Lauren Roth is a family physician.

Inside the life of a hospice physician: Bringing peace to the dying

Physician
April 30, 2023

“I don’t know how you do what you do.” About 90 percent of the time, this is the response I get when I tell people that I am a hospice physician. “Isn’t it sad to work with dying people all the time? You lose all of your patients… that must be so difficult.”

Having been exposed to the many different ways that people can die throughout my medical training, I see …

Read more…

Inside the life of a hospice physician: Bringing peace to the dying

Stop telling physicians to be more resilient

Physician
April 3, 2022

I’ve come across several articles recently highlighting the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act. The primary stated intent of this is “to improve mental health among health care workers. It is named in honor of an emergency physician who died by suicide during the height of the COVID pandemic.

Although my very first thought was, “oh, thank God … they are finally listening,” that was quickly replaced with a sick …

Read more…

Stop telling physicians to be more resilient

How a doctor fell in love with a drug addict

Physician
June 5, 2021

“Something’s wrong with Eddie.”

In four words, my entire wedding day collapsed around me.  I’d just arrived at a beautiful Gothic chapel in a rented 1950 Rolls Royce, mom and dad on either side of me, prepared for a picture-perfect first look with my groom.  As his mother’s words echoed in my ear, I immediately thought of all the scenarios that could be easily remedied so we could move forward with …

Read more…

How a doctor fell in love with a drug addict

A patient written off by society. And a loving son.

Physician
April 28, 2021

“Do you know if he has designated anyone to be his health care power of attorney?” I asked the nurse.

“Well, with the kind of life he led, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have done that,” she replied.

Today I met a man for whom life has not been easy.  For the greater part of his five decades on this earth, he’d had trouble with drugs.  His mother told us that two …

Read more…

A patient written off by society. And a loving son.

How primary care almost killed this physician

Physician
September 14, 2020

In 2009, I started a family medicine residency. This dream had been brewing since age five when I decided that I wanted to be a doctor. I followed that dream like a mouse follows cheese. Despite some obstacles in the way, I kept my eyes on the prize. I couldn’t wait to be a doctor—a PCP. I couldn’t believe that someone would call me “their” doctor. The thought thrilled me. …

Read more…

How primary care almost killed this physician