The Podcast by KevinMD

"I am a veterinarian. More specifically, I am a veterinary specialist, board-certified in emergency and critical care. I don't play with puppies and kittens. I treat the worst of the worst in a specialty hospital setting with a state-of-the-art ER and ICU. Despite years of education, including veterinary school, internship, fellowship, and residency to obtain this education and specialty board certification, I was not prepared for the emotional toll of becoming a veterinarian." Garret Pachtinger is a veterinarian. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Suicide in veterinary medicine is a huge problem right now." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/suicide-in-veterinary-medicine-is-a-huge-problem-right-now.html)

"I am a medical doctor—a hospitalist working in an environment with many talented professionals. We share our knowledge and our approach to medicine with one another in ways that profoundly affect our patients and other personnel in the hospital. At our best, we are a community whose foundation is a willingness and openness to discuss hard facts and make difficult decisions. So why is it that when I was first diagnosed with infertility, I felt so alone? I was 1 in 8. Where were the others? There are hundreds of thousands of female doctors; where were the thousands who shared my situation? I didn't know anyone else. Because no one talks about it." Kate Hoppock is an internal medicine physician and can be reached at Fertility Found. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Normalizing infertility conversations in the workplace." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/normalizing-infertility-conversations-in-the-workplace.html)

"Oh, Canada! Every presidential election cycle, my colleagues joke that if the election result is not to their liking, they will move to Canada. On election night 2016, 'move to Canada' trended on Google, and the Canadian immigration website crashed. This election cycle America is having an existential crisis. What does America stand for? Who is American? What are American values? This time around, my colleagues aren't chuckling. Instead, they are frantically emailing Canadian colleagues, scouring the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons site for details, and hoping they don't have to take additional exams. So, to ease the presidential election anxiety, here's a guide on practicing medicine in Canada." Ashwini Bapat is a palliative care physician. She shares her story and discusses the KevinMD article, "Election anxiety? Here's a guide to practicing medicine in Canada." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/election-anxiety-heres-a-guide-to-practicing-medicine-in-canada.html)

"It is often difficult to reflect on the holidays when we are grieving positively. One thing to keep in mind is that the loved one/ones we lost would want us to remember them fondly and enjoy the holiday season. The holidays are rare occasions when families who are often separated by long distances come together. That time is precious, and as we well know, is limited. Making the most of the time, you have together will be a work in progress and a pathway to healing." Anjani Amladi is a psychiatrist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Anjani Amladi, MD. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Empty chairs at the table this holiday season." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/empty-chairs-at-the-table-this-holiday-season.html)

"The pandemic has been difficult, but it has managed to change my perspective for the better. I mourn for the suffering and loss we have experienced as humanity, and moving forward, I have a new sense of appreciation. I am hopeful for the future, and I know we are in this together. We should try to focus on appreciation, resilience, adaptability, and self-discipline. This is the most difficult time to do it as it seemingly has been forced upon us, but if we do not try it now, then when? As you read this, I want to know how the pandemic affected you directly. What have you improved upon, what have you grown to appreciate even more? I think we can all learn from each other, and if we focus on our resilience and some positivity, it may be a little easier to move forward and focus on hope for our future." Jasmine Toor is an internal medicine physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Positive growth from the COVID-19 pandemic." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/positive-growth-from-the-covid-19-pandemic.html)

"Vaccines have been around as early as 1776 when Edward Jenner first pioneered the smallpox vaccine and Louis Pasteur produced a rabies vaccine. As a microbiologist's child, I grew up hearing these stories from my father and thinking of these men as heroes. Vaccines have been proven so effective and safe that we are guilty of taking them for granted. There may have been a few mishaps, but given current standards for testing efficacy and safety, there is very little to worry about. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox was eradicated from the face of the earth, and there was no need for further vaccination. I, for one, cannot wait to hear the same about COVID-19." Anupama Verma is a nephrologist and can be reached on Twitter @anuvmd. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "#ThisIsOurShot to end the pandemic." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/thisisourshot-to-end-the-pandemic.html)

