Table of Contents
- Advice (17)
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
March 6, 2012, 05:39
Overheard in the OR—a surgery chief resident ruefully explaining to a senior surgeon why no intern or junior resident was available to scrub in on his…
- Don't Quit This Day Job (3)
June 11, 2011, 17:51
The New York Times picked up my opinion piece about women in medicine. I’M a doctor and a mother of four, and I’ve always practiced medicine full time.…
- Grief takes no holidays (1)
December 19, 2012, 05:36
I originally wrote this column just before Thanksgiving one year, but the recent tragic deaths of the Newtown first-graders make it timely once again. For…
- A letter to the next generation (4)
February 17, 2012, 06:47
It’s an unpopular view, but no, young ladies, you really can’t do it all. In the heady days of the 1970s and 80s, women came to believe that all a girl…
- Don't reach out to me. Please. (10)
October 26, 2012, 05:36
Every once in a while, a new catch phrase appears that you hear or read rarely at first. Then suddenly you meet it everywhere, and it progresses rapidly from…
- My son, the doctor-to-be (2)
April 1, 2013, 03:59
My son has been accepted into medical school, we learned last week, and I must say I'm about as happy a mother and a physician as you could find anywhere. …
- No anesthesia is "minor" (5)
April 9, 2013, 15:45
It's a nightmare that doesn't end for the family of 24-year-old Marek Lapinski, who suffered cardiac arrest recently during the removal of two wisdom teeth in…
- Touch your patient. Don't wear gloves. (27)
August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
- Questions Baby Boomers (and their parents) should ask about anesthesia (1)
August 25, 2013, 18:38
Not so many years ago, surgeons wouldn't operate on patients they considered too old to tolerate the stress of anesthesia and surgery. Today, though,…
- To tweet or not to tweet: Social media for physicians (3)
April 4, 2014, 20:25
Nepal? I don't know anyone in Nepal. Yet not long ago I received a courteous email from a physician there, asking my permission to translate an article of mine…
- Doctor's advice: Beware of observers with clipboards (10)
June 25, 2014, 04:52
Here's a doctor's health tip for patients that I'll bet you haven't heard before. If you're a patient who walks into a hospital for an elective procedure of…
- Medical students: What no one tells you about anesthesiology (6)
June 9, 2015, 03:43
This column ran first in the online magazine for medical students, "in-Training" In case you were wondering — robots won’t replace anesthesiologists any…
- Communication, Leadership, and... Blogging? (2)
July 10, 2016, 16:53
Is there a direct connection between communication skills and the art of successful leadership? Most of us would agree that there is. But is there a direct…
- Watch out who you call "paternalistic" (12)
March 26, 2017, 23:50
How reporter Jan Hoffman and the New York Times manage to insult female physicians and get their facts about anesthesia so wrong all at the same time. My…
- On starting your career in anesthesia (6)
August 5, 2017, 21:37
Emory University held graduation ceremonies on August 5 for the 2017 Class of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs), who received Masters of Medical Science…
- Just saying "no" to fentanyl (9)
October 17, 2017, 23:10
No, I'm not talking about putting fentanyl into my own veins -- a remarkably bad idea. I'm questioning the habitual, reflex use of fentanyl, a synthetic…
- Avoiding #metoo in medicine (17)
January 15, 2018, 01:12
Let me say first that any woman who has ever been harassed or assaulted should NEVER be made to feel that it is her fault. It is always the perpetrator’s…
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
- Anesthesiology (72)
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
March 12, 2012, 19:33
If you live in southern California, you can’t miss the billboards advertising laparoscopic gastric banding at “1-800-GET-THIN” outpatient surgery…
- Shall We Toast the End of ObamaCare? (3)
February 1, 2012, 18:58
This article first appeared on CSA Online First on November 21, 2011 The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear a challenge to the constitutionali…
- The beta-blockade rules: Still crazy after all these years (3)
January 31, 2012, 00:56
As of January 1, the SCIP guidelines for perioperative beta blocker (BB) administration have changed yet again. Has it occurred to anyone that maybe they…
- Unsupervised anesthesia care by a nurse anesthetist is a threat to patient safety
February 3, 2012, 23:26
No matter how quickly you tried to switch the television channel lately, you probably couldn’t escape the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray or avoid hearing about…
- Handoffs: The latest buzzword in patient safety
February 4, 2012, 05:45
They’re part of the game in football and relay races—but are handoffs safe for anesthetized patients? As resident work hours decreased over the last few…
- Checklists: How a good idea gets a bad name
February 5, 2012, 02:06
I’m a loyal supporter of the hospital where I work, and I think that we take excellent care of our patients. But when our administrators decided to put in…
- A disabling injury--a lucky break? (1)
February 5, 2012, 03:24
Just before Christmas, I was out walking my dog, who's a large (100 lb.) but very sweet, somewhat timid mutt. We passed by two German shepherds who…
- Bring in the Vikings!
February 1, 2012, 17:41
Photo by Panoramas on Flickr If you can possibly avoid it, don’t have elective surgery in any hospital when Joint Commission surveyors are on site,…
- When is it better for doctors to make mistakes? (2)
February 15, 2012, 06:55
Photo credit: Dan Saelinger My husband and I once spent a year working at one of the largest hospitals in West Virginia. The patients were the nicest…
- Bridging the disconnect between medicine and surgery (8)
February 18, 2012, 10:25
There's been a great divide between the medical and surgical specialties ever since I can remember. Surgeons believe internists perseverate too much when…
- Who's entitled to self-esteem? (3)
February 21, 2012, 06:10
Since Whitney Houston's sad, senseless death on February 11, I've heard her hit song "The Greatest Love of All" more times than I thought possible. She had…
- Don't cut Medicare funds for teaching hospitals!
February 5, 2012, 20:19
It’s hard to see how legislators could be more shortsighted. As Washington leaders bargain to reduce the deficit and avoid a government default, one…
- The elephant in the room (4)
February 26, 2012, 09:38
One of my partners recently sent out a call for an extra pair of hands to help out in the operating room—and with good cause. The patient on the OR table…
- The shortage of doctors is worse than you think (5)
April 11, 2012, 05:10
Only a generation ago, in the 1980s, medical students thought about what specialty to choose simply in terms of what interested them most. All doctors made a…
- The electronic medical record doesn't tell you the story (6)
April 28, 2012, 18:00
This column was featured on the Association of American Medical Colleges' blog "Wing of Zock" on May 7, 2012, and on KevinMD on May 10, 2012. One morning…
- The Doctor is Out (14)
June 9, 2012, 07:21
We’ve come to a sorry pass in American medicine when physicians are willing to spend a lot of money to attend conferences—not to learn how to become better…
- Anesthesia for Dummies (4)
August 18, 2012, 22:28
Really, sir. What were you thinking? I’m talking to you—the anesthesia provider (I hate to think that you might be an anesthesiologist) who allowed…
- The unsolved problem of MD + PR (9)
November 10, 2012, 17:56
In my hospital’s preoperative area, upright on her bed, sat an unhappy middle-aged lady who needed an operation to treat complications from her previous…
- A plague on both your houses (3)
November 26, 2012, 22:43
When you walked into the voting booth on Tuesday, November 6, did you do so with a feeling of calm certainty that the man who would get your vote for President…
- Scaring the public about anesthesia--again (1)
January 15, 2013, 06:03
Don’t be surprised if patients start asking more questions than usual about awareness under anesthesia. We can all thank a recent article in The Atlantic…
- Vinyl records and the future of medicine (15)
March 18, 2013, 03:08
New research just out in the journal Psychology and Aging says pessimists live longer and healthier lives. If this is true, then contemplating the future of…
- No anesthesia is "minor" (5)
April 9, 2013, 15:45
It's a nightmare that doesn't end for the family of 24-year-old Marek Lapinski, who suffered cardiac arrest recently during the removal of two wisdom teeth in…
- Is "HAL" coming to a GI suite near you? (7)
June 3, 2013, 05:12
Movie buffs and science fiction fans certainly remember HAL, the computer in 1968’s hit movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Considered one of the greatest…
- Wait. Who's burned out? (2)
July 26, 2013, 05:34
How the Affordable Care Act is worsening physician burnout, and why women physicians may be at even higher risk To the literal-minded, burning out is the fate…
- Touch your patient. Don't wear gloves. (27)
August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
- Questions Baby Boomers (and their parents) should ask about anesthesia (1)
August 25, 2013, 18:38
Not so many years ago, surgeons wouldn't operate on patients they considered too old to tolerate the stress of anesthesia and surgery. Today, though,…
- Our veterans deserve physician-led care (10)
September 22, 2013, 23:27
