The Podcast by KevinMD

Latest Episodes:

Who are the doctors who end their own lives? Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

"Recently, a fellow physician mom ended her life. While outwardly, a very vibrant, lively, and happy woman, she fought her own internal demons for some time. From what we know, she struggled with depression but was still committed to being a good mom, physician, and wife. Sadly, a few days before her birthday, she could no longer bear her sadness and decided to end her agony. I know many physicians' lives follow these patterns. What shook me this time, though, was a discussion I had with a very close group of friends. These are all very highly educated professionals whom I love, respect, and admire. But, none are physicians."

Fariha Shafi is an internal medicine physician.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Who are the doctors who end their own lives?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/01/who-are-the-doctors-who-end-their-own-lives.html)

This episode is sponsored by Elsevier Health (https://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/). Looking to update your personal or professional medical library? Shop Elsevier Health's Holiday Sale and save up to 35% on your purchase of medical books! Plus, you can take an extra 5% off your order with code KEVINMD at checkout. Take advantage of the biggest sale of the year from Elsevier, the world-leading provider of medical books and reference materials. Shop us.elsevierhealth.com now through December 31.

COVID-19 highlights chronic oppressive job conditions Dec 02, 2020

Show notes

"In medicine, the guise of 'professionalism' is an example of how an oppressive system has led us to believe that we ought not to advocate for our rights. It would be 'unprofessional' to organize for a better health care system for both patients and workers. To work towards personal liberation, Boal calls for a transformational process to bypass the censorship of habit and find 'antibodies' to oppression. With this situation so clearly revealed, the COVID-19 crisis has become an unprecedented moment for physician organizing.

Where does this leave the mental health profession and their role in managing this current crisis? We are very much equipped to address individual concerns. But addressing systemic issues does not come naturally to the mental health profession, which was founded in large part on individually-based approaches.

But any approach to mental health today must recognize that if the system we work in is making us sick, then it is not enough to change ourselves."

Eden Almasude is a psychiatry resident.

She shares her story and discusses the KevinMD article that she co-wrote, "COVID-19 is the symptom. Chronic oppressive job conditions are the disease." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/covid-19-is-the-symptom-chronic-oppressive-job-conditions-are-the-disease.html)

Why physicians need personal loans designed by doctors for doctors Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Doc2Doc Lending (https://www.doc2doclending.com/), a novel lending platform created for doctors, by doctors, with the aim of facilitating fast access to personal loans at rates that make sense.

"For the vast majority of us doctors, a career in medicine will also mean spending a significant portion of our adult lives carrying multiple forms of debt. Understanding student loans (the average medical school graduate in 2019 had $201,490 in student loans while the average dental school graduate had $292,159), credit card debt, home mortgages, car loans, and practice loans, becomes a worthy exercise given the potential impact – both positive and negative – these products can have on our personal and professional lives as we consume them.

We'd like to propose a methodology to understand and assess loan options, using a doctor-specific perspective, to better appreciate when the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa. This methodology is based on our experience in speaking with applicants through the Doc2Doc Lending platform (the platform facilitates personal loans exclusively to physicians and dentists, and as part of the application process offers each applicant a call with a doctor-member of our Doc2Doc team to speak through the product, application process, and the applicant's goals) and it is by no means meant to be financial advice. Through these conversations, we have observed many similar themes that arise from applicant to applicant which has formed the basis for this construct.

In our experience, there are three common areas that will generally be the determining factors as to whether a loan may make sense:

the immediate and future impact on cash flow
the total cost of the money borrowed over the entire term of the loan
the degree of flexibility built into the terms of the product

As doctors, debt is a real and important part of our personal and professional lives. We hope this framework may serve as a starting point for better understanding when a loan is the right decision for you."

Kenton Allen and Zwade Marshall are anesthesiologists. They are cofounders, Doc2Doc Lending (https://www.doc2doclending.com/), a novel lending platform created for doctors, by doctors, with the aim of facilitating fast access to personal loans at rates that make sense. Doc2Doc Lending was founded on the belief that doctors are a unique group that are more responsible in repaying debt obligations than the general population. Doc2Doc Lending employs a proprietary underwriting algorithm that considers doctor-specific metrics to enable interest rates that are often more favorable than those found at traditional banks. Drs. Allen and Marshall are neither licensed financial nor investment advisors; they are not accountants or attorneys. Any opinions expressed above are solely their own. Learn more at www.doc2doclending.com.

How physicians can find jobs in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

"I'm now CMO at a private biotech company focused on developing therapies for patients with rare endocrine diseases. We are conducting a trial in the U.S., Europe, and Israel. I mention this to raise the possibility of travel in pharma/biotech roles. In most companies, roles are both 'functional' (i.e., clinical development, medical affairs, marketing) and geographic (i.e., global, regional). I've had both global roles, being responsible for the entire world strategy for a therapy, and U.S. specific roles where I've focused on the U.S. only. Some roles, like medical science liaison, are smaller areas of focus (state or several states). I enjoy travel and have been able to do so extensively; however, there are roles where travel is limited. One of the great things about physician roles – there is a broad range of careers that can be had, and it's likely there is one to fit your life needs!

There is a need for physicians in pharma/biotech, and physicians need to more exposure to this career path. I encourage doctors to network; connect with people to learn and make your name known. My final piece of advice is to understand how all of your past experiences, whether leadership, management, or research translate into supporting your resume for a role in pharma/biotech; do not undersell your experience!"

