Earlier this week, I made a stupid mistake, and that mistake cost us our dental and vision insurance for the year 2024.
You see, I had my COBRA from my old job that I had planned to keep, as the kids still had braces, and switching midway apparently resulted in non-coverage. So, I spent a lot of time researching it and setting it up so we would retain the dental component. …
My question to all the health care workers is, “Have you ever kept pets or tried to keep them?” If the answer is “yes,” then you are indeed very lucky. I think there are only two sources that can bring utter joy to humans in this life. One of them is children, and the other is pets. After a hectic day at work, when you reach home, the innocent laughter …
Are advance directives any better than they were four years ago when COVID was surging? Are patients still comfortable with being placed on ventilators? Do physicians better understand how to treat COVID as a serious illness?
Physicians provide emergency measures unless there’s an advance directive to the contrary. Only one-third of Americans have advance directives when “down for the count” with serious illness.
Most people prefer to die at …
With the elegant gowns, stylized hair, carefully applied makeup, and moments in the spotlight, beauty pageants have attracted longstanding criticism for being allegedly superficial competitions that foster narcissism. But beneath the surface lies a wealth of opportunities for personal growth and skill development. Most modern pageants have moved away from being modeling competitions that assess superficial beauty. Instead, they have been reframed as personality competitions, evaluating qualities such as communication …
A non-compliant patient arrives at the ER for evaluation of high blood pressure. Why isn’t she taking her medication? It costs $300 per month, and she can’t afford it. Has she talked to her doctor about a less expensive alternative? No.
Unfortunately, this type of interaction occurs far too frequently. The doctor would be happy to prescribe a cheaper alternative if requested, and the patient would love a cheaper option but …
The McLaughlin 360 Evaluation: preparation (part one)
Have you ever heard the expression, “The truth will set you free”? Well, it might. But before it sets you free, it’s probably going to piss you off.
If you are seriously interested in self-improvement, you have to ask hard questions. And then listen!
About a year ago, I embarked on a personal exercise to learn how to be a better leader and person. I began …
In medicine, we are taught to be professional and, at all times, to keep our emotions at bay. While this approach may work for some professionals, it is particularly challenging in medicine, especially in primary care. As a family physician, I have witnessed the journey of my patients over the years—sometimes spanning generations within a single family. I have seen my teenage patients grow into responsible adults and parents. I …
I am a pediatrician who trained in a residency program that taught us insurance companies were evil entities intent on profits over patient care. As ICD codes and CPT codes expanded, my colleagues complained that these were ways insurers could deny care and keep them from making a living. When electronic medical records (EMR) entered the scene, many doctors complained again about the tyranny of spending all their time typing …
As an allergy, immunology, and autoimmune disease specialist, I frequently see patients whose stories are a harsh indictment of our medical system. They’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, and forced to navigate a maze designed for quick fixes, not the complexities they endure. These unseen patients fight multi-system illnesses that defy textbooks. Their journeys highlight just how broken our approach to chronic disease truly is.
Playing “medical hot potato,” they bounce between specialists …
Older physicians often bemoan what’s perceived as a decline in professionalism during residency training. Caps on the number of inpatients assigned to an intern or resident. Duty hour limits. Wellness retreats. While these may be imperfect, they’re at least aligned with or heading in the direction of what is the right way to balance the rigors of a lifetime of training in and practicing medicine with the safety, quality, and …
In the English Rule, the losing party in a lawsuit pays all legal costs. It is accepted worldwide; however, in the United States, it was replaced by the American Rule. In the American Rule, both the plaintiff and defendant in a lawsuit pay their own legal costs. Of course, there are exceptions.
In theory, the American Rule encourages meritorious lawsuits and discourages frivolous and even malicious ones. It is noteworthy that, …
“The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
— Frederick Douglass
For doctors beginning their postgraduate professional lives, there are several options. One is the proverbial “hanging up the shingle,” a folk saying meaning going out on one’s own. The advantage is that this doctor is his/her own boss, can run the practice any way desired, and reap all the profits; the downside is such a …
In the relentless pursuit of saving lives and advancing health care, medical professionals often find themselves on the frontline, where the high stakes of their profession can blur the lines between personal well-being and professional obligations. The noble calling to medicine is, without doubt, a source of immense fulfillment and pride. Yet, this very dedication can sometimes push us towards an imbalance, impacting not just our well-being but also the …
When you are a young academic general surgeon, even the nights are sometimes good. A good on-call night unfolds something like this. You might have spent the day working in the operating room or in the clinic seeing patients. Your on-call typically begins at 5 p.m., although occasionally, a colleague may ask to sign out early. This call period will not end until 7 or 8 a.m. the next morning, …
The reward for good work is always more work. The employer becomes dependent on the quality of work that you do because he knows that you, as a person, are a workaholic and perfectionist. You put your heart and soul into everything you do. No other employers can do the kind of work that you do. But don’t ever think that you would be appreciated for your hard work. You …
At the lowest depths of burnout, I was a “disruptive physician.” I got away with a lot. I frequently lashed out in anger with inappropriate comments to nurses and staff. I yelled at my husband and my kids. I was in full “victim” mode and I let everyone know it.
As an OB/GYN, I was available to my patients 24/7/365. This was the way it was in my private practice. I …
The healing potential of human interaction should always be considered, particularly when practicing medicine. Early in my medical career, I worked in the electromyography laboratory at Charity Hospital, Louisiana State University. During my time there, I saw an astonishing variety of patients. Among other things, we were the hospital of choice for the nearby Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, or “The Alcatraz of the South.” This prison was infamous for housing …
In recent years, malpractice attorneys have intensified their efforts to target physicians, becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of legal action. This relentless pursuit can be likened to Captain Ahab’s relentless quest for the white whale in the famous novel Moby Dick. The landscape has become increasingly challenging for physicians, as recent tort reform legislation in numerous states is rolling back the protections they once enjoyed. This unsettling trend underscores …
In the high-stakes world of medicine, doctors are revered for their dedication to saving lives and providing compassionate care. However, behind the white coats and stethoscopes lies a harsh reality that many health care professionals often overlook—the risk of burnout. Burnout among doctors is a pressing issue that affects their personal well-being and compromises the quality of care they deliver to patients. To combat this pervasive problem, doctors must confront …
The CDC is trying, desperately, it seems, to pound a square peg into a round hole, blaming COVID-19 for a surge in alcohol use and ignoring a glaring problem with the evidence. That’s not something you generally expect from scientists. However, I would argue the CDC is no longer controlled by scientists. While dedicated scientists still work there, the CDC is now controlled by politics. Founded as the Communicable Disease …
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