Musings From A Member Of The Medical Class Of 2010
As a medical student in his last year, I can attest that my classmates and I would like nothing less than a crystal ball. Always a daunting time in a future physician’s career path, the direction we...
View ArticleMedicine Vs. Religion: My Brother’s Keeper Revisited
A few weeks back, I had introduced a patient who was willing to let her religious beliefs stand in the way of receiving the proper medical treatment she needed to stay alive. I want to revisit with you...
View ArticleThe Win-Win Referral
One of my patients is an elderly woman who is completely bedbound due to osteoarthritis. Since she’s considered “too old,” she isn’t considered a surgical candidate for a knee replacement. Her son,...
View ArticleThe Canary And The Primary Care Physician
The vexing problem with “truth” when it comes to healthcare is to understand its limits. Let’s start with two popular notions. The first: canaries are harbingers for detecting chemical leaks. The...
View ArticleThe “I Get It” Moment In Direct-Pay Primary Care
After seven years, my wife has finally stopped asking me for “The Power of DocTalker” story of the day. Now when I start with the details of the latest case report justifying the model, she stops me...
View ArticleLeaving The Organization But Not The Practice Of Medicine
I confess ignorance. I know nothing about interviews with vampires. However, last week on my drive to a house call to see a sick patient, I experienced a sudden respect for author Anne Rice. I listened...
View ArticleDoctors Wanted For Hazardous Journey
“MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS.” With this want ad, circa...
View ArticleHow I, A Doctor, Came To Build An EMR
My desire for integrating the power of technology with primary care started nearly two decades ago. It was then, when working as a family physician in a busy medical practice, that I began...
View ArticleIntegrating Wellness Into A Primary Care Practice
I often am asked how I incorporate wellness in our family medical practice, and I must admit that I’ve mixed feelings when it comes to the question because it implies that I’m not already trying to...
View ArticleThe Reality Of Participatory Primary Care
No matter where one stands on appropriateness and advantages of each patient being involved in self-diagnosis and treatment of their own medical problems there are two inevitable conclusions: •...
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