Medical

Finances were reported as the second leading cause of physician depression for men and women in 2018. Doctors, like anyone else, face normal challenges that life throws at them. Additionally, they carry a huge weight on their shoulders as they go through rigorous training, are trained to put patients first, and are expected to increase…

I was busy running around the ER on a particularly busy shift when my phone buzzed, and a text message from Jane’s ex-boyfriend David popped up on the screen. I was surprised since I had not talked to him in over three years; therefore, I ignored it until I had a moment to myself an…

Why would a woman decide to carry another woman’s baby? One answer is that there are times in life when a loved one is in need of help. This happens when a sister or a cousin or a close friend has suffered repeated miscarriages, or had an illness or surgery that made pregnancy unlikely. In…

Being a specialist in infectious diseases right now is an interesting experience. Added to the usual challenges of our everyday practice — caring for people receiving transplants or chemotherapy, those with HIV, surgical infections, tropical diseases, and others — we now must manage a deluge of coronavirus-related questions from friends, family, and colleagues. Here are…

“Are you my doctor?” Mary* asked me, as I, a resident physician, approached her bed. “Yes, I am one of the primary medical doctors taking care of you here,” I confirmed with my standard, pre-scripted introduction — with little appreciation of the implications of these words. Mary was a 30-something-year-old woman who transferred to our…

Corpses. A sea of corpses. The smell of death was unmistakable. Its pungent odor snaked around corridors and made its way to the basement, where we stood in line to go up to the anatomy lab for the first time. My heart was racing. All along the walls were jars of human remains—brains, fetuses, organs.…

Is it time to rethink how we determine the capacity of our patients who are addicted to drugs?  I recently began debating this question after I took care of a young woman with endocarditis.  She had a long history of IV drug abuse that had led to the development of endocarditis.  She had been admitted…

I work as the medical director for a non-profit agency that serves people who are currently or formerly homeless. I am trained as a psychiatrist and have previously worked in local government. I live in the county in Washington State, where people have died from COVID-19. Here are my recommendations for other physician leaders in…