The latest salvo in the federal government's war on physicians comes to us courtesy of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is proposing drastic…
- In private practice, let the young doctor beware (5)
November 29, 2013, 06:00
We were startled to learn recently that Sheridan Healthcare Inc., a physician services company based in Florida, has bought one of the largest private…
- Anesthesiologist assistants and the right to work (14)
December 23, 2013, 17:06
This column was written on behalf of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and was first published by KevinMD on December 22, 2013. When you need…
- The problem of pain: When best medical advice doesn't equal patient satisfaction (12)
April 3, 2014, 05:31
"The creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die."--C. S. Lewis The problem of pain, from the viewpoint of…
- To tweet or not to tweet: Social media for physicians (3)
April 4, 2014, 20:25
Nepal? I don't know anyone in Nepal. Yet not long ago I received a courteous email from a physician there, asking my permission to translate an article of mine…
- The Dark Side of Quality (7)
May 4, 2014, 21:47
Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
- Practicing at the top of my license? (6)
May 20, 2014, 05:17
The Institute of Medicine in 2010 famously recommended that nurses should be encouraged to practice "to the full extent of their education and training."…
- Abusing anesthesia: Why lethal injection is wrong
May 13, 2014, 06:22
I give what could be lethal injections for a living. That's right. Nearly every day I give someone an injection of midazolam, vecuronium, and an IV solution…
- No mystery: Arizona execution lengthy due to drug choice (4)
July 25, 2014, 22:10
There’s no mystery about why the July 23 execution of Joseph Wood in Arizona took so long. From the anesthesiologist’s point of view, it doesn’t seem…
- How did Joan Rivers' procedure go so terribly wrong? (1)
September 8, 2014, 07:05
There are minor operations and procedures, but there are no minor anesthetics. This could turn out to be the one lesson learned from the ongoing investigation…
- Joan Rivers: Some answers, more questions (8)
September 15, 2014, 06:17
Since the death of comedian and talk-show host Joan Rivers, more information has surfaced about the events on the morning of August 28 at Yorkville Endoscopy.…
- Joan Rivers: More facts come to light (10)
September 22, 2014, 01:58
The ear, nose and throat specialist who treated comedian Joan Rivers on August 28 has been identified as Dr. Gwen Korovin, a prominent New York physician who…
- Threat and opportunity: The new world of anesthesiology (3)
October 13, 2014, 13:48
“Fighting against those who want to change things is a futile strategy,” declared Jason Hwang, MD, MBA, keynote speaker at the opening ceremonies of the…
- Do electronic health records improve patient safety? (6)
October 17, 2014, 04:18
“I’m here to say ‘Yes, they can,’ which is different from ‘Yes, they always do,’” says James Moore, MD, President-Elect of the California Society…
- Germs and the pseudoscience of quality improvement (9)
December 8, 2014, 01:18
No one wants a hospital-acquired infection---a wound infection, a central line infection, or any other kind. But today, the level of concern in American…
- Joan Rivers' anesthesiologist identified (17)
January 4, 2015, 10:36
New York Post reporter Susan Edelman revealed on January 4 the name of the unfortunate anesthesiologist allegedly present on August 28 at Yorkville Endoscopy,…
- "Twilight" is a movie (3)
January 30, 2015, 04:34
How the advent of propofol -- the drug associated with the deaths of Joan Rivers and Michael Jackson -- changed the meaning of the term "sedation" “Twilight!…
- A Call for Civility (24)
February 25, 2015, 05:31
Why can’t physician anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants just get along? American anesthesiology reached a significant…
- Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims (2)
May 28, 2015, 06:26
The best way to avoid being sued for malpractice is to make certain that all your patients are happy and all their outcomes are good. Reality is seldom so…
- Did Dr. Virginia Apgar worry about work-life balance? (2)
May 31, 2015, 17:47
Dr. Margaret Wood, who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center, has published a wonderful article titled "Women in…
- Medical students: What no one tells you about anesthesiology (6)
June 9, 2015, 03:43
This column ran first in the online magazine for medical students, "in-Training" In case you were wondering — robots won’t replace anesthesiologists any…
- Osteoporosis: Silent villain can cause major pain (13)
September 14, 2015, 17:28
It's amazing how quickly my role switched from physician to patient, thanks to a silent assailant: osteoporosis. I went to the gym in the morning before…
- In anesthesia, knowing when to call for help is key (7)
October 14, 2015, 04:07
I admit, I was taken aback at the headline in the Houston Press: GOING UNDER: WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOUR ANESTHESIOLOGIST LEAVES THE ROOM DURING AN OPERATION …
- Running two ORs: Is it always wrong? (5)
November 7, 2015, 05:03
Is it always wrong for a surgeon to book cases that will be done in two operating rooms during the same timeframe? If you've paid much attention to the…
- Short-selling private practice (2)
January 30, 2016, 08:07
Today, January 29, is a remarkable day for me. I'm officially leaving private practice after almost 18 years, to return to academic medicine with a faculty…
- Being the family member in the corner (7)
February 13, 2016, 17:58
Nothing brings out the mama lioness in me more than seeing one of my cubs not being treated as well as I think it should be. Recently I had the unusual…
- A better pathway to acute care (2)
February 19, 2016, 22:48
When patients need acute interventional care, coordinating the transitions away from and back to primary care is a challenge. The common pathway for these…
- Improving access to anesthesia health care
April 4, 2016, 06:07
Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) are superbly trained anesthesia caregivers, loyal supporters of physician anesthesiologists, and eager to come to…
- Fame and fentanyl (4)
June 6, 2016, 23:54
Poppies, the original source of opium... A fentanyl overdose led to the recent death of musician and singer Prince, according to the medical examiner's…
- Does Arnold Schwarzenegger deserve better care than our veterans do? (3)
June 18, 2016, 18:40
When Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor, he decided that you and I don’t need to have physicians in charge of our anesthesia care, and he signed a letter…
- Communication, Leadership, and... Blogging? (2)
July 10, 2016, 16:53
Is there a direct connection between communication skills and the art of successful leadership? Most of us would agree that there is. But is there a direct…
- Who's watching the children at the dentist's office? (11)
July 30, 2016, 05:57
You may have read about the recent tragic deaths of two healthy children – Marvelena Rady, age 3, and Caleb Sears, age 6 – in California dental offices.…
- Michael Porter at the ASA: Is anesthesiology a specialist silo? (1)
October 23, 2016, 20:16
“I’m your friend,” Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, MBA, PhD, told a sometimes skeptical audience during his keynote address at the…
- Pediatric dental anesthesia: The Dental Board gets it wrong (5)
January 4, 2017, 18:34
Six-year-old Caleb Sears: His death was preventable I’m not a pediatric anesthesiologist. Most of us in anesthesiology – even those who take care of…
- The Boards Have Exceeded Their Bounds (10)
January 16, 2017, 01:11
In the interests of full disclosure, I acknowledge with delight that I have a non-time limited board certificate from the American Board of Anesthesiology…
- Watch out who you call "paternalistic" (12)
March 26, 2017, 23:50
How reporter Jan Hoffman and the New York Times manage to insult female physicians and get their facts about anesthesia so wrong all at the same time. My…
- MOC + MACRA + TJC + CMS = DRexit (3)
June 16, 2017, 01:14
I wish I knew who coined the term "DRexit" so I could send flowers or a bottle of whiskey as a thank-you gift. There couldn't be a more perfect term to…
- The art of deep extubation (21)
July 19, 2017, 08:06
Fair warning --- this post is likely to be of interest only to professionals who administer anesthesia or may have to deal with laryngospasm in emergency…
- On starting your career in anesthesia (6)
August 5, 2017, 21:37
Emory University held graduation ceremonies on August 5 for the 2017 Class of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs), who received Masters of Medical Science…
- The Practical Art of POCUS (3)
September 11, 2017, 06:01
The longer you practice a profession, the easier it is not to bother to learn the next new thing. We may think we're doing just fine without that new drug, or…
- Who's welcome on the anesthesia care team? Depends whom you ask (5)
September 19, 2017, 22:48
(This post chronicles the recent Los Angeles visit of ASA President Jeff Plagenhoef, MD, and his Grand Rounds presentation at USC. It originally appeared on…
- Just saying "no" to fentanyl (9)
October 17, 2017, 23:10
No, I'm not talking about putting fentanyl into my own veins -- a remarkably bad idea. I'm questioning the habitual, reflex use of fentanyl, a synthetic…
- Dr. Atul Gawande: "What are the outcomes that matter?" (10)
October 21, 2017, 21:26
The real surprise – to me, at least – came more than halfway through Dr. Atul Gawande's keynote address at the opening session of the American Society of…
- Safe pediatric dental anesthesia: Is there any hope? (7)
December 14, 2017, 05:47