Nerissa Kreher is a pediatric endocrinologist and founder, The IndustryMDCoach.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How physicians can find jobs in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/how-physicians-can-find-jobs-in-the-pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology-industries.html)

How this physician's first experience with death affected her Nov 29, 2020

Show notes

"My sister called me. I answered. And, then, I lost it: 'He died. He died,' I repeated. 'Our patient died. I literally did CPR on this guy. We tried to save his life, and he died,' I repeated over and over. The tears streaming down my cheeks were cathartic. More than signifying a loss, the tears signified that I was still human, that I haven't lost touch with reality. Residency hasn't changed me. Death still affects me. I'm not numb. I'm human.

My tears were confirmation that I haven't changed in that way. I was not calloused. He died. And I still felt it. I had a heart."

Maseray S. Kamara is a general surgery resident and can be reached on Instagram @drkamara.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Death still affects me. I'm not numb. I'm human." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/09/death-still-affects-me-im-not-numb-im-human.html)

A physician moves from the exam room to the C-suite Nov 28, 2020

Show notes

"The dictionary definition of learning is 'the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.' For leaders, the most crucial and common way of learning happens through experience, and as we often say, leadership is flying the plane while building it. Moreover, the onus of making the process of learning an active one is on the leader, and self-reflection is the key to it.

So, what's self-reflection? Simply put, reflection is a conscious consideration and analysis of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors for the sole purpose of learning. Experiences can be messy, but reflection gives us an opportunity to unravel and sort through our feelings and thoughts, and the ability to gauze new perspectives. Self-reflection helps us see the bigger picture, see ourselves in a richer multidimensional way, and create meaning."

Priti Golechha is a pediatrician and a physician executive.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Lifelong learning through skillful self-reflection." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/lifelong-learning-through-skillful-self-reflection.html)

Essential tips for the physician-entrepreneur Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

"Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely road. Everyone dreams of life after a successful round of funds being raised, staff being hired, and plunging headfirst into the making and shipping of widgets. But there are many days which no one talks about, where a budding entrepreneur must find a way to get ideas from their brain to a whiteboard to a minimum viable product. In those times, progress can seem elusive, and sometimes even when the resources are at hand, we may not know if we are moving forward."

Amelia L. Bueche is an osteopathic physician and founder, This Osteopathic Life. Akash Sharma is a nuclear radiologist and can be reached at Jeevun.

They share their stories and discuss their KevinMD article, "Accountability partnership: a secret ingredient for entrepreneurial success." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/accountability-partnership-a-secret-ingredient-for-entrepreneurial-success.html)

COVID-19 is a war on two fronts Nov 26, 2020

Show notes

"I'm exhausted. As the pandemic rages on, the mental toll of dealing with COVID-19 has started to wear on me. As a practicing hospitalist in the Midwest impacted by one of the many hotspots caused by the meatpacking industry, I have spent a fair bit of time with this virus on the frontline. Some aspects of practicing medicine in a pandemic have actually improved, such as the increase in possible treatments and data to support those treatments. But one of the most stressful aspects of practicing medicine right now is the unexpected second front—the propagation of information from an increasingly vocal group of people who think the dangers of COVID-19 are imagined or manufactured."

Clarissa Barnes is an internal medicine physician and can be reached at Dr. Clarissa Explains Healthcare.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD articles, "COVID-19 is a war on two fronts" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/05/covid-19-is-a-war-on-two-fronts.html) and "To my health care colleagues in South Dakota." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/to-my-health-care-colleagues-in-south-dakota.html)

Ballad of a sober man: an ER doctor's journey of recovery Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

"Now, in her afterlife, she occasionally accompanied Maggie on excursions into my head, usually at night. Make that a double vodka.

I thought I had finally learned in sobriety how to put them in the past, encased in a box, and keep them there. Still, sometimes they found a way out to visit me. The program taught me how to at least limit their appearances.

I worked hard over the months, showing up for shifts with an energy I had not seen in myself for decades, a newfound enthusiasm I had not felt since my residency days back in Baltimore."

"J. D. Remy" is an emergency physician and author of Ballad of a Sober Man: An ER Doctor's Journey of Recovery. (https://amzn.to/3lZlBHu)

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "A sober emergency physician returns to work, just in time to face the COVID-19 pandemic." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/a-sober-emergency-physician-returns-to-work-just-in-time-to-face-the-covid-19-pandemic.html)

Parenting in a pandemic: Making the best decisions for your family Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

"You have made difficult choices about your family's health and safety already. Pediatricians help parents make these kinds of decisions all the time. The shared- decision model for practicing medicine encourages doctors like me to help provide information and counseling to empower you to make decisions.

You've already made decisions essential to your family's health, whether about vaccination, safe sleep, or car seats. Other more everyday decisions parents make also carry real risk — driving while tired or distracted or selecting other activities like skiing or soccer. You can make difficult decisions and, in the process of coping with the pandemic, maybe you'll learn more about what's important to your family."

Kelly Fradin is a pediatrician and author of Parenting in a Pandemic: How to help your family through COVID-19.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Parenting in a pandemic: Making the best decisions for your family." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/parenting-in-a-pandemic-making-the-best-decisions-for-your-family.html)

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected