Fatty Liver Disease Is No Longer Reserved for Older Adults
A Growing Concern Among Young Adults Fatty liver disease is no longer limited to older individuals. Increasingly, it’s affecting people in their 20s and 30s—those who don’t drink excessively, appear outwardly healthy, and often feel fine. Yet beneath the surface, their livers may already be under significant stress. Now recognized as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), […]
Patient’s Final Moments: The Emotional Toll
A Ride I’ll Never Forget Patient’s Final Moments: The first time I witnessed someone die in front of me will stay with me for a long time. I was only eighteen, early in my EMT experience, and transporting a patient home from the hospital while my colleague drove the ambulance. The patient was an eighty-seven-year-old […]
From Burnout to Balance: 5 Stages of Career Transformation
From Burnout to Balance: Not long ago, my husband and I faced a tough reality: If we didn’t make major changes, we’d regret spending our best years consumed by work. Exhaustion felt normal. Burnout became our status quo, and even a sabbatical failed to restore our well-being. Determined to avoid a lifetime of regret, we […]
Bias Against Female Physicians: Unseen Struggles in Medicine
Bias Against Female Physicians: Didi, a young internist in her 30s, entered medicine with a noble mission: to help people. However, after years of relentless dedication, she feels more like a glorified customer service representative than a respected physician. Despite her education, experience, and commitment, she faces subtle yet pervasive biases that diminish her contributions […]
FDA Prescription Failures: Impact on Women and Opioid Users
FDA Prescription Failures: For decades, outdated FDA regulations have created unnecessary obstacles for women seeking birth control and individuals needing life-saving opioid antidotes. Despite overwhelming support from medical experts, these policies have left millions vulnerable to preventable harm. While recent policy shifts offer some progress, many gaps remain. Birth Control: Overdue Reforms Still Inadequate Oral […]
The Financial Pressures Reshaping Physician Priorities
Picture this: Two attending surgeons step into the operating room, ready to perform a procedure. The surgical residents have prepped the patient, while the techs and nurses stand by. But before making the first incision, a crucial discussion unfolds—how will this procedure be billed? Financial Pressures This reality highlights a troubling shift in modern medicine. […]
Bridging Generational Divides in Medicine
Bridging Generational Divides: I recently came across a heated discussion on an online physician platform about the old guard versus the newer generation of doctors, often labeled as entitled or lazy. Years ago, I would have strongly aligned with the old guard. As an elder millennial with a “bootstrap” upbringing and a Navy career, I […]
What If Transitions of Care Mirrored Transitions of Power?
The Importance of Smooth Transitions On January 6, 2025, the peaceful transition of power to the 47th President of the United States took place, a process ironically certified by the election’s losing candidate. This orderly transfer underscores the significance of seamless transitions in maintaining stability and continuity. Similarly, in healthcare, transitions of care—whether from inpatient […]
How Burnout Nearly Took My Life—And What We Must Do to Protect Doctors
The Dream Turned Nightmare Since I was 12, I dreamt of becoming a doctor. My role model was Dr. Helen Nash, one of the first Black female pediatricians in St. Louis. Her compassion and competence left a deep mark on me. Medicine became my calling. I worked tirelessly through high school, college, medical school, and […]
Addressing Physician Suicide: Confronting the Silent Crisis in Healthcare
The Growing Crisis of Physician Suicide Suicide occurs when an individual ends their own life, often due to a combination of factors, most notably untreated or advanced psychiatric illness. As a practicing psychiatrist deeply involved in Pennsylvania’s Physicians Health Program for over a decade, I firmly believe we must intensify efforts to combat the rising […]