The Podcast by KevinMD

"I will never forget these words. This physician validated my efforts to emotionally connect with patients. This message will indelibly shape the way I allow myself to care for and become invested in the patients to come in my future. Illness is often incredibly unfair, and sometimes we cannot overcome. However unbeatable a disease may be, a doctor can always remind a patient they are not going through this alone. We can be the one to hold their hand every day and stand with them until the very end. The magic of medicine sometimes lies in the brilliance of a treatment or cleverness of a diagnosis, but most often, it stems from the empathy of one heart opening itself to another." Claire Brown is a medical student. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The magic of medicine stems from the empathy of one heart opening itself to another." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/the-magic-of-medicine-stems-from-the-empathy-of-one-heart-opening-itself-to-another.html)

"Something had to give, and it would either be clinical medicine, or my business. I finally had to admit I was no longer fulfilled to the same level doing hospitalist work. So I made the decision to leave my clinical job. It was so terrifying that I put off making a decision for months. I thought about what it would mean for my blog readers that I wouldn't be in the trenches with them anymore. I thought about how it would affect my family if our real estate portfolio ever fell apart and I needed to be able to make money. I had a lot of fears. But I'd made the decision, long ago, that I would never make decisions from fear alone. So I submitted my resignation. And I threw out my Danskos." Letizia Alto is a hospitalist and who blogs at Semi-Retired MD. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "After 4,380 days, a pair of Danskos — and a calling — fall apart." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/09/after-4380-days-a-pair-of-danskos-and-a-calling-fall-apart.html)

Vaccine hesitancy can have a negative impact on rollout. A striking example comes from long-term care facilities. Approximately 78 percent of residents received a vaccine. In contrast, only 37 percent of staff members agreed to be vaccinated. Reasons for refusal include: perceived rapidity of vaccine development inadequate information received about vaccine safety, side effects, and administration skepticism regarding the clinical trials and vaccine approval process HERO-TOGETHER is an opportunity for people working in health care to continue the fight against COVID-19. HERO-TOGETHER participants will receive learnings and study updates, and compensation for their time. Taking part is an easy way to help fight COVID-19 and learn how to keep our communities and families healthy and virus-free. Signup at heroesresearch.org/together (https://heroesresearch.org/together/?utm_source=kevinmd&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-signup) Emily O'Brien is an epidemiologist, an associate professor in population health sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Emily is also the principal investigator of the HERO-TOGETHER study. Jessica Mega is co-founder and chief medical and scientific officer at Verily. Verily's mission is to develop the infrastructure and solutions to harness the profusion of health information for good. Their data-driven solutions across research, care, and innovation aim to improve the well-being of our communities.

"As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the globe, companies are working hard to develop innovative solutions to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Chinese companies such as Alibaba have led the way using artificial intelligence, data science, and technology. Startups are teaming up with clinicians, engineers, and government entities to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As we continue our fight in the management and eventual eradication of the virus, here are innovative ways companies are helping on the frontlines." Amita Kundra is a cardiac anesthesiologist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How technology is a weapon in the fight against COVID-19." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/09/how-technology-is-a-weapon-in-the-fight-against-covid-19.html)

"It is still extremely early in the Bitcoin story. This is due to the same network effect that Facebook, Amazon, and Apple have had as adoption of new technologies rapidly expand and are adopted by society. Bitcoin has passed its 'tipping point.' Converting some of your money to Bitcoin now is like taking an ownership stake in the Internet itself back in 1995. Ultimately, Bitcoin will either have a massive price appreciation or go to zero - meaning it is a hugely asymmetric investment. A mere 1% allocation could potentially 2x the value of your portfolio; a 10% investment could 11x the value of your portfolio. Losing 1% of your portfolio is an extremely small risk given the upside to bitcoin. Finding the right allocation is up to you, but having 0% allocated to Bitcoin is a massive risk since risk in bitcoin is asymmetric to the upside." Noah Kaufman is an emergency physician and financial planner. He is founder and CEO, Kaufman Medical Group, and can be reached on Twitter @noahkaufmanmd. He is also founder of the Facebook group, Physician Options Traders. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "How physicians should invest in Bitcoin." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/how-physicians-should-invest-in-bitcoin.html)

