Doctors Take the Mic

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an  emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first over-the-counter (OTC) at-home diagnostic test for influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.   The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Home Test is a single-use at-home test kit that provides results from self-collected nasal swab samples in roughly 30 minut...

Suicides have risen during the COVID pandemic.  Physician suicides are at an all time high. Now there are 300-400 suicides by physicians each year, equivalent to an entire medical school!  This is equivalent to approximately 3 airplane crashes a year, all MDs.  Female MDs commit suicide at 250% to 400% higher than females in other professions.  In general, males commit suicide 4x more than females...

Cybersecurity is a problem in medical offices and hospitals. 45 million people were affected in 2021, a 41% increase over 2020.  In 2020, 34 million people were affected and in 2018, 14 million people were affected.   Outpatient clinics and subspecialty clinics were targetted preferentially. Hospital systems were also targetted.  The reasons were ransomware, credential harvesting or theft of devic...

The ending of the COVID-19 Emergency Status will occur on May 11, 2023. This will mean, that COVID vaccines will not be free anymore. No more free COVID testing.  However, if you have health insurance, you can still get a COVID vaccine.    But at-home tests may not be covered.  Check your insurance carrier.   If you are not vaccinated, get the free COVID vaccine now.   Paxlovid as a treatment for...

How will we lead now that it is the new year? We have new challenges each day.  How can we always embrace the positive? Remember to look at your personal mission statement. Examine your "Why"--  it is empowering!

Say only the yes word to yourself.  Eliminate the negative in your workplace. Get everyone on the team to see the positive.  

Inner critics, we all have them. Can we be better? Can we get additional degrees?  Can I see more patients faster? Be a better surgeon, be a better physician, be more beautiful, be smarter? How do we silence these inner voices and move on?

How do Men lead and how do Women lead? Is there a difference.  What is the goal of the company or the organization?  As a woman leader, how can you find your voice to lead?

Is your leadership style conducive for growth?  What about humility and sensitivity? Is there a role for compassion in leading?

Why do women physicians hesitate to speak at meetings or conferences? Do men have the same feelings?   Do we have an inner critic? What does that mean? What is imposter syndrome?  What holds women back?  

Hillary Clinton's concession speech on Election Night in November 2016 talked about the glass ceiling.  How are women physicians dealing with the glass ceiling? Is it gone or is there more work to do?

What is Gender and what about gender equity in the field of Surgery? In one survey, women surgeons in Michigan reveal that women surgeons are facing barriers to leadership positions. It could be implicit bias or the nature of the requirements that do not take into account that women take time off for pregnancy and maternity leave.  The work-life balance for women is difficult for women in surgery....

The statistics about women in academic medicine and the numbers are low.  While 50% of all medical classes are women, this is not reflected in the leadership of Medical Schools.  For example deans of medical schools, and tenured faculty are in the 20% range or less. This is the same in the United Kingdom as well.

The new variant of Omicron XBB.1.5 is very infectious, began in India in August 2022 and spread through South East Asia. It is now in New England, New York and New Jersey. 82% of the new cases in the Northeast is due to this variant XBB.1.5.   Paxlovid and the bivalent booster is protective and so please consider the booster shot.  Paxlovid is still free in CVS and Walgreens and all the major phar...