The Podcast by KevinMD

Latest Episodes:

My patient called me the N-word May 28, 2021

Show notes

"There were many things to be processed about that event. It happened within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, its disproportional effects on the African American community, and a few days after the murder of George Floyd, an African American man killed at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer by asphyxiation. His murder was the third in a row of recent and widely publicized, unjust killings around the country. First, Ahmaud Arbery; second, Breonna Taylor; and third, George Floyd — all within a few short months. Their deaths sparked a social zeitgeist that exposed America's divisions and systemic racism at a level we haven't seen in a long time."

Toba Bolaji is a surgery resident and can be reached on Twitter @tobabolaji.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "The day my patient called me the N-word." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/03/the-day-my-patient-called-me-the-n-word.html)

Bridging business principles with emergency medicine May 27, 2021

Show notes

"We created a core team of individuals from different levels and functions who met daily. This team's purpose was to receive and synthesize department-wide information and transform it into new ways of working for our doctors, nurses, ancillary, and support staff. We had a compelling vision which was shared with our department. We made it clear to everyone that they were supported and valued and that we would do everything we could to save as many lives as possible. We knew the importance of making sure that our staff felt heard, and we communicated our change while building upon the positive in our department. We used the facts in combination with the sentiment and feedback received from our co-workers prior to making decisions."

Josh Schwarzbaum is an emergency physician.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "How COVID accelerates change: Bridging business principles with emergency medicine." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/how-covid-accelerates-change-bridging-business-principles-with-emergency-medicine.html)

Bridging the political divide May 26, 2021

Show notes

"Where do we go from here? Conventional wisdom suggests that we can only transform ourselves. This is why I propose that we attempt to recognize the Trump that lies within each of us and to heal him. We are plagued not just by the pandemic but by the human condition—and no part of us should be left behind. We often persuade ourselves we have outsmarted the Leviathan by traveling to a far-off land, only to find that the beast followed by sea, swimming clumsily but steadily along in our wake."

Beck Ballentine is an internal medicine physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Recognize the Trump that lies within each of us and try to heal him." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/recognize-the-trump-that-lies-within-each-of-us-and-try-to-heal-him.html)

Social connectedness, volunteerism, and the remedy for COVID fatigue May 25, 2021

Show notes

"Social connectedness is the remedy to the COVID fatigue that is running rampant in the United States. We need to stay connected to those we love. At the same time, we must also recognize that life is going on in the age of COVID-19, which means what happened to Mariana is occurring in all of our communities. Vulnerable populations need our help, and in our case, NSRN is working to be there for them through this uncertain time. We encourage all Americans to seek out opportunities to become more socially connected through volunteering. There are opportunities all across the country to provide much-needed support both remotely and in person. Just giving a little of your time can be a game-changing decision for people like Mariana, especially during the upcoming holiday season."

Ashten Duncan is a medical student.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Social connectedness, volunteerism, and the remedy for COVID fatigue." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/social-connectedness-volunteerism-and-the-remedy-for-covid-fatigue.html)

A panic attack brought on by the stress of medical school May 24, 2021

Show notes

"As I leaned against the pristine wall, my vision suddenly dimmed. Everything turned gray. I gulped for air. My arms and legs went numb. I felt that drowning sensation I'd had in third grade when a nun pushed my head between my legs to keep me from fainting in church on a brutally hot June day. Or like the time when I was eight months pregnant, took a hot shower at the university gym, and almost belly-flopped onto the concrete floor. I prayed that I wouldn't pass out on my first day of medical school classes. I didn't want those MDs-to-be, all smarter and younger than I, to know I couldn't handle this, that I didn't belong."

Anne McTiernan is an internal medicine physician and epidemiologist. She is the author of Cured: A Doctor's Journey from Panic to Peace.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "A panic attack brought on by the stress of medical school." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/a-panic-attack-brought-on-by-the-stress-of-medical-school.html)

Go behind the scenes with a pathologist May 23, 2021

Show notes

"Clinicians want specific things from a pathology consultation. They want a short turnaround time and a clear and coherent report, which can be discussed with the patient and correlates with the clinical findings. Unfortunately, this does not always come to pass, particularly with some smaller or disrupted specimens, resulting from minimally invasive surgery.

