The Podcast by KevinMD

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So, are you committed to medicine — or your baby? Sep 05, 2021

Show notes

"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 years and look ahead at what I want to build at the same time. It has been a lonely, emotional, seemingly endless journey at times.

We mothers and doctors are barraged with messages that we do not belong here, straddling both roles. The work of dismantling these messages will be impossible for any single person, but cumulatively we can. And for future young women who are budding doctors and hopeful mothers, I hope their search for answers and advice results in them finding a large community of support and belongingness.

And I will continue my part to advocate, to mentor, to fight this cycle of self-blame that our training system perpetuates, to continually question these messages of what priorities 'belong' in medicine, until finally, we expand this radius of belonging. Despite all that I have encountered, my spirit is not broken. I have work to do."

Eunice Stallman is a psychiatry resident.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "So, are you committed to medicine — or your baby?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/so-are-you-committed-to-medicine-or-your-baby.html)

Debunking common virtual therapy myths and tips for new patients Sep 04, 2021

Show notes

"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. However, as the adoption of virtual technologies continues to open up more access to care, the potential to successfully meet the rising demand for these services is promising. The last 18 months have shown us that providers are making huge strides in helping patients from all walks of life facilitate their own care virtually. Even with the challenges we are still experiencing in the current pandemic, it's an exciting time for the evolution of mental health care."

Sara Smucker Barnwell is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical director of behavioral health, 98point6. She can be reached on LinkedIn and at her self-titled site, Sara Smucker Barnwell PhD.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Debunking common virtual therapy myths and 4 tips for new patients." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/debunking-common-virtual-therapy-myths-and-4-tips-for-new-patients.html)

How shame tried to hijack my medical training Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

"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 you, as an individual physician, uniquely brings to the field.

It's taken some rewiring to pull shame out of my professional narrative. Shame is not there to serve you. It's there to diminish you and to prevent you from fully embracing and accepting all parts of yourself, flaws and all. It chokes off growth and evolution.

It starts with subtly shifting the narrative in difficult situations from who you are to what you did. You can deal with what you did. You can learn and do differently next time.

On that first call night of my formal medical career, I wasn't a mistake. I made a mistake."

Tracy Asamoah is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and can be reached at Tracy Asamoah Coaching.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How shame tried to hijack my medical training." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/04/how-shame-tried-to-hijack-my-medical-training.html)

All physicians are leaders Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

"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 health care delivery being sought. With all physicians being leaders, it is incumbent upon us to demonstrate a variety of professional qualities, and we must also draw on our own human qualities to succeed as well."

Peter Angood is CEO and president, American Association for Physician Leadership, and author of All Physicians are Leaders: Reflections on Inspiring Change Together for Better Healthcare.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Professionalism: We must also draw on our own human qualities to succeed." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/03/professionalism-we-must-also-draw-on-our-own-human-qualities-to-succeed.html)

You deserve a doctor who's a good fit for you Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

"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 who they see and like. Google the physician. Google the practice. Google the hospital.

Put as much effort into this as you would buying a car. This person needs to be reliable, safe, up-to-date and needs to make sense for you.

Let's all make 2021 the year we take better care of ourselves.

You deserve excellent care and goodness of fit."

Caitlin Bass is a hospice and palliative care fellow.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "You deserve a doctor who's a good fit for you." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/04/you-deserve-a-doctor-whos-a-good-fit-for-you.html)

Structural racism in health tech Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

"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 health tech vendors will take a good look at what they've chosen to prioritize and how that may contribute to inequities within the system. The factors which inspired the American Medical Association to recognize racism as a public health threat demand that we all play our role in the multi-faceted structures that contribute to delivering equitable health care to all Americans."

Matthew Ko is co-founder and COO, DeepScribe Inc., and can be reached on Facebook and Twitter @DeepScribeAI.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Examining structural racism in health tech." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/examining-structural-racism-in-health-tech.html)

A physician takes action against an expert witness Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

"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, during the aforementioned trial, an opportunity was missed, only to be rectified by the Court of Special Appeals, then I leave you with this admonition. When you are a defendant in a malpractice suit, and you believe you are in the right, be relentless and use everything at your disposal to expose the opposing expert as a miscreant. Had defendants in this suit been so disposed, likely, the outcome would have been different."

Editor's note: This show refers to the Abeline paradox, which is when "a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of many or all of the individuals in the group."

Howard Smith is an obstetrics-gynecology physician.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "A counterintuitive strategy when you are sued for medical malpractice." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/a-counterintuitive-strategy-when-you-are-sued-for-medical-malpractice.html)

A data-first strategy to recovering surgical volumes Aug 29, 2021

Show notes

"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 efficiency and associated financial benefits. The current situation presents a unique opportunity for hospitals to implement new tools to recalibrate how surgical services are evaluated, delivered, and experienced by the patient and provider. Doing this now will accelerate resolving the backlog, better positioning the organization to handle the day-to-day schedule moving forward with unprecedented confidence and clarity.

Heading down the path now to leverage historical and current data will enable health care organizations to create a robust, data-driven, surgical management plan to overcome the backlog created by the pandemic. A data-first strategy will also allow hospitals to better prepare for future disasters and re-establish a solid revenue stream sooner. Who knows? They may even grow market share."

Michael Woods is a health care executive.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Surgical volumes are still down. A data-first strategy is the key to recovery." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/surgical-volumes-are-still-down-a-data-first-strategy-is-the-key-to-recovery.html)

Behavioral health opportunities during the pandemic Aug 28, 2021

Show notes

"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 from the pandemic. According to one study, more than half of the people who used telehealth in May 2020 used it for a mental health concern. Virtual care has the added benefit of increased privacy and access to care for people who have difficulty getting to in-person care or end up on a waitlist for weeks to see a provider. Virtual care reduces the time commitment for therapy since it doesn't require a commute. Overall, it's a method that provides patients with more control over how they access mental health care. Providing treatment to those in need is no small task, but with new digital tools and more accepting attitudes, the hope is that those struggling with suicidal thoughts and other mental health challenges will feel supported and optimistic."

Erik Vanderlip is a psychiatry and family medicine physician.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Suicide is never the answer, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/05/suicide-is-never-the-answer-especially-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.html)

Can doctors have personalities? Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

"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 far. Commonly, I see fear as a negative emotion and pride in self-worth as the positive. When we break it down, their fear often stems from not knowing if they did a good enough job working up a tough case. The students talk about facts, etiologies, treatment plans, and what could have been done better clinically. Interestingly, their positive emotion of self-worth is often described as the patient thanking them or even hugging them after they shared stories and bonded that they both like wake surfing, went to the same Metallica concert, exchanged jokes or photos of their same breed of dog or that the patient reminded them of their grandparent and they just sat and talked about their families. After describing the case, students usually do not mention disease, workup, or treatment with me this time. In fact, very little medical terminology is used when I ask why this experience was so positive, and the words I do hear are usually centered on how they felt bonded with the patient after learning something they have in common. What beauty lies in this space when doctor and patient connect."

Erika Visser Aragona is a family physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Can doctors have personalities?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/can-doctors-have-personalities.html)

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