The Podcast by KevinMD

"Technology continues to evolve every day. In the near-term future, portable and easily deployable robots will allow surgeons all over the world to perform minimally invasive surgery in an increasing number of procedure types and become even more effective surgeons. To achieve our goal of having a future surgeon workforce that meets the demands of an aging population and delivers good patient outcomes, we need training and knowledge-sharing at scale. Surgical robotics is poised to be an important part of the solution." Barry Greene is a general and bariatric surgeon. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Robotic surgery's impact on training the next generation of surgeons." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/robotic-surgerys-impact-on-training-the-next-generation-of-surgeons.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"Dear resident physicians: Soon you'll finish residency, and you may be wondering what's next. Some of you will start fellowships, but most of you will practice your specialty. You may be looking for opportunities that are a good match with your needs and wants. Virtually all of you are looking forward to greater income. I hope that this ending is also a beginning – a renewal of your commitment to the life-long learning that is medicine. One of the current concerns of our society is the possibility of a physician shortage. Some of that shortfall is attributed to a mass exodus of physicians experiencing "burnout." Pervasive pessimism is the rule. It's time to break the rule. You can thrive, not just survive." Faith A. Coleman is a family physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Physicians and the importance of servant leadership." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/physicians-and-the-importance-of-servant-leadership.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"The problem with feeling like an imposter is thinking there's something wrong with it. I know this is different from any way you have thought about it, but humor me. What happens when we are offered an opportunity but we feel like an imposter? We hide. We overwork to compensate. We look around at our colleagues and resent them. Because why do they get to feel so secure? Why aren't they feeling insecure? They don't even spend time worrying about it, and that leads to more resentment! They are not working as hard as you, and now they are not stressing about the opportunity like you are. What is the result of those actions? We spend lots of time in indecision, overwhelm, fear, resentment, and overwork. We might take the opportunity, do well even, but hate the whole process and add it to the bad feelings we already feel about ourselves. What is behind feeling like an imposter? It's the thoughts that we tell ourselves. It helps to understand the motivation behind these thoughts. We were wired to survive." Amy Vertrees is a general surgeon and co-founder, The Common Thread Women Surgeon Coaching. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Stop resisting the imposter." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/stop-resisting-the-imposter.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"Sufferers of diseases, particularly terrible ones like Alzheimer's disease, and their loved ones need and deserve something better than science can deliver today. However, the scientific rigor of the clinical trials process where approval is only granted to drugs with a clear benefit in excess of risk needs to return. Imagine the position this puts neurologists in today. Having a conversation with an Alzheimer's disease patient and family about why prescribing Aduhelm does not make sense. The only thing they would likely hear is they are being robbed of hope, false though it may be. And yet, if the American Academy of Neurology were to actively advise against using Aduhelm and every neurologist in the U.S. treating Alzheimer's disease sufferers were to refuse to prescribe it, the message to the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA would be crystal clear." Wes Campbell is a health care economist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Aduhelm and how money and politics supersede science." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/aduhelm-and-how-money-and-politics-supersede-science.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"'Hi, my name is Kristin Yates, and I am the OB/GYN doctor.' This is how I greet most patients for the first time. It has never really felt natural to introduce myself as 'Dr. Yates,' even now that I have been an attending physician for more than five years. To be fair, for the first several years of my career, it felt uncomfortable to refer to myself as 'Dr. Yates' because part of me felt like a total fraud. But as I began to make strides to overcome my self-doubt and realized that imposter syndrome was just a normal part of being human, I realized that my aversion to being called 'Dr. Yates' was about way more than just awkwardness." Kristin Yates is an obstetrics-gynecology physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Don't call me 'doctor.'" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/dont-call-me-doctor.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"Although people think of medicine as a science—the facts reveal the diagnosis, the diagnosis dictates the treatment—most physicians acknowledge that medicine is as much an art as a science. It's not like a simple math equation with one undeniably right answer. Even when the diagnosis is clear, there may still be multiple appropriate treatment paths that deliver similar outcomes. And there are many cases where the diagnosis is not definitive, especially in the case of complex diseases and many types of cancer. That's why a second opinion is an important tool for people who have received a cancer diagnosis. Not only can it help lower the risk of misdiagnosis or an inappropriate plan of treatment, but it's also essential for decision making. A second opinion from a specialist who has extensive experience treating people with the type of cancer you've been diagnosed with can change or confirm your diagnosis." Miles J. Varn is chief executive officer, PinnacleCare, and can be reached on LinkedIn. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why people diagnosed with cancer should get a second opinion." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/why-people-diagnosed-with-cancer-should-get-a-second-opinion.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"I was a bit nervous about how she would perceive my advice. She could find it inappropriate and report me for making personal remarks. But I believe she sensed the sincerity in my words and appeared invigorated, uplifted, and excited. She was smiling now and exclaimed, 'Doctor, you will see now how I get my game on!' She asked me when her next scans would be, and I told her, 'First, you make an appointment at the hair salon, and I will schedule your next scans after that.' We struck a deal, and her body language changed. She jumped out of her chair and walked out of the room like a woman on a mission. A mission to look good. A mission to not feel ugly. I don't know how much longer she has to live. She may have another two months or another two years. I will be ready to treat any symptom she gets from cancer, but I will also make sure that we do everything for her to feel beautiful. Just like she actually is." Farhan S. Imran is a hematology-oncology physician who blogs at Did I Ask? He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "After all the years of medical training, I learned how to treat ugly on my own." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/04/after-all-the-years-of-medical-training-i-learned-how-to-treat-ugly-on-my-own.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"Always remember your humanity. You are not super-human. Make connections to your heart, to your mind, to others. Look closely at the situation that lies before you, listen carefully to all that is around you, and calm the pounding heart. Dig deep within your psyche, ask the big questions, and most importantly, listen to the answers. Rediscover the reasons that have been your motivation, your driving force. Uncover those layers you have put in place for your protection to cushion against the harshness. Open your eyes. Open your heart. Your lifeline is within your grasp. This lifeline is tethered to your core, to those you care for, to those who care for you. Once lost, you are now found. You are at equilibrium. You have found your way back." Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "A message from a patient to health care workers: Always remember your humanity." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/a-message-from-a-patient-to-health-care-workers-always-remember-your-humanity.html) This episode is sponsored by Tradeoffs, available on your favorite podcast platform.

