Medical
Why COVID is so emotional for physicians [PODCAST]
“These encounters made my evening shift much more emotional than usual. I am still not sure what it was exactly that evoked such strong feelings of sadness. Was it having a patient who was a health care worker? Was it the rapidity in which all three patients’ conditions deteriorated? Was it realizing that without timely,…
Read MoreLessons learned from leaving my first job
As a fellow, I made a list of what I wanted in my first job. I dreamed, prayed, and wished for the contract to finalize. It did. I went to Ohio hoping that this was my first, last, and always job. Eight years later, I left feeling completely broken. On my first anniversary of leaving,…
Read MoreDoctors with real estate holdings need to automate
The most common question I am asked when someone finds out I managed my own real estate while I was a full-time general surgeon is: “How could you possibly have time to manage your rental real estate while being a full-time general surgeon? General surgery is a full-time job. It’s not possible to fit a…
Read MoreAlone in the hospital in the midst of a global pandemic
I have never felt so alone. I was lying in bed with severe abdominal pain. Pain I never had before. Well, at least not for a reason. As I lay there, I kept thinking, what if I die while I wait until morning. It was the middle of the night. I had not felt well…
Read MoreTo be in medicine is to know grief, pain, and heartbreak in a personal way
“Grief never ends … but it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith … It is the price of love.” – Anonymous The “price of love”: We are now paying that price with the passing of Debbie this weekend. I grieve…
Read MoreThe lessons learned from street medicine
So, what is street medicine, or “street med” to those who are closely acquainted with the field? In a few words, it is a rapidly expanding sector of medicine that addresses the unique health and social service needs surrounding the unsheltered homeless population. As street medders, we embrace a philosophy of harm reduction and kinship…
Read MoreThink you have an iodine allergy? You may want to reconsider. [PODCAST]
“Iodine-based contrast agents are widely used for CT and other X-ray studies. They light up blood vessels and enhance perfusing tissue. These agents are essential for diagnosing everything from clots, to tumor, to bleeding. Unfortunately, many patients do not get contrast studies they may benefit from, due to unnecessary confusion about allergies. The most important…
Read MoreThis is what it’s like to be in the shoes of a medical student
The student is last on the list. But he is not fixed in that position such that he can consider some space to be his own. He must be ready to be last in any formation that the list may hold. And if, for some reason, there is no room for him on the list,…
Read MoreGenital shrinkage is real. And so is the distress it causes.
“How can I help you, sir?” I asked because it was clear he wanted help. I could sense the man’s distress over the phone. His voice cracked just a little, and he cleared his throat frequently. I hadn’t met him, and so had no image of him in my mind, but I thought he might…
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