When you tell anyone in healthcare that “sedation” to the point of coma is given in dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices every day, without a separate…
- Brave New World? Anesthesiology in 2018 (2)
January 28, 2018, 17:26
Once again, it’s Physician Anesthesiologists Week, and it’s a great time to celebrate our specialty’s many successes and accomplishments. But we’re…
- All pain isn't created equal (1)
April 25, 2018, 12:04
This article appeared first in "The Conversation" on April 25, 2018, under the title "Why it's so hard for doctors to understand your pain". We’re all…
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
- EHR/EMR (4)
- The electronic medical record doesn't tell you the story (6)
April 28, 2012, 18:00
This column was featured on the Association of American Medical Colleges' blog "Wing of Zock" on May 7, 2012, and on KevinMD on May 10, 2012. One morning…
- Do electronic health records improve patient safety? (6)
October 17, 2014, 04:18
“I’m here to say ‘Yes, they can,’ which is different from ‘Yes, they always do,’” says James Moore, MD, President-Elect of the California Society…
- Garbage in, garbage out: The EMR in action (2)
February 29, 2012, 01:57
When can we rely on the information in the electronic medical record? Ever? My first patient of the day was a gentleman in his 50s, who'd had previous…
- Being the family member in the corner (7)
February 13, 2016, 17:58
Nothing brings out the mama lioness in me more than seeing one of my cubs not being treated as well as I think it should be. Recently I had the unusual…
- The electronic medical record doesn't tell you the story (6)
- Entertainment (3)
- Downton Abbey's flirtation with medical facts (8)
February 13, 2012, 22:33
Surely no one thinks of Downton Abbey as anything but an elegantly lavish soap opera, one that we Colin Firth fans aren't ashamed to admit watching. I hope…
- We went to Princeton! (6)
May 23, 2012, 06:09
Naturally, I remember the night I met my husband. We were walking along the seawall on a lovely evening in San Diego, having met over dinner at a nearby…
- To tweet or not to tweet: Social media for physicians (3)
April 4, 2014, 20:25
Nepal? I don't know anyone in Nepal. Yet not long ago I received a courteous email from a physician there, asking my permission to translate an article of mine…
- Downton Abbey's flirtation with medical facts (8)
- Evidence-based medicine (6)
- Today's "evidence-based medicine" may be tomorrow's malpractice (32)
February 13, 2014, 07:17
Author's note --- Readers may find these related articles of interest: The Dark Side of Quality Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims Ge…
- Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims (2)
May 28, 2015, 06:26
The best way to avoid being sued for malpractice is to make certain that all your patients are happy and all their outcomes are good. Reality is seldom so…
- The Dark Side of Quality (7)
May 4, 2014, 21:47
Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
- A better pathway to acute care (2)
February 19, 2016, 22:48
When patients need acute interventional care, coordinating the transitions away from and back to primary care is a challenge. The common pathway for these…
- The Boards Have Exceeded Their Bounds (10)
January 16, 2017, 01:11
In the interests of full disclosure, I acknowledge with delight that I have a non-time limited board certificate from the American Board of Anesthesiology…
- The art of deep extubation (21)
July 19, 2017, 08:06
Fair warning --- this post is likely to be of interest only to professionals who administer anesthesia or may have to deal with laryngospasm in emergency…
- Today's "evidence-based medicine" may be tomorrow's malpractice (32)
- Family (13)
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
March 6, 2012, 05:39
Overheard in the OR—a surgery chief resident ruefully explaining to a senior surgeon why no intern or junior resident was available to scrub in on his…
- Don't Quit This Day Job (3)
June 11, 2011, 17:51
The New York Times picked up my opinion piece about women in medicine. I’M a doctor and a mother of four, and I’ve always practiced medicine full time.…
- Grief takes no holidays (1)
December 19, 2012, 05:36
I originally wrote this column just before Thanksgiving one year, but the recent tragic deaths of the Newtown first-graders make it timely once again. For…
- A letter to the next generation (4)
February 17, 2012, 06:47
It’s an unpopular view, but no, young ladies, you really can’t do it all. In the heady days of the 1970s and 80s, women came to believe that all a girl…
- Medical School Is Worth the Investment for Women--Maybe (6)
August 5, 2012, 04:30
I gained a certain notoriety last summer by suggesting in a New York Times op-ed that it isn't a good thing for growing numbers of physicians to work part…
- You can't phone in your job as a physician (2)
June 30, 2012, 10:30
This column was featured on KevinMD on August 13, 2012, and on the California Society of Anesthesiology website as an "Online First" selection on July 16,…
- My son, the doctor-to-be (2)
April 1, 2013, 03:59
My son has been accepted into medical school, we learned last week, and I must say I'm about as happy a mother and a physician as you could find anywhere. …
- Questions Baby Boomers (and their parents) should ask about anesthesia (1)
August 25, 2013, 18:38
Not so many years ago, surgeons wouldn't operate on patients they considered too old to tolerate the stress of anesthesia and surgery. Today, though,…
- Of cats and termites (6)
March 3, 2015, 04:48
How an eleven-pound cat precipitated domestic chaos and delayed surgery Termites are endemic in southern California, and we’ve had spot treatments several…
- Did Dr. Virginia Apgar worry about work-life balance? (2)
May 31, 2015, 17:47
Dr. Margaret Wood, who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center, has published a wonderful article titled "Women in…
- Privilege and entitlement in "work-life balance" (13)
August 24, 2015, 06:38
Did it ever occur to some of today's physicians that many people work awfully hard and complain a lot less than they do about "burnout" and "work-life…
- Being the family member in the corner (7)
February 13, 2016, 17:58
Nothing brings out the mama lioness in me more than seeing one of my cubs not being treated as well as I think it should be. Recently I had the unusual…
- Love, loss, and the lyrics of Bob Dylan (4)
October 17, 2016, 05:37
Classic rock music lovers who think they don't like poetry, and literary purists who think they don't like popular music, may have been equally baffled to hear…
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
- Featured (13)
- Don't Quit This Day Job (3)
June 11, 2011, 17:51
The New York Times picked up my opinion piece about women in medicine. I’M a doctor and a mother of four, and I’ve always practiced medicine full time.…
- Germs and the pseudoscience of quality improvement (9)
December 8, 2014, 01:18
No one wants a hospital-acquired infection---a wound infection, a central line infection, or any other kind. But today, the level of concern in American…
- Did Dr. Virginia Apgar worry about work-life balance? (2)
May 31, 2015, 17:47
Dr. Margaret Wood, who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center, has published a wonderful article titled "Women in…
- Medical students: What no one tells you about anesthesiology (6)
June 9, 2015, 03:43
This column ran first in the online magazine for medical students, "in-Training" In case you were wondering — robots won’t replace anesthesiologists any…
- Watch out who you call "paternalistic" (12)
March 26, 2017, 23:50
How reporter Jan Hoffman and the New York Times manage to insult female physicians and get their facts about anesthesia so wrong all at the same time. My…
- Dr. Atul Gawande: "What are the outcomes that matter?" (10)
October 21, 2017, 21:26
The real surprise – to me, at least – came more than halfway through Dr. Atul Gawande's keynote address at the opening session of the American Society of…
- The art of deep extubation (21)
July 19, 2017, 08:06
Fair warning --- this post is likely to be of interest only to professionals who administer anesthesia or may have to deal with laryngospasm in emergency…
- On starting your career in anesthesia (6)
August 5, 2017, 21:37
Emory University held graduation ceremonies on August 5 for the 2017 Class of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs), who received Masters of Medical Science…
- Just saying "no" to fentanyl (9)
October 17, 2017, 23:10
No, I'm not talking about putting fentanyl into my own veins -- a remarkably bad idea. I'm questioning the habitual, reflex use of fentanyl, a synthetic…
- Safe pediatric dental anesthesia: Is there any hope? (7)
December 14, 2017, 05:47
When you tell anyone in healthcare that “sedation” to the point of coma is given in dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices every day, without a separate…
- Avoiding #metoo in medicine (17)
January 15, 2018, 01:12
Let me say first that any woman who has ever been harassed or assaulted should NEVER be made to feel that it is her fault. It is always the perpetrator’s…
- Brave New World? Anesthesiology in 2018 (2)
January 28, 2018, 17:26
Once again, it’s Physician Anesthesiologists Week, and it’s a great time to celebrate our specialty’s many successes and accomplishments. But we’re…
- All pain isn't created equal (1)
April 25, 2018, 12:04
This article appeared first in "The Conversation" on April 25, 2018, under the title "Why it's so hard for doctors to understand your pain". We’re all…
- Don't Quit This Day Job (3)
- Legislation (23)
- Bring in the Vikings!
