A physician's reflections for life in medicine. Education/Guidance/Commiseration/Humor.
impostor syndrome noun Definition: a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing success (Merriam-Webster) It is dizzying for me to think about the number of times in a day I am confronted by something I…
I’ve never been accused of being an exceptionally social person. Living and practicing in a small town, I am keenly aware of the fact that wherever I go, I am likely to run into my patients, their families, or people who know (of) me because of my profession. I don’t like to stand out in…
I recently relented to Dr./Mrs. MusingMD’s 6 months of pleas to discuss the option of getting a dog and before I knew what was happening, we had a puppy. I say relented, but after 25 years of marriage, I realize that she had already made the decision and was just allowing me the “impression” that…
If, like me, you are certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), you should be confused, and even angry. ABIM is one of 24 subspecialty boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) which “assess and certify doctors who demonstrate the clinical judgment, skills, and attitudes essential for the delivery of excellent…
I arrived at the office to find my staff cheerily smiling and expressing excitement about the day ahead. As I perused my schedule, it was moderately full but there was some space left over for addition of patients who called with acute problems that would need to be seen. As I looked more closely at…
(AKA Physician Finance 101) The road to becoming a physician involves a great deal of pain. Don’t believe me? Ask my brother the Doctor (or his wife) who spent untold hours counselling me through Undergraduate, Medical School, and Residency (regarding fears not just limited to failing an exam…a list that would certainly be too long…
The other night, I was asked by my daughter to review her personal statement for Medical School applications (yes, despite watching what her father goes through, she still wants to go to Medical School-probably because her mother, who is also a physician, chose a specialty that is not Primary Care) for grammar and content. When…
Physician pay is a hot topic in both the lay-press as well as in the medical community. The current political climate which has pushed for wealth equity as well as calling for a new “corporate accountability” (Sen. Bernie Sanders) that will put an end to a system that allows corporate CEO’s to earn millions of…
I was sad to read 2 articles this week about 2 separate physicians who took their own lives. One was an overwhelmed practicing Emergency Physician and the second was a physician in training, who had failed to obtain a residency position. I did not intend for this week’s post to be about physician suicide and…
Somewhere along the way, physicians lost their voice. That may not be completely accurate because in the “good old days” (before I even began practice) things were much simpler and they really didn’t require a “voice.” Reimbursements were good, insurance companies didn’t require the frequent hoop-jumping that is commonplace today, and when the physician said…