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Blog - Marcus Greatheart MD MSW
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Ninety Seconds

Ninety Seconds

A worsening doctor-patient communication problem Back in Medical school, we learned that doctors are quick to interrupt patients at the very start of the clinical encounter — my colleagues and I all committed to doing better.   Interestingly, that study from the 1980s...

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Patients are looking for help, not judgement 

Patients are looking for help, not judgement 

How to communicate Canada’s new alcohol guidelines with patients Your patient has just come to an appointment in a panic about their health because of the new alcohol guidelines. What do you do? Canada grasped the world's attention in early 2023 by announcing new...

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The Good Goodbye

The Good Goodbye

Last month I closed my practice in the big city because my husband and I bought a house on an island. It was a challenging three-month transition process, yet I had some valuable insights about how doctors can say goodbye to their patients. More than one goodbye....

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What’s something you sacrificed to become a doctor?

What’s something you sacrificed to become a doctor?

When I went to Medical school, I sacrificed in ways I did not appreciate until later. I gave up time with loved ones who didn’t always understand my commitment to learning. Friendships suffered, some irreparably.  I lost pieces of my spirit to the angry staff...

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The four-part closure statement

The four-part closure statement

When I'm working with trainees, many have ideas about starting clinical encounters but few have thought about conclusions.  When I was in grad school, a professor spoke with us about how our society doesn't end things well — we'd rather say “see you later” than “this...

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FREE RESOURCE: Trans Primary Care Guide from Rainbow Health Ontario

FREE RESOURCE: Trans Primary Care Guide from Rainbow Health Ontario

Rainbow Health Ontario has created an excellent resource for healthcare providers and trainees with regards to providing gender-affirming care. initially launched in 2016, it was a recently updated along with the 4th edition of the primary care guidelines from Sherbourne Health Clinic in Toronto, a leading provider 2SLGBTQ+ care.

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We have 15 minutes today

We have 15 minutes today

 We know that doctors of different types and stripes have different appointment lengths, and if you're working on an inpatient service you may not have a specific schedule.  Regardless of whether you have eight, fifteen or thirty minutes (like I do in my clinic for...

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Agenda setting for the doctor-patient clinical encounter

Agenda setting for the doctor-patient clinical encounter

Ask ‘What else?’ As doctors, there are few things more frustrating than attending a department or other meeting without a clear agenda, so it makes sense that we and our patients have the same expectation of why we are meeting and why we’re gathering and what we’re...

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An extraordinary full-circle moment

An extraordinary full-circle moment

Rest in Power, Mary Lou! Mary Lou smiled wide as she spoke to me. Sure, she would help teach a safe sex workshop to the Friday night LGBTQ+ youth group, but first I'd have to come by the clinic myself for a check up. That way I could talk from experience, she...

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How to diagnose gender dysphoria. 

How to diagnose gender dysphoria. 

how do I know if my patient is transgender? In my practice I work with many medical students and residents who we train in part to provide gender affirming care. I frequently speak with colleagues who know I have a transgender-inclusive family practice and field many...

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How to Overcome a History of Medical Violence

How to Overcome a History of Medical Violence

We carry the burden of our patients’ past mistreatments. We know from history how doctors have participated in the medical violence brought upon Black people, transgender and queer community, and women--just to name a few. Think about the roles physicians played in...

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