February 1, 2012, 17:41
Photo by Panoramas on Flickr If you can possibly avoid it, don’t have elective surgery in any hospital when Joint Commission surveyors are on site,…
- Unsupervised anesthesia care by a nurse anesthetist is a threat to patient safety
February 3, 2012, 23:26
No matter how quickly you tried to switch the television channel lately, you probably couldn’t escape the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray or avoid hearing about…
- Don't cut Medicare funds for teaching hospitals!
February 5, 2012, 20:19
It’s hard to see how legislators could be more shortsighted. As Washington leaders bargain to reduce the deficit and avoid a government default, one…
- The elephant in the room (4)
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I should be exactly the kind of voter you’re trying to attract, but you’re making it nearly impossible for me to vote for the Republican presidential…
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“Everybody has needs,” Governor Jerry Brown told the physicians and medical students who filled a Sacramento banquet room on April 17. “But needs turn…
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In my hospital’s preoperative area, upright on her bed, sat an unhappy middle-aged lady who needed an operation to treat complications from her previous…
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Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
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I give what could be lethal injections for a living. That's right. Nearly every day I give someone an injection of midazolam, vecuronium, and an IV solution…
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June 25, 2014, 04:52
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There’s no mystery about why the July 23 execution of Joseph Wood in Arizona took so long. From the anesthesiologist’s point of view, it doesn’t seem…
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Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, believes with good reason that many physicians have become "like everybody else: insecure, discontented and anxious about…
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Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) are superbly trained anesthesia caregivers, loyal supporters of physician anesthesiologists, and eager to come to…
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June 18, 2016, 18:40
When Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor, he decided that you and I don’t need to have physicians in charge of our anesthesia care, and he signed a letter…
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January 4, 2017, 18:34
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When you tell anyone in healthcare that “sedation” to the point of coma is given in dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices every day, without a separate…
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August 5, 2012, 04:30
I gained a certain notoriety last summer by suggesting in a New York Times op-ed that it isn't a good thing for growing numbers of physicians to work part…
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August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
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December 23, 2013, 17:06
This column was written on behalf of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and was first published by KevinMD on December 22, 2013. When you need…
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September 1, 2014, 20:49
Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, believes with good reason that many physicians have become "like everybody else: insecure, discontented and anxious about…
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June 9, 2015, 03:43
This column ran first in the online magazine for medical students, "in-Training" In case you were wondering — robots won’t replace anesthesiologists any…
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In the interests of full disclosure, I acknowledge with delight that I have a non-time limited board certificate from the American Board of Anesthesiology…
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I wish I knew who coined the term "DRexit" so I could send flowers or a bottle of whiskey as a thank-you gift. There couldn't be a more perfect term to…
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July 19, 2017, 08:06
Fair warning --- this post is likely to be of interest only to professionals who administer anesthesia or may have to deal with laryngospasm in emergency…
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September 11, 2017, 06:01
The longer you practice a profession, the easier it is not to bother to learn the next new thing. We may think we're doing just fine without that new drug, or…
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January 15, 2018, 01:12
Let me say first that any woman who has ever been harassed or assaulted should NEVER be made to feel that it is her fault. It is always the perpetrator’s…
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January 28, 2018, 17:26
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Overheard in the OR—a surgery chief resident ruefully explaining to a senior surgeon why no intern or junior resident was available to scrub in on his…
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February 1, 2012, 17:41
Photo by Panoramas on Flickr If you can possibly avoid it, don’t have elective surgery in any hospital when Joint Commission surveyors are on site,…
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The New York Times picked up my opinion piece about women in medicine. I’M a doctor and a mother of four, and I’ve always practiced medicine full time.…
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February 1, 2012, 18:58
This article first appeared on CSA Online First on November 21, 2011 The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear a challenge to the constitutionali…
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January 31, 2012, 00:56
As of January 1, the SCIP guidelines for perioperative beta blocker (BB) administration have changed yet again. Has it occurred to anyone that maybe they…
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February 3, 2012, 23:26
No matter how quickly you tried to switch the television channel lately, you probably couldn’t escape the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray or avoid hearing about…
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February 4, 2012, 05:45
They’re part of the game in football and relay races—but are handoffs safe for anesthetized patients? As resident work hours decreased over the last few…
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February 5, 2012, 02:06
I’m a loyal supporter of the hospital where I work, and I think that we take excellent care of our patients. But when our administrators decided to put in…
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February 13, 2012, 22:33
Surely no one thinks of Downton Abbey as anything but an elegantly lavish soap opera, one that we Colin Firth fans aren't ashamed to admit watching. I hope…
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February 5, 2012, 03:55
This is a time of unprecedented change--in technology, medicine, and social media. My work in medical centers across the U.S., from Connecticut to California,…
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February 15, 2012, 06:55
Photo credit: Dan Saelinger My husband and I once spent a year working at one of the largest hospitals in West Virginia. The patients were the nicest…
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February 17, 2012, 06:47
It’s an unpopular view, but no, young ladies, you really can’t do it all. In the heady days of the 1970s and 80s, women came to believe that all a girl…
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February 18, 2012, 10:25
There's been a great divide between the medical and surgical specialties ever since I can remember. Surgeons believe internists perseverate too much when…
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February 21, 2012, 06:10
Since Whitney Houston's sad, senseless death on February 11, I've heard her hit song "The Greatest Love of All" more times than I thought possible. She had…
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February 5, 2012, 20:19
It’s hard to see how legislators could be more shortsighted. As Washington leaders bargain to reduce the deficit and avoid a government default, one…
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February 26, 2012, 09:38
One of my partners recently sent out a call for an extra pair of hands to help out in the operating room—and with good cause. The patient on the OR table…
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February 29, 2012, 01:57
When can we rely on the information in the electronic medical record? Ever? My first patient of the day was a gentleman in his 50s, who'd had previous…
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March 25, 2012, 20:43
If Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel gets his wish, tomorrow’s physicians won’t deserve to be paid as well as physicians today because they won’t be as well trained. …
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March 30, 2012, 06:08
I should be exactly the kind of voter you’re trying to attract, but you’re making it nearly impossible for me to vote for the Republican presidential…
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April 11, 2012, 05:10
Only a generation ago, in the 1980s, medical students thought about what specialty to choose simply in terms of what interested them most. All doctors made a…
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April 24, 2012, 18:47
“Everybody has needs,” Governor Jerry Brown told the physicians and medical students who filled a Sacramento banquet room on April 17. “But needs turn…
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April 28, 2012, 18:00
This column was featured on the Association of American Medical Colleges' blog "Wing of Zock" on May 7, 2012, and on KevinMD on May 10, 2012. One morning…
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June 9, 2012, 07:21
We’ve come to a sorry pass in American medicine when physicians are willing to spend a lot of money to attend conferences—not to learn how to become better…
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June 30, 2012, 10:30
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August 5, 2012, 04:30
I gained a certain notoriety last summer by suggesting in a New York Times op-ed that it isn't a good thing for growing numbers of physicians to work part…
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November 10, 2012, 17:56
In my hospital’s preoperative area, upright on her bed, sat an unhappy middle-aged lady who needed an operation to treat complications from her previous…
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November 26, 2012, 22:43
When you walked into the voting booth on Tuesday, November 6, did you do so with a feeling of calm certainty that the man who would get your vote for President…
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March 18, 2013, 03:08
New research just out in the journal Psychology and Aging says pessimists live longer and healthier lives. If this is true, then contemplating the future of…
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April 9, 2013, 15:45
It's a nightmare that doesn't end for the family of 24-year-old Marek Lapinski, who suffered cardiac arrest recently during the removal of two wisdom teeth in…
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June 3, 2013, 05:12
Movie buffs and science fiction fans certainly remember HAL, the computer in 1968’s hit movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Considered one of the greatest…
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July 26, 2013, 05:34
How the Affordable Care Act is worsening physician burnout, and why women physicians may be at even higher risk To the literal-minded, burning out is the fate…
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August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
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September 22, 2013, 23:27
The latest salvo in the federal government's war on physicians comes to us courtesy of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is proposing drastic…
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November 29, 2013, 06:00
We were startled to learn recently that Sheridan Healthcare Inc., a physician services company based in Florida, has bought one of the largest private…
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December 30, 2013, 04:32
We guard the privacy of patients in my hospital zealously—we take care of a lot of celebrities since we're right in the shadow of Beverly Hills. And of…
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February 13, 2014, 07:17
Author's note --- Readers may find these related articles of interest: The Dark Side of Quality Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims Ge…
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Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
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May 20, 2014, 05:17
The Institute of Medicine in 2010 famously recommended that nurses should be encouraged to practice "to the full extent of their education and training."…
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June 25, 2014, 04:52
Here's a doctor's health tip for patients that I'll bet you haven't heard before. If you're a patient who walks into a hospital for an elective procedure of…
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September 1, 2014, 20:49
Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, believes with good reason that many physicians have become "like everybody else: insecure, discontented and anxious about…
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September 15, 2014, 06:17
Since the death of comedian and talk-show host Joan Rivers, more information has surfaced about the events on the morning of August 28 at Yorkville Endoscopy.…
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October 13, 2014, 13:48
“Fighting against those who want to change things is a futile strategy,” declared Jason Hwang, MD, MBA, keynote speaker at the opening ceremonies of the…
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October 17, 2014, 04:18
“I’m here to say ‘Yes, they can,’ which is different from ‘Yes, they always do,’” says James Moore, MD, President-Elect of the California Society…
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May 28, 2015, 06:26
The best way to avoid being sued for malpractice is to make certain that all your patients are happy and all their outcomes are good. Reality is seldom so…
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October 23, 2016, 20:16
“I’m your friend,” Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, MBA, PhD, told a sometimes skeptical audience during his keynote address at the…
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April 3, 2014, 05:31
"The creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die."--C. S. Lewis The problem of pain, from the viewpoint of…
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October 17, 2017, 23:10
No, I'm not talking about putting fentanyl into my own veins -- a remarkably bad idea. I'm questioning the habitual, reflex use of fentanyl, a synthetic…
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April 25, 2018, 12:04
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March 8, 2012, 21:13
As a very new reporter for the Wall Street Journal, before I started medical school, I was sent to North Carolina to report on efforts to unionize the workers…
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February 1, 2012, 18:58
This article first appeared on CSA Online First on November 21, 2011 The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear a challenge to the constitutionali…
- Unsupervised anesthesia care by a nurse anesthetist is a threat to patient safety
February 3, 2012, 23:26
No matter how quickly you tried to switch the television channel lately, you probably couldn’t escape the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray or avoid hearing about…
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February 5, 2012, 03:55
This is a time of unprecedented change--in technology, medicine, and social media. My work in medical centers across the U.S., from Connecticut to California,…
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February 5, 2012, 20:19
It’s hard to see how legislators could be more shortsighted. As Washington leaders bargain to reduce the deficit and avoid a government default, one…
- The elephant in the room (4)
February 26, 2012, 09:38
One of my partners recently sent out a call for an extra pair of hands to help out in the operating room—and with good cause. The patient on the OR table…
- Less education for tomorrow's doctors?
