The Podcast by KevinMD

"Is it possible to have it all? Can you have a job that you love, helping people and using your brain and hands all at the same time; plus, a family, with a spouse and children, that you are always there for? Is it possible to have a balance between your work and your family live while working as a medical practitioner?" James A. Quinn is a physician assistant. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Our patients matter, but at what cost to our families?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/our-patients-matter-but-at-what-cost-to-our-families.html)

"With COVID-19 raging through the nation, and limited supply of PPE at hospitals, doctors and other critical care personnel are at high risk due to their increased and daily exposure to the virus. For health care workers, the need to plan for a possible worst-case outcome for themselves and their families has become an immediate concern. Doctors are spending limited weekend time urgently completing the paperwork so that their family is protected in case of the worst outcome. If a person were to pass away intestate (with no will or living trust), the legal system makes the decision on their behalf, which can be a long and expensive process. To alleviate the stress, as a physician financial blogger, here is my suggestion on what exactly should be completed." Dewan Farhana is founder and CEO, Betternest, and blogs at Doctor Finances. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How doctors can rush to complete their wills." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/04/how-doctors-can-rush-to-complete-their-wills.html)

"We are blessed to work in a clinic that has a very large immigrant population. Over the years, we have cared for those who speak over 80+ languages with an even higher number of unique countries and regions represented. Arabic and Spanish are our two most commonly spoken non-English languages. We also have patients who speak unique languages such as Kurdish, Zomi, and Uyghur who do not have a corresponding recognized country affiliated with them. Several of our staff and residents are foreign-born. Many of them are first-generation or come from ethnic homes, and nearly all have a deep appreciation for world cultures. Despite this, there is no way we can know about every unique culture and every corresponding custom. Yet studies have shown that immigrant families are strongly impacted by clinic members' demeanor towards them and their perceived acceptance of them. Maybe it is the language struggles that make our unspoken actions so important, but it is a factor that needs to be accounted for, especially in COVID times, where even basic facial gestures of greeting are not seen. Families may decide if they want to come back to our clinic based on something that we did or didn't do, such as simply making them feel welcomed." Gabriella Gonzales is a pediatric resident. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "A simple act to help families struggling to find their way in a foreign culture." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/a-simple-act-to-help-families-struggling-to-find-their-way-in-a-foreign-culture.html)

"Building great tech for doctors is no different from ventilator technology. In some scenarios, you will want to talk to the EMR like you talk to Siri, rather than poring over a screen littered with boxes and lists. In other cases, you will want elegant graphs intuitively laid out to show how your ICU patient is progressing. Other solutions will go unnoticed aside from the time they save by eliminating double work in the background. A great technology team builds products with all the attention to detail that we devote to our patients. This is how we will liberate doctors from EMRs." Erin Palm is a general surgeon and head of product, Suki. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How to liberate doctors from EMRs." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/05/how-to-liberate-doctors-from-emrs.html)

"We all knew this pandemic was going to change how we practiced medicine, but I, personally, was not prepared for how much it would challenge the 'work-life balance' that I have spent years carefully maneuvering. Female physicians are often hesitant to express individual needs for fear of being viewed as "weak." I'm finding freedom in removing the stigma of weakness and shame from my own concept of vulnerability. It can unite and connect us, giving us strength and empowerment in a time when so much seems beyond our control." Erica Gillette is a family physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Vulnerability gives us strength in a time when so much seems beyond our control." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/05/vulnerability-gives-us-strength-in-a-time-when-so-much-seems-beyond-our-control.html)

"COVID-19 has given all of us the opportunity to live in extremely challenging times. We can choose to run away from this challenge or decide to acknowledge it as part of our journey to grow and transform. So, will you face your habitual reactions, biases, and unpleasant emotions and turn these COVID-19 related challenges into opportunities for personal development and growth? It's up to you." Francis Yoo is a family physician and the author of Physician Freedom: Living Your Authentic Physician Life and COVID Contemplations for Self-Awareness and Personal Development. He can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Francis Yoo. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Personal development and growth during COVID times." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/personal-development-and-growth-during-covid-times.html)

"I know I am not alone in my thoughts; I am just echoing sentiments of other female physicians. We are mothers, wives, patient advocates, and educators. And we're all suddenly finding ourselves in unchartered waters. In weathering this pandemic, I've taken time to reflect. I wish I could say I emerged from this introspection having conquered all my fears. Instead, I have discovered the immense strength it takes to be vulnerable. I can admit I do not have all the answers, and the uncertainty of tomorrow gnaws at me. I also know that despite the upheaval, I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world." Shweta Akhouri is a family physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD articles, "I have discovered the immense strength it takes to be vulnerable." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/05/i-have-discovered-the-immense-strength-it-takes-to-be-vulnerable.html)

"Through my coaching of girl's basketball in California's Central Valley, my daughter and I were fortunate enough to know Kobe as a mentor and coach, and a person who inspired my daughter to be the best through hard work, dedication, and passion. While Kobe will live on as one of the game's greatest athletes, he wanted to be remembered for much more than his championships and scoring records. It's clear that he's left a legacy greater than his legendary basketball career, and I thank him for inspiring me to strive for greatness while honoring what matters most in life." Imamu Tomlinson is an emergency physician and CEO, Vituity. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "What I learned from Kobe Bryant as a parent, coach, and doctor." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03/what-i-learned-from-kobe-bryant-as-a-parent-coach-and-doctor.html)

"It is time to stop being spectators. We are at a critical turning point in our fight against this disease, and our actions now will determine whether we stay on the sidelines, or put an effective end to the scourge of the disease. If we want to avoid a deadlier and costlier battle for the years to come, students, and the general public, have to take steps to work together to disrupt disease transmission and increase cooperation. In the case these steps are not taken, humanity may soon be facing its own Civil War, where our societal fabric may be further ripped apart." Adithya Sivakumar is a medical student. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Medical students: It is time to stop being spectators." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03/medical-students-it-is-time-to-stop-being-spectators.html)

"We need to stay healthy for our patients, but also for ourselves and our families. We need to mobilize the faction not just with regard to this pandemic, but by anticipating the arrival of others. So how do we advocate for ourselves? A great way to start is continuing our conversations amongst our colleagues and sharing experiences, looking to local businesses in our communities who are helping us procure masks and other supplies (several salons have already started contributing their supplies to local hospitals), and demanding more from our government going forward. Our government is prepared to increase spending when it comes to the military (in 2019, Congress authorized 716 billion in military spending), but health care workers are now in the midst of a devastating war, and all we are offered are substandard responses, 'there aren't enough tests,' 'do what you can with what you have,' 'wear bandanas' etc. Remember these moments going forward. Remember the failure of the system to support us. Remember the fear, the anxiety, the guilt for not being able to do more. Take these wartime memories and harness them into political power because we are far more powerful as a unit than we are as lone warriors." Jessica Kiarashi is a neurologist and can be reached on Twitter @jkiarashimd. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD articles, "Physician advocacy in the age of COVID-19" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03/physician-advocacy-in-the-age-of-covid-19.html) and "Why doctors should get political." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03/why-doctors-should-get-political.html)