Before visiting the doctor, consider these 5 things you may not know

A trip to the doctor’s office usually isn’t something we look forward to. Many people have shared their frustrations with me regarding their experiences with doctors, and it occurred to me that there are many things that go on behind the scenes that people may not realize.  Here are five things to know to help you avoid having a disappointing experience. […]

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As a physician, it is difficult to admit to a lack of control

“Why aren’t you treating this patient?” Over the phone, the pediatrician’s voice crackled with disdain.  I had just spent the last 5 minutes explaining why I didn’t think surgery was necessary for a patient whom the pediatrician had referred to me (unwillingly, as she pointed out during our conversation — the patient’s insurance wouldn’t cover […]

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Getting patients and physicians to ask the right questions

Overtesting — it’s an epidemic threatening consumers of U.S. health care. The notion that testing can be anything but beneficial belies the common assumption that more information is always better, as exemplified by billionaire Mark Cuban’s proclamation earlier this year that he obtains “baseline” quarterly blood tests and encourages others to do so. Knowledge is […]

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4 ways to improve the lives of doctors and their patients

Ask physicians across the country what problems they want solved, and they won’t hesitate to tell you. They worry about the growing health risks they observe in patients based on lifestyle choices, obesity and a variety of social factors that they feel powerless to change. Ask what they would modify if they had a magic […]

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The heartbreak of counselling younger couples after a cancer diagnosis

My patient mix comes in waves — some months it is mostly women with breast cancer struggling with adjuvant endocrine therapy or men in the aftermath of surgery for prostate cancer. These past two months, it has been young adults, and my heart has taken a beating. There is something quite different from my perspective […]

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Finding compassion for the choice a patient made

Yesterday my friend Sophie asked me to accompany her to a Miami hospital intensive care unit to see her older brother, Guillermo. He’d been admitted the previous night with seizures and cardiac arrhythmia. Joined by my husband, we made our way to the ICU. When she saw Guillermo lying immobile, swollen and unresponsive, with a […]

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The absurdly effective skin cancer PSA that will make you think twice about tanning

ZDoggMD educates with another epic Taylor Swift parody video.  Share to promote skin cancer prevention and sun protection! Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.

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