March 25, 2012, 20:43
If Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel gets his wish, tomorrow’s physicians won’t deserve to be paid as well as physicians today because they won’t be as well trained. …
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March 30, 2012, 06:08
I should be exactly the kind of voter you’re trying to attract, but you’re making it nearly impossible for me to vote for the Republican presidential…
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April 24, 2012, 18:47
“Everybody has needs,” Governor Jerry Brown told the physicians and medical students who filled a Sacramento banquet room on April 17. “But needs turn…
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June 9, 2012, 07:21
We’ve come to a sorry pass in American medicine when physicians are willing to spend a lot of money to attend conferences—not to learn how to become better…
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November 26, 2012, 22:43
When you walked into the voting booth on Tuesday, November 6, did you do so with a feeling of calm certainty that the man who would get your vote for President…
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March 18, 2013, 03:08
New research just out in the journal Psychology and Aging says pessimists live longer and healthier lives. If this is true, then contemplating the future of…
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July 26, 2013, 05:34
How the Affordable Care Act is worsening physician burnout, and why women physicians may be at even higher risk To the literal-minded, burning out is the fate…
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September 22, 2013, 23:27
The latest salvo in the federal government's war on physicians comes to us courtesy of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is proposing drastic…
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December 23, 2013, 17:06
This column was written on behalf of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and was first published by KevinMD on December 22, 2013. When you need…
- Today's "evidence-based medicine" may be tomorrow's malpractice (32)
February 13, 2014, 07:17
Author's note --- Readers may find these related articles of interest: The Dark Side of Quality Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims Ge…
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April 3, 2014, 05:31
"The creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die."--C. S. Lewis The problem of pain, from the viewpoint of…
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April 4, 2014, 20:25
Nepal? I don't know anyone in Nepal. Yet not long ago I received a courteous email from a physician there, asking my permission to translate an article of mine…
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May 4, 2014, 21:47
Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
- Abusing anesthesia: Why lethal injection is wrong
May 13, 2014, 06:22
I give what could be lethal injections for a living. That's right. Nearly every day I give someone an injection of midazolam, vecuronium, and an IV solution…
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July 25, 2014, 22:10
There’s no mystery about why the July 23 execution of Joseph Wood in Arizona took so long. From the anesthesiologist’s point of view, it doesn’t seem…
- His diagnosis is right, but the treatment is all wrong (13)
September 1, 2014, 20:49
Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, believes with good reason that many physicians have become "like everybody else: insecure, discontented and anxious about…
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October 14, 2015, 04:07
I admit, I was taken aback at the headline in the Houston Press: GOING UNDER: WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOUR ANESTHESIOLOGIST LEAVES THE ROOM DURING AN OPERATION …
- Who's watching the children at the dentist's office? (11)
July 30, 2016, 05:57
You may have read about the recent tragic deaths of two healthy children – Marvelena Rady, age 3, and Caleb Sears, age 6 – in California dental offices.…
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December 14, 2017, 05:47
When you tell anyone in healthcare that “sedation” to the point of coma is given in dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices every day, without a separate…
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May 28, 2015, 06:26
The best way to avoid being sued for malpractice is to make certain that all your patients are happy and all their outcomes are good. Reality is seldom so…
- Who's watching the children at the dentist's office? (11)
July 30, 2016, 05:57
You may have read about the recent tragic deaths of two healthy children – Marvelena Rady, age 3, and Caleb Sears, age 6 – in California dental offices.…
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September 11, 2017, 06:01
The longer you practice a profession, the easier it is not to bother to learn the next new thing. We may think we're doing just fine without that new drug, or…
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March 6, 2012, 05:39
Overheard in the OR—a surgery chief resident ruefully explaining to a senior surgeon why no intern or junior resident was available to scrub in on his…
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March 12, 2012, 19:33
If you live in southern California, you can’t miss the billboards advertising laparoscopic gastric banding at “1-800-GET-THIN” outpatient surgery…
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June 11, 2011, 17:51
The New York Times picked up my opinion piece about women in medicine. I’M a doctor and a mother of four, and I’ve always practiced medicine full time.…
- The beta-blockade rules: Still crazy after all these years (3)
January 31, 2012, 00:56
As of January 1, the SCIP guidelines for perioperative beta blocker (BB) administration have changed yet again. Has it occurred to anyone that maybe they…
- Handoffs: The latest buzzword in patient safety
February 4, 2012, 05:45
They’re part of the game in football and relay races—but are handoffs safe for anesthetized patients? As resident work hours decreased over the last few…
- Checklists: How a good idea gets a bad name
February 5, 2012, 02:06
I’m a loyal supporter of the hospital where I work, and I think that we take excellent care of our patients. But when our administrators decided to put in…
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February 5, 2012, 03:24
Just before Christmas, I was out walking my dog, who's a large (100 lb.) but very sweet, somewhat timid mutt. We passed by two German shepherds who…
- Bring in the Vikings!
February 1, 2012, 17:41
Photo by Panoramas on Flickr If you can possibly avoid it, don’t have elective surgery in any hospital when Joint Commission surveyors are on site,…
- Unsupervised anesthesia care by a nurse anesthetist is a threat to patient safety
February 3, 2012, 23:26
No matter how quickly you tried to switch the television channel lately, you probably couldn’t escape the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray or avoid hearing about…
- When is it better for doctors to make mistakes? (2)
February 15, 2012, 06:55
Photo credit: Dan Saelinger My husband and I once spent a year working at one of the largest hospitals in West Virginia. The patients were the nicest…
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February 18, 2012, 10:25
There's been a great divide between the medical and surgical specialties ever since I can remember. Surgeons believe internists perseverate too much when…
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February 21, 2012, 06:10
Since Whitney Houston's sad, senseless death on February 11, I've heard her hit song "The Greatest Love of All" more times than I thought possible. She had…
- Garbage in, garbage out: The EMR in action (2)
February 29, 2012, 01:57
When can we rely on the information in the electronic medical record? Ever? My first patient of the day was a gentleman in his 50s, who'd had previous…
- Less education for tomorrow's doctors?
