Why Not Tweet When You Are In the Hospital and Not Feeling Well?

Being isolated in a hospital room leaves you vulnerable to doctors who may be inappropriate, rude and even abusive. You might consider that having the capacity to call for help – to Tweet – is empowering. Health care #911, and very public! But…

Posted in Blogs, Communication, Empowered Patient, Future of Medicine, health care delivery, Life as a Doctor, Life as a Patient, Media, Privacy, Social MediaTagged , , , , , , 4 Comments on Why Not Tweet When You Are In the Hospital and Not Feeling Well?

A Message for Doctors, on Christmas in the Hospital

Please don’t race through rounds. Be a little generous with your time, your thoughts and words. Patients may need more examination, a bit of hand-holding, besides extra diligence.

Posted in from the author, Life, Life as a Doctor, Life as a PatientTagged , , , , , 2 Comments on A Message for Doctors, on Christmas in the Hospital

A Conference on Bioethics and Humanities, and Future Planning

The tone, overall, was intense. Intellectual, brain-stimulating… By contrast to other medical meetings I’ve attended, there was little glitz, scant makeup and limited Wireless. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the ASBH conference

Posted in Academic Medicine, Life as a Doctor, Medical Education, Medical EthicsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on A Conference on Bioethics and Humanities, and Future Planning

What Do We Need Doctors For?

… if doctors are just thinking, and not being the ones to call you back, or putting in intravenous catheters, or even just sitting and taking a thorough history – they’ll know you less well. And if they spend less time with you, a patient with a serious illness, they ….

Posted in Future of Medicine, health care delivery, Ideas, Life as a Doctor, Life as a Patient, Patient-Doctor RelationshipTagged , , , , , , , , 3 Comments on What Do We Need Doctors For?

Talking About Physician Burnout, and Changing the System

With many difficult situations, the first step in solving a problem is in acknowledging it exists. After that, you can understand it and, hopefully, fix it. Our health care system now, as it functions in most academic medical centers and dollar-strapped hospitals, doesn’t give doctors much of a break, or slack, or “joy,” as…

Posted in Communication, Life, Life as a Doctor, Life as a Patient, Medical Education, Medical News, PsychiatryTagged , , , , , 1 Comment on Talking About Physician Burnout, and Changing the System

Why Should Physicians Blog or Use Twitter?

Is a question I ask myself almost every day. When I started this blog, it was partly a response to what I perceived an unbalanced attack on the value of breast cancer screening by the mainstream news outlets. Why it’s continued is, mainly, that I find it liberating and, in a strange way, fun. As […]

Posted in Blogs, Communication, Life as a Doctor, Patient-Doctor Relationship, Social MediaTagged , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments on Why Should Physicians Blog or Use Twitter?

‘Cutting For Stone,’ and Considering the Experience of Practicing Medicine

A short note on Cutting for Stone, a novel I’ve just read by Dr. Abraham Verghese. He’s an expert clinician and professor at Stanford. The author uses rich language to detail aspects of Ethiopian history, medicine and quirks of human nature. The book’s a bit long but a page-turner, like some lives, taking a strange […]

Posted in Books, language, Life as a Doctor, Quote of the DayTagged , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on ‘Cutting For Stone,’ and Considering the Experience of Practicing Medicine

A Life-Changing Day

Today marks 9 years, exactly, since Dr. L. gave me the Call. It was a Wednesday afternoon. I was in clinic, caring for patients with blood diseases. In between seeing my patients and supervising the residents and fellows, I checked my voice mail. The message from Dr. L. said I should please contact her. Already, by […]

Posted in Breast Cancer, Life, Life as a Doctor, Life as a PatientTagged , , , , 3 Comments on A Life-Changing Day
newsletter software