The Podcast by KevinMD

"While the world has spent the last two years laser-focused on the COVID pandemic, another public health threat is still lurking in the shadows: the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognized since the early 1900s, yet rigorous research over the past decade has illuminated the magnitude of the threat and its implications for future infection control. More than 35 thousand patients die from antibacterial resistance every year, and antibiotic-resistant infections exceed 2.8 million annually, according to a CDC report released prior to the COVID pandemic." Anne Meneghetti is an internal medicine physician and health care executive. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Combatting antimicrobial resistance during COVID: What clinicians need to know." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"Every January, millions of people make New Year's resolutions. It's a joyous time full of high hopes. Ask people what they wish to achieve or hope to accomplish in the following year, and the answer will usually be something such as any of these: "I want to: lose weight; improve my finances; get a new job; exercise more; revamp a relationship; manage stress; stop smoking; set aside more time for myself." But according to U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate for New Year's resolutions is around 80%, and most people lose their resolve by mid-February. Why? Because when it comes time to take action, we hem and haw, deliberate and dither. We wait for the free time, the perfect day, the right season, a better mood, or optimal market conditions. Or we stall until we can resolve a medical crisis, smooth over a problem with the in-laws, or put some money in the bank." Nabil Fanous is a cosmetic surgeon and author of The Universal Rules of Life: 27 Secrets for Managing Time, Stress, and People. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Stop the 'I will' habit." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"Nowadays, even scientific fact has been politicized. Even though many of us may wish to stay out of politics and stick to our "nobler" lane of medicine, the reality is even your clinical practice could be considered "picking a side." Do the right thing. If you're up for it, advocate for what is right too — for your patients, colleagues, yourself, your family, or this country. You are the face of the future, and your MD/DO/MBBS makes you more qualified to shape it than the many voices using their platform to broadcast untruths. If your program has a union, I highly encourage you to join it because your union will fight for fair working conditions, and strength lies in solidarity. The benefits you'll receive from joining a union will far exceed the cost of dues. If you're considering forming a union or becoming a union leader, that's even better. Regardless of your path, activism is becoming a part of medicine, and we cannot remain neutral. So keep learning, take care of yourself and each other, and work toward making the world a better place." Yuemei (Amy) Zhang is an anesthesiologist and can be reached on Twitter @yzhangmd1. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Activism is a part of medicine and we cannot remain neutral." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"With schools closed, children spent hours upon hours sitting in front of a screen for instruction and homework. Non-academic screen time increased as well, with parents needing to work from home and thus relying more on screens to occupy the children. Parents also were unable to police screen time as much as they had in the past. Much built-in physical activity of school was removed: from the simple act of walking between classes to recess to physical education to field trips. I have started wondering what would happen if we approach the obesity crisis like we approached the pandemic? By using the strategies that were used to "stop the spread," I believe we can reverse this trend of burgeoning childhood obesity rates." Teresa Fuller is a pediatrician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Reversing the impact of the pandemic on childhood obesity." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"'Doctor, it's taken so long to get this appointment with you!' This is the opening line of so many medical visits, and I find myself constantly apologizing to my patients on behalf of our system. After the pandemic-induced lull in routine medical care, we're right back where we started—doctors booked for months, patients struggling to get appointments. The difficulty with access to medical care is endemic to our entire medical system. Even before the pandemic, less than a fifth of American doctors were able to take new patients, and more than 80 percent were at capacity or over-extended. Some 16,000 medical practices closed down because of the pandemic. This is especially concerning in primary care, which is on track for a shortage of up to 48,000 physicians. It's not surprising that lack of access to primary care doctors is associated with higher mortality." Danielle Ofri is an internal medicine physician and editor-in-chief, Bellevue Literary Review, and is the author of When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Getting an appointment with primary care is the Achilles' heel of medicine." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"It is uncomfortable to be publically vulnerable with my story. I wish the statistics and research were enough to change the field of medicine for patients and physicians. I want people to care about the experience of their patients and colleagues enough to examine their own implicit bias and privilege without having to hear my traumalouge, but we aren't there yet. People often need to connect with an individual to reflect and consider change, so I hope you take this moment to consider creating a more inclusive, affirming health care system." Crystal Beal is a family physician. They share their story and discuss their KevinMD article, "A doctor for LGBTQ+ health needs." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"Guess what? The mouth is attached to the rest of the body. And though dentistry and medicine are typically separated from the very beginning of professional training, they are irrevocably linked for patients and have an impact on each other. Here's some foundational knowledge that will help set the stage for discussing the connection between overall health and oral health: Our mouths are teeming with bacteria – mostly the good, harmless kind – and when an appropriate hygiene routine is followed, that bacteria is kept in perfect balance to keep our teeth strong and gums healthy. When that bacterial balance is thrown off track, the results can be disastrous. Yes, cavities are one consequence, but so are yeast infections and periodontal disease—i.e., inflammation of the gums and loss of the bony levels around teeth. A quick scan through any wellness magazine and medical journal will tell you that inflammation is bad news. Researchers continue to connect it to some of the worst chronic diseases physicians see in their offices today. Our mouths are a gateway into not only our respiratory system and digestive tract, but also our bloodstreams (there are a lot of surface-level blood vessels right there), so patients' periodontal inflammation can be a harbinger of other health issues in their bodies." Cindy Roark is a dentist and health care executive. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The connection between oral health and overall health." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"Military physicians should also realize that not all employers are equal or treat their physicians equally. Military physicians entering the civilian job market are in a 'seller's market.' They should get a reasonable employment agreement. It is important to remember that while you were serving your country, you also gained valuable experience as a physician. Do not sell yourself short!" Dennis Hursh is a physician contract lawyer. He blogs at Physicians Contracts Blog. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Military physicians leaving the military." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"While the technological boom in the health care field is not a circumstance of the pandemic, the accelerated roll-out and adoption of digital features certainly are. And rapid innovation in the health care technology field is not a bad thing in itself. Health care technology discoveries improve health care access, quality of life, patient safety, and even save lives – for example, remote patient monitoring devices and robotic surgery. Although digital health innovations have significantly impacted patient engagement by empowering individuals' autonomy over their own health, these modern health tools could yield a much greater impact if they were not primarily utilized by populations already advantaged in terms of cost, access, and quality of care." Nina Cloven is a health care administrator. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Melting the iron triangle: Prioritizing health equity in dynamic, innovative health care landscapes." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info

"I think we all have an inclination—at least from time to time—to judge others. No matter how experienced, compassionate, and professional we are as physicians, we're still human. I can admit that I have indeed struggled with patients like the 65-year-old morbidly obese male who complains at every visit about how hard it is to control his blood sugar levels with the medications prescribed. I want to convince him so badly about diet and exercise, but I have tried, and often, these patients don't want to hear it. Pharmacological or surgical interventions are the preferred route for many. I know I cannot magically change a patient's attitudes about their health. Nevertheless, I still believe that the best I can do for my patients is to offer them my sincere professional advice without prejudice or discrimination. If my physical presence is intimidating to some, I won't begrudge them for seeking a doctor who makes them feel more comfortable. In the end, I still believe that leading by example is essential for a physician and that I can use my personal experience to inspire positive change. After all, I am here to help." Francisco M. Torres is an interventional physiatrist specializing in diagnosing and treating patients with spine-related pain syndromes. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine and can be reached at Florida Spine Institute and Wellness. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "The importance of non-judgmental empathy." Did you enjoy today's episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Click here to earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy - a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info