The Podcast by KevinMD

"Just a few seconds after the needle penetrated my arm, I felt a mild soreness, kind of like a flu shot. But as I sat for the required 15 minutes of observation time, a wave of something engulfed my body. It was such a strange, unfamiliar sensation that I didn't realize what was happening. I looked around the room at the other medical personnel getting their shots, and no one seemed to pay me any attention. I wasn't changing color, short of breath, or breaking out into a sweat. I did harbor reservations about the safety of this new vaccine that seemed rushed to market. Was I about to become a statistic in the next FDA safety bulletin? It seemed like forever, but finally, I divined what was happening to me. I felt different inside. A fundamental change had occurred deep within my body. I sensed that others in the room experienced a similar feeling. I struggled to recall the name of the emotion. It had been so long. It was happiness." Andrew N. Wilner is a neurologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "An unexpected COVID-19 vaccine side effect." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/an-unexpected-covid-19-vaccine-side-effect.html)

"Many colleagues in medicine already talk about medicine never going back to its state pre-COVID-19 – be it telehealth for patients, new flexibility to work/life scheduling, or a new acceptance of telecommuting outside of direct patient care. There has been too much suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and stressors of 2020 to progress through 2021 and beyond without lessons learned. New recognition of the need to broaden the definition of what 'counts' in careers, be it in health care or beyond, along with a means to articulate that, must be a lasting outcome of our nation's response to the pandemic if we want to avoid losing more of our best and brightest in these fields." Avital O'Glasser is an internal medicine physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The COVID-19 pandemic brought many new challenges in medicine. A novel tool may help to overcome some of them." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/the-covid-19-pandemic-brought-many-new-challenges-in-medicine-a-novel-tool-may-help-to-overcome-some-of-them.html)

"The tragedy that's happening in medicine today is that the loss of respect and the constant threats to fair payment are making physicians regret that they ever chose medicine. They were fascinated with science and wanted to help people, and their reward is insult. It's no wonder that some newly trained physicians leave anesthesiology quickly; there's little risk to running a hangover clinic in Las Vegas. Many physicians from all specialties get MBAs because they see that the real rewards in healthcare lie in becoming a CEO. Look at the salaries of top executives: the CEO of Anthem made more than $14 million in 2018, as an example, while insurance companies did everything they could to avoid or delay signing fair contracts and paying clinical physicians for patient care. There is a growing shortage of physicians, not just in primary care but in specialties too. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) estimates that the U.S. will be desperately seeking surgeons in the next 10 to 12 years, and looking for more anesthesiologists to work with them. As older physicians retire, and younger ones aren't willing to work the long hours that used to be routine, this will only get worse, while increasing numbers of older Americans will need more complex medical care. Maybe your barber will learn to operate on you, just like the barber surgeons of old, and your local gun store will sell you a bullet to bite on. Best of luck." Karen S. Sibert is an anesthesiologist who blogs at A Penned Point. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Keep insulting doctors, and good luck finding a physician in 10 years." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/01/keep-insulting-doctors-and-good-luck-finding-a-physician-in-10-years.html)

"This is our call to action. I have the experience, knowledge, expertise, and deep passion for teaching every medical student these skills. I cannot do it alone. I need you. We need to do this together. I am seeking those of you who are caring, innovative clear thinkers involved in medical school curriculum creation. We owe it to our physician seedlings. We owe it to their future patients. Who out there can now see 20/20? It is time to change the culture of medicine and focus on prevention. I am 100 percent in. Who is with me?" Robyn Tiger is a radiologist and can be reached at Stress Free MD. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The Rx we were never taught to write." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/the-rx-we-were-never-taught-to-write.html)

"We need full transparency and empowerment of patients and doctors to make wise decisions. We must renew and restore the sanctity of the patient-doctor relationship. We need to stop pretending that health care can be 'free,' stop calling premium price prepaid care 'insurance,' and use market forces like choice and competition to cut our bloated costs. 'Insurance' needs to 'insure' against the unexpected, not pay for the routine. I am a proud independent physician. Taking care of patients is what I know. It is what I do best. Get the government and the insurance company out of my exam room and let us all do what we do best. Patients will be the ultimate winners." Mary Tipton is an internal medicine-pediatrics physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Why socialized health care is not right for America." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/why-socialized-health-care-is-not-right-for-america.html)