March 25, 2012, 20:43
If Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel gets his wish, tomorrow’s physicians won’t deserve to be paid as well as physicians today because they won’t be as well trained. …
- The shortage of doctors is worse than you think (5)
April 11, 2012, 05:10
Only a generation ago, in the 1980s, medical students thought about what specialty to choose simply in terms of what interested them most. All doctors made a…
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April 28, 2012, 18:00
This column was featured on the Association of American Medical Colleges' blog "Wing of Zock" on May 7, 2012, and on KevinMD on May 10, 2012. One morning…
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June 9, 2012, 07:21
We’ve come to a sorry pass in American medicine when physicians are willing to spend a lot of money to attend conferences—not to learn how to become better…
- You can't phone in your job as a physician (2)
June 30, 2012, 10:30
This column was featured on KevinMD on August 13, 2012, and on the California Society of Anesthesiology website as an "Online First" selection on July 16,…
- Medical School Is Worth the Investment for Women--Maybe (6)
August 5, 2012, 04:30
I gained a certain notoriety last summer by suggesting in a New York Times op-ed that it isn't a good thing for growing numbers of physicians to work part…
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August 18, 2012, 22:28
Really, sir. What were you thinking? I’m talking to you—the anesthesia provider (I hate to think that you might be an anesthesiologist) who allowed…
- The unsolved problem of MD + PR (9)
November 10, 2012, 17:56
In my hospital’s preoperative area, upright on her bed, sat an unhappy middle-aged lady who needed an operation to treat complications from her previous…
- A plague on both your houses (3)
November 26, 2012, 22:43
When you walked into the voting booth on Tuesday, November 6, did you do so with a feeling of calm certainty that the man who would get your vote for President…
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March 18, 2013, 03:08
New research just out in the journal Psychology and Aging says pessimists live longer and healthier lives. If this is true, then contemplating the future of…
- My son, the doctor-to-be (2)
April 1, 2013, 03:59
My son has been accepted into medical school, we learned last week, and I must say I'm about as happy a mother and a physician as you could find anywhere. …
- Touch your patient. Don't wear gloves. (27)
August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
- No HIPAA for us in healthcare (28)
December 30, 2013, 04:32
We guard the privacy of patients in my hospital zealously—we take care of a lot of celebrities since we're right in the shadow of Beverly Hills. And of…
- Today's "evidence-based medicine" may be tomorrow's malpractice (32)
February 13, 2014, 07:17
Author's note --- Readers may find these related articles of interest: The Dark Side of Quality Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims Ge…
- The problem of pain: When best medical advice doesn't equal patient satisfaction (12)
April 3, 2014, 05:31
"The creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die."--C. S. Lewis The problem of pain, from the viewpoint of…
- To tweet or not to tweet: Social media for physicians (3)
April 4, 2014, 20:25
Nepal? I don't know anyone in Nepal. Yet not long ago I received a courteous email from a physician there, asking my permission to translate an article of mine…
- The Dark Side of Quality (7)
May 4, 2014, 21:47
Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
- Practicing at the top of my license? (6)
May 20, 2014, 05:17
The Institute of Medicine in 2010 famously recommended that nurses should be encouraged to practice "to the full extent of their education and training."…
- Abusing anesthesia: Why lethal injection is wrong
May 13, 2014, 06:22
I give what could be lethal injections for a living. That's right. Nearly every day I give someone an injection of midazolam, vecuronium, and an IV solution…
- His diagnosis is right, but the treatment is all wrong (13)
September 1, 2014, 20:49
Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, believes with good reason that many physicians have become "like everybody else: insecure, discontented and anxious about…
- A Call for Civility (24)
February 25, 2015, 05:31
Why can’t physician anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants just get along? American anesthesiology reached a significant…
- Did Dr. Virginia Apgar worry about work-life balance? (2)
May 31, 2015, 17:47
Dr. Margaret Wood, who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center, has published a wonderful article titled "Women in…
- Privilege and entitlement in "work-life balance" (13)
August 24, 2015, 06:38
Did it ever occur to some of today's physicians that many people work awfully hard and complain a lot less than they do about "burnout" and "work-life…
- In anesthesia, knowing when to call for help is key (7)
October 14, 2015, 04:07
I admit, I was taken aback at the headline in the Houston Press: GOING UNDER: WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOUR ANESTHESIOLOGIST LEAVES THE ROOM DURING AN OPERATION …
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November 7, 2015, 05:03
Is it always wrong for a surgeon to book cases that will be done in two operating rooms during the same timeframe? If you've paid much attention to the…
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February 13, 2016, 17:58
Nothing brings out the mama lioness in me more than seeing one of my cubs not being treated as well as I think it should be. Recently I had the unusual…
- Communication, Leadership, and... Blogging? (2)
July 10, 2016, 16:53
Is there a direct connection between communication skills and the art of successful leadership? Most of us would agree that there is. But is there a direct…
- Michael Porter at the ASA: Is anesthesiology a specialist silo? (1)
October 23, 2016, 20:16
“I’m your friend,” Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, MBA, PhD, told a sometimes skeptical audience during his keynote address at the…
- The Boards Have Exceeded Their Bounds (10)
January 16, 2017, 01:11
In the interests of full disclosure, I acknowledge with delight that I have a non-time limited board certificate from the American Board of Anesthesiology…
- Watch out who you call "paternalistic" (12)
March 26, 2017, 23:50
How reporter Jan Hoffman and the New York Times manage to insult female physicians and get their facts about anesthesia so wrong all at the same time. My…
- MOC + MACRA + TJC + CMS = DRexit (3)
June 16, 2017, 01:14
I wish I knew who coined the term "DRexit" so I could send flowers or a bottle of whiskey as a thank-you gift. There couldn't be a more perfect term to…
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July 19, 2017, 08:06
Fair warning --- this post is likely to be of interest only to professionals who administer anesthesia or may have to deal with laryngospasm in emergency…
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August 5, 2017, 21:37
Emory University held graduation ceremonies on August 5 for the 2017 Class of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs), who received Masters of Medical Science…
- Who's welcome on the anesthesia care team? Depends whom you ask (5)
September 19, 2017, 22:48
(This post chronicles the recent Los Angeles visit of ASA President Jeff Plagenhoef, MD, and his Grand Rounds presentation at USC. It originally appeared on…
- Just saying "no" to fentanyl (9)
October 17, 2017, 23:10
No, I'm not talking about putting fentanyl into my own veins -- a remarkably bad idea. I'm questioning the habitual, reflex use of fentanyl, a synthetic…
- Safe pediatric dental anesthesia: Is there any hope? (7)
December 14, 2017, 05:47
When you tell anyone in healthcare that “sedation” to the point of coma is given in dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices every day, without a separate…
- Avoiding #metoo in medicine (17)
January 15, 2018, 01:12
Let me say first that any woman who has ever been harassed or assaulted should NEVER be made to feel that it is her fault. It is always the perpetrator’s…
- Brave New World? Anesthesiology in 2018 (2)
January 28, 2018, 17:26
Once again, it’s Physician Anesthesiologists Week, and it’s a great time to celebrate our specialty’s many successes and accomplishments. But we’re…
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
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- A reporter in North Carolina's textile mills (4)
March 8, 2012, 21:13
As a very new reporter for the Wall Street Journal, before I started medical school, I was sent to North Carolina to report on efforts to unionize the workers…
- Women Have Changed, But Women’s Hotels Remain Quite Proper (6)
February 1, 2012, 16:55
I wrote this article for The Wall Street Journal, where it was printed on July 13, 1973. Women Have Changed, But Women’s Hotels Remain Quite Proper By…
- A disabling injury--a lucky break? (1)
February 5, 2012, 03:24
Just before Christmas, I was out walking my dog, who's a large (100 lb.) but very sweet, somewhat timid mutt. We passed by two German shepherds who…
- Downton Abbey's flirtation with medical facts (8)
February 13, 2012, 22:33
Surely no one thinks of Downton Abbey as anything but an elegantly lavish soap opera, one that we Colin Firth fans aren't ashamed to admit watching. I hope…
- Bridging the disconnect between medicine and surgery (8)
February 18, 2012, 10:25
There's been a great divide between the medical and surgical specialties ever since I can remember. Surgeons believe internists perseverate too much when…
- Garbage in, garbage out: The EMR in action (2)
February 29, 2012, 01:57
When can we rely on the information in the electronic medical record? Ever? My first patient of the day was a gentleman in his 50s, who'd had previous…
- A word to the Republican Party (2)
March 30, 2012, 06:08
I should be exactly the kind of voter you’re trying to attract, but you’re making it nearly impossible for me to vote for the Republican presidential…
- We went to Princeton! (6)
May 23, 2012, 06:09
Naturally, I remember the night I met my husband. We were walking along the seawall on a lovely evening in San Diego, having met over dinner at a nearby…
- Don't reach out to me. Please. (10)
October 26, 2012, 05:36
Every once in a while, a new catch phrase appears that you hear or read rarely at first. Then suddenly you meet it everywhere, and it progresses rapidly from…
- My son, the doctor-to-be (2)
April 1, 2013, 03:59
My son has been accepted into medical school, we learned last week, and I must say I'm about as happy a mother and a physician as you could find anywhere. …
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March 3, 2015, 04:48
How an eleven-pound cat precipitated domestic chaos and delayed surgery Termites are endemic in southern California, and we’ve had spot treatments several…
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October 17, 2016, 05:37
Classic rock music lovers who think they don't like poetry, and literary purists who think they don't like popular music, may have been equally baffled to hear…
- A reporter in North Carolina's textile mills (4)
- Residency (11)
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
March 6, 2012, 05:39
Overheard in the OR—a surgery chief resident ruefully explaining to a senior surgeon why no intern or junior resident was available to scrub in on his…
- Who's entitled to self-esteem? (3)
February 21, 2012, 06:10
Since Whitney Houston's sad, senseless death on February 11, I've heard her hit song "The Greatest Love of All" more times than I thought possible. She had…
- Don't cut Medicare funds for teaching hospitals!