It takes a cultural change to reach that balance between what pathology and pathologists are, and what the perception about the field is. Medicine has changed dramatically in recent years regarding disease understanding and test diagnosis. In the past year, pathologists played a crucial part during the COVID-19 pandemic and the laboratory medicine field has taken huge responsibility in our hospitals to support every clinical department. Addressing the pathologist's role on the patient care team should be addressed in medical school early on."

Albert Alhatem is a pathology resident.

He shares his story and discusses the KevinMD article, "Is pathology an ATM machine?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/is-pathology-an-atm-machine.html)

What to consider when recommending yoga to patients May 22, 2021

Show notes

"Yoga therapy differs from contemporary yoga in that the profession has a defined scope of practice based on educational standards and accreditation requirements for training schools and yoga therapists. In dealing with pain conditions, certified yoga therapists possess understanding and knowledge of pain theories and pain physiology and may collaborate with a patient's health care team to develop an individualized care plan. While pain and musculoskeletal conditions represent the most common reasons for referral, yoga therapists may also see clients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction."

Jaime Lewis is an internal medicine and palliative care physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Recommending yoga to your patients? Consider this first." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/recommending-yoga-to-your-patients-consider-this-first.html)

A physician hung himself. That could have been me. May 21, 2021

Show notes

"We eventually got the news that Dr. Rathburn had hung himself from one of those beautiful trees that the wind made dance. How sad. It adds to my own grief. Who had found him? How did he look? Babies born with a nuchal cord have the cord wrapped around their neck. That's the closest I have seen to a hanging. I once delivered a baby who had it wrapped around three times, and by the time he was born, his little face looked bloated and bruised, tongue swollen and sticking out, and he had petechiae (small dots of microscopic veins that burst) on his face. I wonder if he looked similar. Did he have petechiae? How would even do that? I wish I knew. I wish I had said goodbye. I wish the image of him shuffling by me would leave my head. Would every warm and beautiful summer afternoon with the tree limbs dancing remind me of him; of this place; of this horrible feeling? That was something to look forward to. At least I was thinking of a future. That had not been possible just a few short weeks ago. When it's dark, it is bleak, like black silence and extraordinary effort to move and operate the body. The pain of my empty feeling heart and just holding my head on my neck seemed unbearable at times. Right, I am here, and I am feeling better. At least the empty blackness is gone most of the time. I light another cigarette. It's better than crying.

Dr. Rathburn, you haunt me still. I was so close. It could have been me."

Robyn Alley-Hay is an obstetrician-gynecologist and physician coach. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Dr. Robyn Alley-Hay.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "A physician hung himself. That could have been me." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/a-physician-hung-himself-that-could-have-been-me.html)

A family physician shares her inspiration May 20, 2021

Show notes

"Why else should a person become a doctor?

Because there is always something to learn. Because holding someone's hand when they're scared is a profound gift that feels as good to give as it does to receive. Because your job will call on you to be brave, honest, and the best human you can be. Because you can work with people who are as devoted to and optimistic about our fellow humans as you are. Because you can choose your patient populations, your clinical settings, the procedures that you do, and the way that you practice.

So, yes, good luck, young friend. Keep your focus on what brings you joy, and pursue that. You'll be great at it."

Rebekah Rollston is a family physician.

She shares her story and discusses the KevinMD article, "So you want to be a doctor? Here are 10 truths." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/09/so-you-want-to-be-a-doctor-here-are-10-truths.html)

How this physician created a multi-specialty ambulatory surgery clinic from scratch May 19, 2021

Show notes

"I firmly believe that if physicians leveraged themselves and their knowledge of medicine, there would be no need to for them to undertake ventures in the fields that they know little about. The old adage goes like this: Physician, heal thyself. I call on my fellow physicians to heal themselves by dropping the cloak of victimhood and taking charge of their professional and personal destiny. We all spent years in medical school, residency, and for many, fellowship to become experts in our field. Let's apply that expertise and regain control of the practice of medicine by understanding the business of medicine in order to secure the integrity of medical practice and our financial future. If I could do this, so can everyone else. Audentes Fortuna Juvat."

Sandra R. Weitz is an anesthesiologist.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Fortune favors the bold: How a physician lives up to that motto." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/fortune-favors-the-bold-how-a-physician-lives-up-to-that-motto.html)

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