Medical

March 11th, 2020 — or was it March 12th, or a few days before or beyond that? Each of us has a date and time etched in our minds when we knew that the COVID-19 pandemic was upon us. Now, the anniversary of that date is fast approaching. What, if anything, do we do to…

As the number of people infected with and dying from COVID-19 continues to climb, many Americans may be wondering what steps they can take to mitigate the potential for infection or, if infected, what modifications can keep them healthy and lower the likelihood of severe symptoms and worse while they wait to be vaccinated. For those who…

If you’ve been diagnosed with a serious, rare, or complex health condition or your doctor has recommended surgery as a treatment option, your next step should be to get a second opinion on both your diagnosis and treatment options. There are several reasons to seek a second opinion. First, it’s important to understand all the…

“I am a medical doctor—a hospitalist working in an environment with many talented professionals. We share our knowledge and our approach to medicine with one another in ways that profoundly affect our patients and other personnel in the hospital. At our best, we are a community whose foundation is a willingness and openness to discuss…

A moment in medical school that left a huge impression on me was when we had chairman’s rounds with the department of medicine’s chair.  He was a renowned breast oncologist and researcher and described a bit of his process when interacting with a patient. The process he had developed over his years of experience was…

Years ago, I watched an interview on TV with nurses who cared for a man dying of Ebola. Their words and actions continue to ring as true today during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as they did then. Their compassion deeply moved me for this man dying a horrible death. They did all they could for…

“Oh, Canada! Every presidential election cycle, my colleagues joke that if the election result is not to their liking, they will move to Canada. On election night 2016, ‘move to Canada’ trended on Google, and the Canadian immigration website crashed. This election cycle America is having an existential crisis. What does America stand for? Who…

The recent controversy and backlash surrounding Kamala Harris’s Vogue cover shows that it is still fashionable to diminish powerful women.  It also is the latest example of the sad fact that no matter how far we have come, women are still held to a different standard—by both men and women. As a female vascular surgeon, I have…

Do you routinely make deadlines for meeting registrations? Paper revisions? Promotion and submissions? Most physicians easily make professional deadlines, but how often do you honor commitments to yourself? Similarly, do you have a friend who plans to go with you to the gym and then is always a no-show? Do you have a hypercritical friend…