"Health care delivery will always be inherently unpredictable and challenging. Those drawn to medicine are among our most resilient, but the current landscape reveals acutely a rise in burnout that exceeded acceptable levels even before the COVID-19 outbreak. Such innate resilience in clinicians and clinical care teams is an individual and strategic asset worthy of recognition, protection, and system-wide approaches that nurture and potentiate it. Such system-wide advocacy serves to proactively promote the vitality of health care delivery, quality of care, individual and group purpose, life-work satisfaction, and balance. Ultimately, these all are recognized as antidotes to burnout." Pennie Sempell is an attorney and co-founder and CEO, StressPal. She shares her story and discusses the KevinMD article, "Persistent stressors and resilience: a new way forward for health care communities." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/persistent-stressors-and-resilience-a-new-way-forward-for-health-care-communities.html)

"This is not what I signed up for. Have you ever said this when you are rushing home 1.5 hours after the last patient left and you still haven't finished all your charting? You grab a handful of forms to take home with you with the hopeful expectation that you will get them done tonight too. After you have done 'enough' to appear to be a present parent and prepared supper and said goodnight to the kids, that is. You sink into the couch at the end of the household rush with the guilty constant 'should be' invading your every breath. I should be finishing my notes. I should go empty that inbox. I should tackle one or two of those forms. But your body feels heavy, and your couch entraps you with its soft embrace, you open Facebook and disappear." Sarah J. Smith is a family physician and can be reached at the Charting Coach. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "You didn't sign up for this. You don't have to drown in the paperwork." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/you-didnt-sign-up-for-this-you-dont-have-to-drown-in-the-paperwork.html)

"I now say getting divorced was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Through that painful circumstance, I rediscovered me. I learned more about myself and my ability to do hard things than at any point in my life since medical training. I'm not the same person that I was before my divorce, and that's OK. I'm more confident, decisive, and self-assured. Those are all qualities that not only benefit me, but benefit my patients as well. Because of my divorce, my patients now get Dr. Trina Dorrah, version 2.0, and we are all better off because of that." Trina E. Dorrah is an internal medicine physician and can be reached at Dr Trina Dorrah Life Coaching. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How divorce helped this physician." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/how-divorce-helped-this-physician.html)

"One of the best solutions to rising obesity and non-communicable disease rates lie in primary care. Medical professionals can influence the U.S. food system indirectly through demand and collective purchasing power by educating their patients to choose and purchase healthier options. Merely improving nutrition education succeeds in shifting people's thinking about food. Simultaneous with the WHO's declaration of the Decade of Action on Nutrition is the "food is medicine" movement that has been growing in response to mounting evidence that a nutritionally-sound diet and access to quality foods improve health outcomes. The theory behind food is medicine is that food is a preventative public health system. This movement includes prescription meals to people with multiple chronic conditions and low income, food delivery services, and community food quality assessment. So far, the food is medicine solution has proven cost-effective, and one study reported a 16 percent reduction in health care costs in meal recipients. We know that widening health disparities are partially diet-dependent. Integrating nutrition into primary care is really a social necessity. Just as everyone should have access to medical care, all Americans should have equal access to proper nutritional guidance and nutritious food." Melinda Mesmer is an internal medicine physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Put nutrition counseling in primary care." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/put-nutrition-counseling-in-primary-care.html)

"I have closed my practice, but I have no plans to retire at the age of 52. I have started the journey to become a high school science teacher. There are frequent internet postings and blogs by physicians with strategies to retire young. I suspect that many of us, not near traditional retirement age, still desire to work. At this point, I do not yet have a passion for traveling the world or for driving around the country in an RV like many former physicians. Furthermore, I still have two children who are not yet college age. I enjoy working, and I fear mental stagnation were I to retire at this point. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. From pre-school through hand fellowship, I have had 28 years of formal education. It is time for me to reciprocate and to honor the extraordinary minds of my teachers and mentors. I am excited to become a high school teacher. I was a chemistry major in college, and it will be a smooth transition to teach high school science. I judge success not by financial wealth, but by contributing to the community and finding happiness in life. I don't miss my pager." Timothy Bill is a plastic surgeon. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why this plastic surgeon closed his practice to become a high school science teacher." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/why-this-plastic-surgeon-closed-his-practice-to-become-a-high-school-science-teacher.html)