"The memory of these patients, and their families' utter anguish, stays with me. There was nothing I could have done to save them, nothing I did wrong. I've lost sleep, questioned my career choice, and sought mental health counseling to manage the stress of their loss. But the pain of their unexpected and tragic deaths lingers, like the torn knee tendon that heals but still throbs. I can walk on it, but it will occasionally start to ache—a reminder of trauma." Shira Shiloah is an anesthesiologist and can be reached on Twitter @ShiraShiloahMD. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Shira Shiloah, MD. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Second victim syndrome: The pain of unexpected and tragic deaths lingers with physicians." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/second-victim-syndrome-the-pain-of-unexpected-and-tragic-deaths-lingers-with-physicians.html)

"We are all interrelated. This is the foundational basis of osteopathic medicine. Whether considering internal relationships of the systems of the body or the external relationships of a person with the world around them, connection is a key principle at the core of osteopathy. Developed at a time when the baseline medical practice was lacking and offered as an answer to the beckoning call for a new perspective on methods of practice, osteopathic medicine is itself a call to curiosity and creativity. It is an invitation to challenge the status quo while standing in reverence of the grand design of human form and respect for the engagement with all of nature. Is there anything about the current practice of medicine that frustrates you? Do you notice outcomes that seem inappropriate, unfair, or discriminatory? Considering the possibility of health, do you see untapped potential in patients? Osteopathic philosophy offers the opportunity to see through to possible solutions." Amelia L. Bueche is an osteopathic physician and founder, This Osteopathic Life. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Expanding the osteopathic concept for the health of all things." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/expanding-the-osteopathic-concept-for-the-health-of-all-things.html)

"COVID-19 has propelled the nation into widespread telehealth services to provide consumer-based care, especially for those who access this technology. Equity issues arise when using digital communication because many underserved populations lack access to digital and/or mobile services. Inevitably, this brings up the greater concern of an unintentional exacerbation of disparities because low-income groups face limited access to both computers, mobile services, and the internet. Hence, investing in access to the internet and smartphones should be prioritized for underserved populations. As telehealth expands, broadband providers and municipal broadbands will cater to the demands in unserved areas by expanding their internet services." Sammi Wong is a medical student. Krysti Lan Chi Vo is a psychiatrist. They share their stories and discuss the KevinMD article, "Telehealth in underserved populations needs telecommunication expansion." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/telehealth-in-underserved-populations-needs-telecommunication-expansion.html)

"At that point, I realized Thanksgiving came early this year, and I missed it. It was a reminder of why many of us go into medicine. I didn't go into medicine for glory or fame. Nor did I go into medicine for financial reward. Still, I often told the resident physicians I was training, after seeing a particularly kind patient, 'Can you believe we just got paid for seeing such a nice person?' I went into medicine because I enjoyed helping people. Sometimes, we need a little reminder of that. Or, in this case, a big box of reminders." Marc L. Frost is a dermatologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Thanksgiving came early this year. I just didn't appreciate it." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/thanksgiving-came-early-this-year-i-just-didnt-appreciate-it.html)

"The first thing my husband said when I told him about MBA school was, 'the NBA has a school?' It didn't help that we first had our conversation about MBA school during the NBA playoffs but really – NBA school? I quickly overcame this moronic start to the conversation by saying 'M' as in Michael Jordan – MBA school. He got it from there and every day since. And every day since has led me to this point of reflecting over the past two years. How did I get an MBA? Why did I get an MBA? Was it worth it? Rewinding the clock to April 2018 brings back many fond memories and some memories I would sooner like to forget. I was 37 years old with a 1-year-old baby and a few months into my full-time job as a transplant nephrologist at a thriving transplant department. The job demands were significant, but the rewards matched the demand. I learned exponentially about transplant nephrology, which I find incredibly gratifying today; however, the learning curve, demand, and stress had me concerned about my long term ability to do this job while maintaining a healthy physical and mental disposition. Out of all of this uncertainty came one certainty: I wanted to possess the ability to pivot to a new job if necessary." Manpreet Samra is a nephrologist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "To MBA or not to MBA as an MD: a physician's journey." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/to-mba-or-not-to-mba-as-an-md-a-physicians-journey.html)