"COVID-19 wreaks havoc on multiple areas of the body, and myself and my fellow frontline workers across the globe have been forced to quickly identify what tools work best in our quest to keep our patients alive. While we're working to identify which technologies can improve our patients' outcomes, it's encouraging that policy work is being done to ensure we can access the technology that allows us to provide life-saving care. We can't do it alone. As we anticipate a potential surge of cases in the coming months, we must be prepared with the proper PPE, medications, and medical technologies that will result in less devastation than what we experienced this spring. When it comes to pandemics, that means we're intentional about establishing, nurturing, and supporting domestic manufacturers who can provide U.S. hospitals with the resources they need." Maria DeVita is a nephrologist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The need for on-demand access to medical technologies when treating COVID-19 patients." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/the-need-for-on-demand-access-to-medical-technologies-when-treating-covid-19-patients.html)

"The peer-review process is fallible, slow, and biased, and it takes advantage of the scientific community's altruism. We need to keep pushing the conversation forward about making publishing more equitable, timely, accessible, and fair. An obvious and easy way to begin is to pay the experts who perform the peer reviews. Either the journals need to reform their practices, or the medical community should establish an alternative." Andrew Spector is a neurologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Fairness in medical publishing: Reforming the peer review process." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/fairness-in-medical-publishing-reforming-the-peer-review-process.html)

"I can do better. We can do better. Please partner with me and advocate for the ability for doctors and residents in our profession to receive medical and psychiatric care without fear of losing our licenses or having to face stigma and judgment. It can save lives. Please, we are more stressed than ever, and we need to speak the names of our fellow friends and colleagues who have died by suicide. We need to advocate for them and for all of us to have access unfettered by fear to utilize the very lifesaving treatments we recommend to our patients." Courtney Markham-Abedi is a psychiatrist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Doctors are killing themselves, and who is taking notice?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/doctors-are-killing-themselves-and-who-is-taking-notice.html) This episode is sponsored by Augmedix: Ambient medical documentation and live clinical support powered by virtual scribes. (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd) Did you know that nearly 75 percent of clinicians surveyed in a recent study say they spend over 10 hours per week on paperwork and medical notes? Augmedix is a leading provider of remote medical documentation, using remote AI-assisted live scribes to observe, listen, and capture relevant details from natural conversation for over 35 specialties. Augmedix provides real-time support that includes orders, referrals, and reminders to deliver accurate, complete, and timely medical notes. Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine. To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).

"Is the ACA perfect? Not by a long shot. In Kentucky, where I live, there are only 2 insurers selling individual policies on the exchange. A Silver plan for my husband and myself costs $1,800 per month in premiums, with a $13,600 deductible and an out-of-pocket maximum of $14,600. Therefore, the total exposure every year is over $36,000! Furthermore, there are no alternatives for individual coverage other than the exchange. However, without the ACA protections, we might not be able to buy health insurance at all. The best solution? The U.S. must join all the other developed countries around the globe and implement universal health coverage. Make health care affordable and accessible for everyone. It should be the American way." Susan G. Bornstein is an obstetrician-gynecologist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Why the preservation of the Affordable Care Act should matter to you." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/10/why-the-preservation-of-the-affordable-care-act-should-matter-to-you.html) This episode is sponsored by Augmedix: Ambient medical documentation and live clinical support powered by virtual scribes. (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd) Did you know that nearly 75 percent of clinicians surveyed in a recent study say they spend over 10 hours per week on paperwork and medical notes? Augmedix is a leading provider of remote medical documentation, using remote AI-assisted live scribes to observe, listen, and capture relevant details from natural conversation for over 35 specialties. Augmedix provides real-time support that includes orders, referrals, and reminders to deliver accurate, complete, and timely medical notes. Augmedix brings back the joy of practicing medicine. To learn more and to bring the Augmedix joy to your practice, visit Augmedix.com/kevinmd (https://augmedix.com/kevinmd).