"In fully-humanized health care, I envision patients as clients, with doctors as part of the health care team in a role more akin to expert consultants and skilled proceduralists. The consumer is empowered in the network to drive his or her own health — taking the central role rather than the physician. By continuously humanizing health care and creating therapeutic alliances, we gain one more benefit. We enlist the efforts of the client's natural support network, a free army of caregivers to reduce the load on our overburdened health care system. But to be effective, the support network will need engaging and actionable information. Together with providers, they will help individuals integrate multiple modalities in their journey toward healthfulness. Therapeutic alliances not only would reduce costs by sharing information with people in a way that encourages them to take more responsibility for their own health, but they would also reduce the dehumanization rampant in health care today." Summer Knight is a family physician and physician executive. She is the author of Humanizing Healthcare: Hardwire Humanity into the Future of Health. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Humane health care outcomes by creating therapeutic alliances." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/04/humane-health-care-outcomes-by-creating-therapeutic-alliances.html)

"While opposition to the vaccine may be hardening, pediatricians and family physicians enjoy an advantage the CDC and Dr. Fauci may not: namely, they are liked and trusted by patients. In general, parents look to personal physicians for guidance and usually follow their advice on health care for their children. Doctors can use that trust to convince skeptical parents of the benefits of getting their children vaccinated. Even the medical office setting can be an advantage. Unlike a bustling pharmacy or a crowded mass vaccination site, a doctor's office offers a low-key, familiar environment, one in which a parent might be more open to counseling." Rich Parker is an internal medicine physician. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "How to get young patients vaccinated against COVID-19." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/how-to-get-young-patients-vaccinated-against-covid-19.html)