February 5, 2012, 20:19
It’s hard to see how legislators could be more shortsighted. As Washington leaders bargain to reduce the deficit and avoid a government default, one…
- Less education for tomorrow's doctors?
March 25, 2012, 20:43
If Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel gets his wish, tomorrow’s physicians won’t deserve to be paid as well as physicians today because they won’t be as well trained. …
- The shortage of doctors is worse than you think (5)
April 11, 2012, 05:10
Only a generation ago, in the 1980s, medical students thought about what specialty to choose simply in terms of what interested them most. All doctors made a…
- You can't phone in your job as a physician (2)
June 30, 2012, 10:30
This column was featured on KevinMD on August 13, 2012, and on the California Society of Anesthesiology website as an "Online First" selection on July 16,…
- Wait. Who's burned out? (2)
July 26, 2013, 05:34
How the Affordable Care Act is worsening physician burnout, and why women physicians may be at even higher risk To the literal-minded, burning out is the fate…
- Touch your patient. Don't wear gloves. (27)
August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
- Medical students: What no one tells you about anesthesiology (6)
June 9, 2015, 03:43
This column ran first in the online magazine for medical students, "in-Training" In case you were wondering — robots won’t replace anesthesiologists any…
- The Boards Have Exceeded Their Bounds (10)
January 16, 2017, 01:11
In the interests of full disclosure, I acknowledge with delight that I have a non-time limited board certificate from the American Board of Anesthesiology…
- Brave New World? Anesthesiology in 2018 (2)
January 28, 2018, 17:26
Once again, it’s Physician Anesthesiologists Week, and it’s a great time to celebrate our specialty’s many successes and accomplishments. But we’re…
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
- Safety (35)
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
March 12, 2012, 19:33
If you live in southern California, you can’t miss the billboards advertising laparoscopic gastric banding at “1-800-GET-THIN” outpatient surgery…
- Checklists: How a good idea gets a bad name
February 5, 2012, 02:06
I’m a loyal supporter of the hospital where I work, and I think that we take excellent care of our patients. But when our administrators decided to put in…
- Handoffs: The latest buzzword in patient safety
February 4, 2012, 05:45
They’re part of the game in football and relay races—but are handoffs safe for anesthetized patients? As resident work hours decreased over the last few…
- Unsupervised anesthesia care by a nurse anesthetist is a threat to patient safety
February 3, 2012, 23:26
No matter how quickly you tried to switch the television channel lately, you probably couldn’t escape the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray or avoid hearing about…
- Bring in the Vikings!
February 1, 2012, 17:41
Photo by Panoramas on Flickr If you can possibly avoid it, don’t have elective surgery in any hospital when Joint Commission surveyors are on site,…
- The beta-blockade rules: Still crazy after all these years (3)
January 31, 2012, 00:56
As of January 1, the SCIP guidelines for perioperative beta blocker (BB) administration have changed yet again. Has it occurred to anyone that maybe they…
- When is it better for doctors to make mistakes? (2)
February 15, 2012, 06:55
Photo credit: Dan Saelinger My husband and I once spent a year working at one of the largest hospitals in West Virginia. The patients were the nicest…
- Who's entitled to self-esteem? (3)
February 21, 2012, 06:10
Since Whitney Houston's sad, senseless death on February 11, I've heard her hit song "The Greatest Love of All" more times than I thought possible. She had…
- The electronic medical record doesn't tell you the story (6)
April 28, 2012, 18:00
This column was featured on the Association of American Medical Colleges' blog "Wing of Zock" on May 7, 2012, and on KevinMD on May 10, 2012. One morning…
- Anesthesia for Dummies (4)
August 18, 2012, 22:28
Really, sir. What were you thinking? I’m talking to you—the anesthesia provider (I hate to think that you might be an anesthesiologist) who allowed…
- Scaring the public about anesthesia--again (1)
January 15, 2013, 06:03
Don’t be surprised if patients start asking more questions than usual about awareness under anesthesia. We can all thank a recent article in The Atlantic…
- No anesthesia is "minor" (5)
April 9, 2013, 15:45
It's a nightmare that doesn't end for the family of 24-year-old Marek Lapinski, who suffered cardiac arrest recently during the removal of two wisdom teeth in…
- Is "HAL" coming to a GI suite near you? (7)
June 3, 2013, 05:12
Movie buffs and science fiction fans certainly remember HAL, the computer in 1968’s hit movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Considered one of the greatest…
- Touch your patient. Don't wear gloves. (27)
August 19, 2013, 01:01
We've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. And by "we" I mean every healthcare worker in sight. I see people putting on gloves before they'll give…
- Questions Baby Boomers (and their parents) should ask about anesthesia (1)
August 25, 2013, 18:38
Not so many years ago, surgeons wouldn't operate on patients they considered too old to tolerate the stress of anesthesia and surgery. Today, though,…
- Our veterans deserve physician-led care (10)
September 22, 2013, 23:27
The latest salvo in the federal government's war on physicians comes to us courtesy of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is proposing drastic…
- No HIPAA for us in healthcare (28)
December 30, 2013, 04:32
We guard the privacy of patients in my hospital zealously—we take care of a lot of celebrities since we're right in the shadow of Beverly Hills. And of…
- Today's "evidence-based medicine" may be tomorrow's malpractice (32)
February 13, 2014, 07:17
Author's note --- Readers may find these related articles of interest: The Dark Side of Quality Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims Ge…
- The problem of pain: When best medical advice doesn't equal patient satisfaction (12)
April 3, 2014, 05:31
"The creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die."--C. S. Lewis The problem of pain, from the viewpoint of…
- The Dark Side of Quality (7)
May 4, 2014, 21:47
Nobody stands up to argue against quality and value in healthcare. You might as well argue against motherhood, or puppies. Yet many physicians are inherently…
- Doctor's advice: Beware of observers with clipboards (10)
June 25, 2014, 04:52
Here's a doctor's health tip for patients that I'll bet you haven't heard before. If you're a patient who walks into a hospital for an elective procedure of…
- How did Joan Rivers' procedure go so terribly wrong? (1)
September 8, 2014, 07:05
There are minor operations and procedures, but there are no minor anesthetics. This could turn out to be the one lesson learned from the ongoing investigation…
- Joan Rivers: Some answers, more questions (8)
September 15, 2014, 06:17
Since the death of comedian and talk-show host Joan Rivers, more information has surfaced about the events on the morning of August 28 at Yorkville Endoscopy.…
- Joan Rivers: More facts come to light (10)
September 22, 2014, 01:58
The ear, nose and throat specialist who treated comedian Joan Rivers on August 28 has been identified as Dr. Gwen Korovin, a prominent New York physician who…
- Do electronic health records improve patient safety? (6)
October 17, 2014, 04:18
“I’m here to say ‘Yes, they can,’ which is different from ‘Yes, they always do,’” says James Moore, MD, President-Elect of the California Society…
- Germs and the pseudoscience of quality improvement (9)
December 8, 2014, 01:18
No one wants a hospital-acquired infection---a wound infection, a central line infection, or any other kind. But today, the level of concern in American…
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January 4, 2015, 10:36
New York Post reporter Susan Edelman revealed on January 4 the name of the unfortunate anesthesiologist allegedly present on August 28 at Yorkville Endoscopy,…
- "Twilight" is a movie (3)
January 30, 2015, 04:34
How the advent of propofol -- the drug associated with the deaths of Joan Rivers and Michael Jackson -- changed the meaning of the term "sedation" “Twilight!…
- In anesthesia, knowing when to call for help is key (7)
October 14, 2015, 04:07
I admit, I was taken aback at the headline in the Houston Press: GOING UNDER: WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOUR ANESTHESIOLOGIST LEAVES THE ROOM DURING AN OPERATION …
- Running two ORs: Is it always wrong? (5)
November 7, 2015, 05:03
Is it always wrong for a surgeon to book cases that will be done in two operating rooms during the same timeframe? If you've paid much attention to the…
