Medical
Participating in the greatest miracle a physician is privileged to be part of
An excerpt from A Country Doctor Writes: CONDITIONS: Diseases and Other Life Circumstances. “Welcome back. How was your trip? Or exile … you were away for a long time.” “Almost a year,” my nine o’clock patient answered. A woman just over forty, she looked tan and physically strong. Her short hair was peppered with gray,…
Read MoreProactive care is the linchpin for saving America’s health care system
Even before the pandemic, the U.S. health care system needed a significant overhaul. For too long, we have operated in a reactive mode, prioritizing treating illness over ensuring health and wellness. In the post-COVID-19 era, stakes are even higher. Our health care system faces an unprecedented demand surge from millions who put their own care…
Read MoreSupporting anti-racist American medical students: What residency programs can do
It is exciting to see so many American medical students join the protracted struggle for racial justice. Some students are involved in efforts within their institutions to affect change–both curricular and extracurricular. Others are working beyond their institutions, in the streets, and on social media. While student activism is transforming American medical schools as we…
Read MoreHow the pandemic is affecting the residents [PODCAST]
“When the director of my general surgery program asked for a report on how the pandemic was affecting the residents, I queried my colleagues, promising anonymity to encourage candor. I received a wide variety of responses and reactions. Some are thriving; others are not. In the end, I cannot decide if things are going well…
Read MoreCoping with fear as a physician [PODCAST]
“Few physicians feel properly prepared to face the fear caused by this pandemic. I certainly did not. However, we continue to show up every day for our colleagues and our patients. We continue to focus on our jobs and the things that we can do to help. Let’s not forget to find moments throughout the…
Read MoreA socially distant graduation message
Four years ago, after a blissful fourth year of medical school filled with carefully chosen psychiatry electives and plenty of hikes in the mountains, I began my psychiatry residency program. I started on sixteen straight weeks of medicine, and I was terrified. It had been months since my last medicine rotation. The fact that this…
Read MoreIn memory of all the fathers lost to COVID-19
In April, I lost my dad to COVID-19, and this Father’s Day is going to be very difficult. As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that there are many people out there suffering the same fate. Each death is not just a statistic. Each number represents a person with a family. My dad was an amazing father,…
Read MoreWhy it’s time for more black men in medicine
Despite major disparities that exist for African Americans in health outcomes and access to care, there is still an alarming lack of African American physicians in the field. This must be addressed with a concerted effort to recruit, admit, and train more black doctors – breaking down the barriers that directly or indirectly prevent black…
Read MoreFor change to happen, humbly look at ourselves
While waiting for his mother to schedule his next well-child appointment, a young boy sat in our clinic lobby engrossed in his new Reach Out and Read book. He and his family were new to our area, having just moved from Syria a few short months before the onset of the COVID pandemic. Across from…
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