The Podcast by KevinMD

"The medical profession hasn't changed. Our credibility hasn't changed. Our commitment to care for you – to adore you, to grieve your diagnosis and what it means for you and your family – hasn't changed. Our advice hasn't changed. I'm grateful for your trust in me. I wish it didn't require a cancer diagnosis to win it." Cynthia Cooper is a hospitalist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "I'm grateful for your trust in me. I wish it didn't require a cancer diagnosis to win it."

"When you enter medical school, you put your trust into an unspoken promise: Work hard, pass all your classes, and you'll come out as a doctor after four years. While mostly true, this perception doesn't take into account the residency application process and the possibility of graduating without a position as a physician-in-training. This thought didn't cross my mind until I decided to apply for otolaryngology, one of the most competitive specialties. I went into the application season hoping for the best, knowing that the number of applicants was higher than ever. On the Monday of Match Week, I opened my email from the NRMP to be met with the words, 'We're sorry, you did not match into a residency position.'" Katherine Yu and Shaan Somani are clinical research fellows. They share their stories and discuss the KevinMD article, "Unsolicited advice from unmatched residency applicants."

"I am sitting in hot springs deep in the dark and crisp air woods – naked. It has been a day of lectures and workshops at a retreat with my fellow physicians. We are all naked in the effervescent, warm bubbles of the springs. In the dark, I can recognize who people are by the fluorescent necklace each wears. You know, the kind that you crunch and shake to activate that the kids get at a party. The kind you give the kids to be safe when trick or treating in the neighborhood. In many ways, these were our safety lights, worn around the neck to give a glow – but not too much light that would allow us to realize our nakedness. Funny how doctors are about nakedness. If you think about it, we deal with naked or partially naked bodies all the time, day in and day out. We take it for granted that our patients are willing to disrobe and be examined. As an OB/GYN, I saw at least twenty naked women a day. They did have a drape for their comfort, but I certainly gave it no thought. I tend to think of fellow physicians as floating heads full of information that we exchange – certainly not as embodied butt – naked humans. This is so weird. Naked with my fellow physicians that I barely know? What? What am I doing here? The thought fades for a few moments with the fading tension in my body as the warmth of the water envelopes me." Robyn Alley-Hay is a retired obstetrician-gynecologist and life coach. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Dr. Robyn Alley-Hay. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The profound experience of being naked with other doctors."

"I recognize that finding time for staff training and making sure the training is effectively practiced are challenges in a busy clinical setting. But taking care of patients means that both goals must be met to ensure safety, quality, and best possible clinical outcomes. As one who speaks and writes regularly about patient advocacy, I am more comfortable than most when it comes to finding my voice and speaking up – professionally and constructively. It may not be so easy for others. The bottom line is that clinical staff have an obligation to make sure all patients are well cared for from the time they walk in the door until they are ready to leave. The Joint Commission's 2021 Ambulatory Health Care National Patient Safety Goals address four critical areas of health care safety: patient identification, medication management, infection control, and prevention of medical errors. Based on my experience, two more areas are needed: patient communication and discharge protocols. In the meantime, I will keep my advocacy sword polished and ready, honoring the spirit of Alexander Cockburn who died at age 71 of cancer. I'd like to think he advocated for himself as long as he could until his death." Bonnie Friedman is the author of Hospital Warrior: How to Get the Best Care for Your Loved One and can be reached at Hospital Warrior. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The advocate's sword stands polished and ready."

"Confidence and humility are strongly related, but one arises when we focus on self, and the other arises when we focus on others. However, each attribute can become unhealthy when it becomes too extreme, or when we lose the perspective of the other attribute. In the case of confidence, we focus on our worth as a remarkable human being—the fact that we have tremendous potential and deserve compassion and opportunity. But when we lose the perspective of the importance of others, confidence can veer into arrogance—the belief that our needs and value are somehow more important than everyone else's. In the case of humility, we recognize that we are just one person within a much bigger world and that all people have value and importance. But the risk here is that, if we lose the perspective of our own value and worth, healthy humility can devolve into self-loathing. What does all this philosophizing have to do with social media?" Brian A. Primack is a physician and author of You Are What You Click: How Being Selective, Positive, and Creative Can Transform Your Social Media Experience. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "How to balance confidence and humility online."

"Physicians can find — or start — writing workshops at medical conferences, or just about anywhere else, at any time. These workshops can become part of wellness or burnout-prevention events. To interact with other writers, all you need is a champion―someone to organize a time and space for you to get together and share what you've written. It's great to exchange ideas and give feedback to one another, either online or off. Participants in these events can feel energized, enlightened and creative. You can even tweet haikus or flash fiction to one another. The work doesn't have to be perfect; it just needs to be thoughtful and come from the heart. Not everyone wants to write, but there's room for those who have not yet tried. Who knows? You might wind up writing a book or two yourself." Sandra Miller is a family physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How writing fiction can free physicians."

"The worst part of the climate crisis is that our kids, my kids, may never get to witness the most beautiful parts of our world because they may, and will, cease to exist without our action and power. As I watch my own kids looking out over the ocean on a clear, cool day in awe at the behemoth of wonder before them, I know they are the ones I am fighting the battle against the climate crisis for, and I beg you to fight too. Beauty in the world and love of our environment and each other are not partisan issues; they are simply the components that make our lives worth living. And if that is not worth saving, then I don't know anything that is." Elizabeth M. Barreras-Rivest is an emergency physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The climate crisis as viewed by an emergency physician."

"In 2010, a landmark study from Princeton was published "proving" that money just doesn't buy happiness. Study participants were asked to compare their emotional well-being from yesterday to today, and it appeared that making more than $75,000 a year didn't lead to concurrent increases in well-being. Since then, Americans have been flooded with the psychological opium of mindfulness, yoga, and leaning out, urging contentment instead with the status quo. In this column, I'd like to humbly suggest some rather radical concepts: Perhaps paying off your student loans early isn't in your best interests, and neither is dumping all your disposable income into multiple 4xx(x) tax-deferred vehicles. This article is all about using the physician's higher-than-average income to buy something that truly leads to happiness: early financial independence." Khaled A. Dajani is a pediatric anesthesiologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Don't pay off your student loans early."

"The journey to becoming a physician is generally a linear path. Sure — there are exceptions, but for the most part, you can accurately predict what you will be doing in the future. For example, when you are in high school, the next step is college, then medical school, residency, possibly a fellowship, and finally your first job. (That's approximately 16-18 years of your life!) But what happens when things don't go on as planned? In the earlier stages of your educational career, it's easier to transition to something different. But what about in the later ones? Unfortunately, this was the dilemma I found myself in." This anonymous physician resident shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "How to navigate residency probation."

"I love stories, either told, written, or listened to. Songs tell stories, as does art. Blogs such as the rich content open so many doors for rich conversations. Telling stories is part of who I am. My father loved to tell them, as did my grandfather, whose name I took. They were called bull-sh*tters – and perhaps some refer to me that way at times. In medicine, I find storytelling to be critical. Each time we present a case, we are telling a story. Those residents and students who can present a case to me in a way that draws me in while giving me the necessary facts, but goes the next step that allows me to see that person in their life are the ones I know will be amazing doctors." John F. McGeehan is an internal medicine physician. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why storytelling is critical in medicine."