Dermatology
Discover the reality of living with hidradenitis suppurativa [PODCAST]
Why does it take 10 years to diagnose this common disease?
Every day, patients with the same story walk into my office. Young people in their teens, 20s or 30s are exasperated and seeking help for constant painful boils that drain the pus in underarms, groin, and around breasts — a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This disease often makes their lives a nightmare. Despite being a more common condition than once thought, many patients see providers for 7 to 10 …
How you’re being tricked into buying lotions, potions, and wrinkle cream
An excerpt from The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream.
Why do accomplished, intelligent women spend so much money on skincare products that don’t work? Why do they put so much energy into looking a certain way? These questions hover in the back of …
Want your skin to look better? Then consider your mental health.
Despite a popular embrace of self-care and the growing awareness of trauma-like symptoms stemming from COVID, one facet of mental health remains widely overlooked: the way our emotional state affects our skin.
Although most of us don’t think about it regularly, our mental state impacts our bodies from head to toe, and the skin—the largest, most visible organ of the human body—is not an exception.
Over the last …
A call to dismantle structural heteronormative care
“That is a very heteronormative lens.”
These words were uttered to me by a 23-year-old female patient as I explained i-PLEDGE and the steps she must complete to take oral isotretinoin.
The visit started as fairly routine. A young female presented with a complaint of acne. I quickly appraised the patient on entering. She was petite, with a blonde pixie cut. She wore clothes that …
Think TikTok is smarter than me? Then I’m not the right doctor for you.
“I don’t think I am the right doctor for you.”
In over 20 years of practice, I had never uttered those words before this year. Now, as my medical assistant of 20 years remarks, almost two years into the pandemic, I say it almost daily.
I like to think I am a good physician and listener, spending most of the outpatient visit time trying to understand what it is that the patient …
Chlorophyll, acne, and TikTok: Should these mix?
Available in 155 countries, found in 75 different languages, and having at least 689 million monthly active users worldwide, the social media platform, TikTok, has taken the online world by force since its arrival in 2016. Its ability for users to create brief, 5 to 60 second long videos, while tagging their video content using “hashtags” (#) and establishing “followers” has made TikTok …
Confession from a female doctor: I am sexist
Maybe it’s a testament to a hardy relationship that there was no resulting argument. Without thinking, I blurted out, “You are so sexist!” I could immediately tell by my husband’s face, his upper eyelids and eyebrows lifted a bit, his mouth freeze-framed in a small “o” — my exclamation surprised and insulted him. Maybe it was a completely unfair assessment; after all, he was standing at the sink, his hands …
3 strategies for matching into a competitive specialty, even with a lower USMLE score
For applicants seeking to match into a competitive specialty, it can be challenging. In fact, it’s not uncommon for programs to receive over 100 applications for a single residency position. To sort through that many applications, many programs use filters. One type of filter is a USMLE “cut-off” score: applicants who don’t score above a certain minimum won’t be considered further.
That’s why, for applicants with lower-than-average USMLE scores, my advice …
From a dermatologist: How to beat “maskne,” dry hands, and other safety-related skin problems
You are doing all the right things: washing your hands frequently, wearing a mask when out in public, getting the requisite sunlight needed to reduce stress and maintain your health. And the reward you’re getting for all your diligence?
Dry skin, damaged nails, acne, and sunburns.
As we continue to live with the threat of COVID-19, more people find themselves wrestling with skin issues they never anticipated. Fortunately, there are easy and …
2 tales of physician assistant burnout
For the first 12 years as a physician assistant, I thought provider burnout only happened to wusses, those better suited to working in health insurance or doctoring at a summer camp. Sure, I felt overwhelmed at times, but I planned to soldier on in clinical practice, happily serving my patients until retirement.
That was before. Before dreading Sunday nights, feeling heaviness in my gut, a tightness in my neck, and bouts …
The story of an Indian doctor with vitiligo
“Alright, sir, that’s the plan, and we will take good care of you. What questions do you have for me?” I asked after discussing the patient’s condition and hospital course. The patient looked satisfied and nodded as if he understood the plan, and asked: “Well, one question, where are you from?” I immediately let out an internal sigh, knowing where this conversation was going and replied, “Well sir, I was …
Why is it hard to find a good dermatologist in a competitive market?
We’ve all heard the phrase, “survival of the fittest.” It suggests that in the competitive, “free market” world, it is the “best” who survives and it’s “the cream” that rises to the top. But is that true for doctors? Do patients get better care when competition rules the health care marketplace?
A few years ago, a doctor from a large primary care group contacted me to give a talk to the …
Hair is undoubtedly the politician’s crowning glory
It all started with John F. Kennedy’s campaign for the presidency. After eight years with President Eisenhower’s baldness and Vice President Nixon’s receding hairline, the American public was ready for a change. Kennedy had great hair, which he flaunted by appearing bareheaded at his inauguration. A new political maxim was established that day; to win in American politics, it’s not what’s in your head, but what’s on your head that …
How climate change affects your skin
Global climate change is reaching a critical mass.
Since the advent of the industrial revolution, we have seen the global mean temperatures increase by 1°C (1.8°F), and significant steps must be taken by 2030 to mitigate an even larger global temperature increase of 1.5 to 3C as predicted by 2030. In other words, we are in dire need of change.
This change is not only reliant on governmental policy change but is …
How to match into dermatology: A medical student shares her success story
I didn’t match dermatology the first time. It was a harrowing experience, and I had a chip on my shoulder until the day I opened my match envelope.
The reality is that in the last ten years, dermatology has become the most competitive specialty in medicine. Hundreds of extremely qualified applicants are disappointed each year. Therefore, not matching is not a reflection of one’s qualifications as a future …
Don’t tell patients they look great, except in these cases
One of my colleagues sat on a wheeled clinic stool at the end of the examination table and told the patient, which was in this case an actor, “Everything looks great.” After, he swiveled around to face the instructor and the small group of onlooking medical students behind him. Our instructor also turned to us and said, “Very good job. But can anyone tell me what he did wrong?” He …
An awkward encounter with a hypochondriac
A warning about examining your friend’s medical condition. Brad Nieder is a physician and comedian and can be reached at the Healthy Humorist.
It’s time for teamwork in dermatology
RRegardless of specialty, no physician can truly provide patients with the care they deserve if they practice in isolation. In recent years, the health care system has acknowledged this reality by embracing greater collaboration and team-based care. With an aging population increasing the prevalence of chronic disease and life-threatening conditions, the timing couldn’t be better.
For the field of dermatology, the American Academy of Dermatology’s recent Burden …
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The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters
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Recent Posts
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Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]
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Past Week
-
The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors
-
Physicians are a finite resource we need to protect
-
Beyond pizza and pens: National Doctors’ Day should be about saving lives
-
From clocking in to clocking out: the transition to retirement
-
Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]
-
Telemedicine in the opioid crisis: a game-changer threatened by DEA regulations
-
Past 6 Months
-
The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame
-
Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?
-
The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters
-
It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work
-
Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care
-
The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors
-
Recent Posts
-
Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]
-
Breaking the cycle of failure in modern medicine
-
ChatGPT: the Napster of the AI world?
-
The missing piece of physicians’ financial plans
-
Counterfeit drugs: a hidden danger lurking in your medicine cabinet
-
How understanding cultural backgrounds can lead to better patient care [PODCAST]
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