- Pediatric dental anesthesia: The Dental Board gets it wrong (5)
January 4, 2017, 18:34
Six-year-old Caleb Sears: His death was preventable I’m not a pediatric anesthesiologist. Most of us in anesthesiology – even those who take care of…
- Watch out who you call "paternalistic" (12)
March 26, 2017, 23:50
How reporter Jan Hoffman and the New York Times manage to insult female physicians and get their facts about anesthesia so wrong all at the same time. My…
- Just saying "no" to fentanyl (9)
October 17, 2017, 23:10
No, I'm not talking about putting fentanyl into my own veins -- a remarkably bad idea. I'm questioning the habitual, reflex use of fentanyl, a synthetic…
- Dr. Atul Gawande: "What are the outcomes that matter?" (10)
October 21, 2017, 21:26
The real surprise – to me, at least – came more than halfway through Dr. Atul Gawande's keynote address at the opening session of the American Society of…
- Safe pediatric dental anesthesia: Is there any hope? (7)
December 14, 2017, 05:47
When you tell anyone in healthcare that “sedation” to the point of coma is given in dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices every day, without a separate…
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
- Social media (3)
- To tweet or not to tweet: Social media for physicians (3)
April 4, 2014, 20:25
Nepal? I don't know anyone in Nepal. Yet not long ago I received a courteous email from a physician there, asking my permission to translate an article of mine…
- A Call for Civility (24)
February 25, 2015, 05:31
Why can’t physician anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants just get along? American anesthesiology reached a significant…
- Communication, Leadership, and... Blogging? (2)
July 10, 2016, 16:53
Is there a direct connection between communication skills and the art of successful leadership? Most of us would agree that there is. But is there a direct…
- To tweet or not to tweet: Social media for physicians (3)
- Surgery (12)
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
March 12, 2012, 19:33
If you live in southern California, you can’t miss the billboards advertising laparoscopic gastric banding at “1-800-GET-THIN” outpatient surgery…
- The shortage of doctors is worse than you think (5)
April 11, 2012, 05:10
Only a generation ago, in the 1980s, medical students thought about what specialty to choose simply in terms of what interested them most. All doctors made a…
- You can't phone in your job as a physician (2)
June 30, 2012, 10:30
This column was featured on KevinMD on August 13, 2012, and on the California Society of Anesthesiology website as an "Online First" selection on July 16,…
- Scaring the public about anesthesia--again (1)
January 15, 2013, 06:03
Don’t be surprised if patients start asking more questions than usual about awareness under anesthesia. We can all thank a recent article in The Atlantic…
- No anesthesia is "minor" (5)
April 9, 2013, 15:45
It's a nightmare that doesn't end for the family of 24-year-old Marek Lapinski, who suffered cardiac arrest recently during the removal of two wisdom teeth in…
- Questions Baby Boomers (and their parents) should ask about anesthesia (1)
August 25, 2013, 18:38
Not so many years ago, surgeons wouldn't operate on patients they considered too old to tolerate the stress of anesthesia and surgery. Today, though,…
- Today's "evidence-based medicine" may be tomorrow's malpractice (32)
February 13, 2014, 07:17
Author's note --- Readers may find these related articles of interest: The Dark Side of Quality Evidence-based guidelines won't prevent malpractice claims Ge…
- Threat and opportunity: The new world of anesthesiology (3)
October 13, 2014, 13:48
“Fighting against those who want to change things is a futile strategy,” declared Jason Hwang, MD, MBA, keynote speaker at the opening ceremonies of the…
- Germs and the pseudoscience of quality improvement (9)
December 8, 2014, 01:18
No one wants a hospital-acquired infection---a wound infection, a central line infection, or any other kind. But today, the level of concern in American…
- "Twilight" is a movie (3)
January 30, 2015, 04:34
How the advent of propofol -- the drug associated with the deaths of Joan Rivers and Michael Jackson -- changed the meaning of the term "sedation" “Twilight!…
- Running two ORs: Is it always wrong? (5)
November 7, 2015, 05:03
Is it always wrong for a surgeon to book cases that will be done in two operating rooms during the same timeframe? If you've paid much attention to the…
- Dr. Atul Gawande: "What are the outcomes that matter?" (10)
October 21, 2017, 21:26
The real surprise – to me, at least – came more than halfway through Dr. Atul Gawande's keynote address at the opening session of the American Society of…
- Let the buyer beware of cut-rate surgery centers
- Women’s Issues (18)
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
March 6, 2012, 05:39
Overheard in the OR—a surgery chief resident ruefully explaining to a senior surgeon why no intern or junior resident was available to scrub in on his…
- Women Have Changed, But Women’s Hotels Remain Quite Proper (6)
February 1, 2012, 16:55
I wrote this article for The Wall Street Journal, where it was printed on July 13, 1973. Women Have Changed, But Women’s Hotels Remain Quite Proper By…
- Don't Quit This Day Job (3)
June 11, 2011, 17:51
The New York Times picked up my opinion piece about women in medicine. I’M a doctor and a mother of four, and I’ve always practiced medicine full time.…
- Defining "A Penned Point" (1)
February 5, 2012, 03:55
This is a time of unprecedented change--in technology, medicine, and social media. My work in medical centers across the U.S., from Connecticut to California,…
- A letter to the next generation (4)
February 17, 2012, 06:47
It’s an unpopular view, but no, young ladies, you really can’t do it all. In the heady days of the 1970s and 80s, women came to believe that all a girl…
- We went to Princeton! (6)
May 23, 2012, 06:09
Naturally, I remember the night I met my husband. We were walking along the seawall on a lovely evening in San Diego, having met over dinner at a nearby…
- You can't phone in your job as a physician (2)
June 30, 2012, 10:30
This column was featured on KevinMD on August 13, 2012, and on the California Society of Anesthesiology website as an "Online First" selection on July 16,…
- Medical School Is Worth the Investment for Women--Maybe (6)
August 5, 2012, 04:30
I gained a certain notoriety last summer by suggesting in a New York Times op-ed that it isn't a good thing for growing numbers of physicians to work part…
- A plague on both your houses (3)
November 26, 2012, 22:43
When you walked into the voting booth on Tuesday, November 6, did you do so with a feeling of calm certainty that the man who would get your vote for President…
- My son, the doctor-to-be (2)
April 1, 2013, 03:59
My son has been accepted into medical school, we learned last week, and I must say I'm about as happy a mother and a physician as you could find anywhere. …
- Wait. Who's burned out? (2)
July 26, 2013, 05:34
How the Affordable Care Act is worsening physician burnout, and why women physicians may be at even higher risk To the literal-minded, burning out is the fate…
- Of cats and termites (6)
March 3, 2015, 04:48
How an eleven-pound cat precipitated domestic chaos and delayed surgery Termites are endemic in southern California, and we’ve had spot treatments several…
- Did Dr. Virginia Apgar worry about work-life balance? (2)
May 31, 2015, 17:47
Dr. Margaret Wood, who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center, has published a wonderful article titled "Women in…
- Privilege and entitlement in "work-life balance" (13)
August 24, 2015, 06:38
Did it ever occur to some of today's physicians that many people work awfully hard and complain a lot less than they do about "burnout" and "work-life…
- Osteoporosis: Silent villain can cause major pain (13)
September 14, 2015, 17:28
It's amazing how quickly my role switched from physician to patient, thanks to a silent assailant: osteoporosis. I went to the gym in the morning before…
- Watch out who you call "paternalistic" (12)
March 26, 2017, 23:50
How reporter Jan Hoffman and the New York Times manage to insult female physicians and get their facts about anesthesia so wrong all at the same time. My…
- Avoiding #metoo in medicine (17)
January 15, 2018, 01:12
Let me say first that any woman who has ever been harassed or assaulted should NEVER be made to feel that it is her fault. It is always the perpetrator’s…
- All pain isn't created equal (1)
April 25, 2018, 12:04
This article appeared first in "The Conversation" on April 25, 2018, under the title "Why it's so hard for doctors to understand your pain". We’re all…
- Give yourself a break--Don't have a baby during residency (45)
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