture distance can create some impetus for adapting to the new rules. We need to not only explain the new rules of the game but also show how passion of the team can overcome adverse conditions and ultimately prevail. Everyone on the blimp needs to become engaged, including those who have been riding involuntarily. The health care game has changed. We will find season ticket holders. And those of us on the field will get messy, no doubt. But who knows? Our game might just become a national pastime."

Paul Pender is an ophthalmologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Paul Pender. He is the author of Rebuilding Trust in Healthcare: A Doctor's Prescription for a Post-Pandemic America.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Getting messy in the game of health care." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/getting-messy-in-the-game-of-health-care.html)

A Black physician's perfectionism Nov 06, 2021

Show notes

I did not realize I was a perfectionist. I was far from perfect. It was not until I listened to a master class on perfectionism from a physician coach that I had my "aha moment." I am now working extremely hard on training my brain to be an imperfectionist. To do that means to let go of the mental constructs that I have created for myself. In particular, I had to let go of the narrative that said to me: You are not someone unless you look like the epitome of success.

I was a young African-American doctor full of "firsts." However, these firsts did not protect me from the hurt of failure or the heartache associated with imperfection. For sure, it did not provide me with what I longed for most, self-worth and validation."

Frieda Millhouse-Jones is an internal medicine physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "A Black physician's perfectionism." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/05/a-black-physicians-perfectionism.html)

Mitigating risks from care during COVID-19 Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

"We have observed that delays in screenings and intervention for patients with certain common chronic conditions can contribute to claims. Now, clinicians have the opportunity to identify patients whose conditions merit priority contact, such as those with cardiac conditions, those on blood pressure medication, or those with diabetes, and request they come in for delayed screenings or checkups.

Explicitly recommending that those without medical contraindications get vaccinated not only helps slow the spread of COVID-19, but may also stop a patient from claiming that they remained unvaccinated for lack of counsel from their physician. Whether or not a practice or institution is distributing vaccines, it should communicate to patients that COVID-19 vaccines are extremely safe, remarkably effective, and vital to ending the pandemic. Invite patients who have questions about vaccines to communicate their concerns.

Since risks exist even if patients did not present for care, documenting the practice's efforts to reach patients who have delayed care will reduce litigation risks. If a patient is considering filing a claim, a review of the patient's medical record will be among a plaintiffs' attorney's first steps. Therefore, documenting patient communications is a defense against suits before they are filed."

Richard E. Anderson is chairman and chief executive officer, The Doctors Company and TDC Group.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Mitigating risks from care during COVID-19." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/05/mitigating-risks-from-care-during-covid-19.html)

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