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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...
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....
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...
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...
CASE STUDY: My patient with opioid use disorder (OUD) has terrible cancer pain.
Identifying challenges when treating patients with concurrent substance use disorders and cancer pain
CASE STUDY: My patient just told me they are trans. What do I say?
Communicating with transgender patients ISSUES IN PracticE Transgender patients experience significant barriers to accessing health care. As with many marginalized communities, physicians as a profession have contributed to the trauma inflicted on transgender people....
CASE STUDY: My obese gay patient just told me he is a Bear.
What does that mean, and how can I support his health?