Baktari MD

Another holiday season is upon us and we are still dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Continuing to put our lives on hold no longer seems realistic and a question I get all the time is, "how do I travel safely during the holidays?" There isn't a "one size fits all" answer to this question. In todays episode I go over different questions you need to ask yourself to determi...

What is a PPO? What is an HMO? What are the real differences between the two?  Although an HMO may be cheaper than a PPO, you need to understand what you may potentially be giving up by choosing an HMO health insurance plan. In today's episode I go over the differences between HMO's and PPO's that even Insurance Brokers may not fully understand or explain to you. This is information...

Although children have been disproportionately unaffected by the illness of COVID-19, they have been equally affected, if not more affected, by the ramifications that have manifested due to this pandemic. With depression rates in children rising, along with negative behaviors that are associated with depression (suicide, eating disorders, loss of sleep, etc.), it's important to consider all o...

Parents, this episode is for you. I know that deciding whether or not to vaccinate your kids for COVID-19 can be difficult. Especially knowing that children are disproportionately unaffected by this Coronavirus. That being said, some children who contract the virus do get severely ill, end up in the hospital and some even do die. In today's episode I use my many years of experience in the med...

Medical misinformation has been brought to the forefront of the conversation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the nightly news to social media, everyone is trying to figure out a way to lessen the damaging effects of harmful information plaguing the internet. But what about true scientific debate? How do we differentiate between medical misinformation that has the potential to truly hurt people...

Due to their recent findings, Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization for their new drug, Molnupiravir, to treat adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization.  In today's episode, I use my biochemistry background along with my many years of experience in the medi...

Pfizer released results from a NEW study on September 20, 2021 showing the COVID-19 vaccine is effective and safe for kids 5 to 11 years old: "In participants 5 to 11 years of age, the vaccine was safe, well tolerated and showed robust neutralizing antibody responses." In this week's episode, I use my many years of experience in the field of medicine as a Medical Doctor, Medical Dir...

Why should children get vaccinated? If you're pregnant, should you get the COVID-19 vaccine? Who should get the COVID-19 booster? If you've been infected with COVID-19, do you still need to get vaccinated? These are some of the top questions I get asked all the time concerning the Coronavirus pandemic. It's important to stay up to date on what the current recommendations are as new...

While it's true that all currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and reduce your risk of severe illness, there are new studies that show when compared with the Pfizer vaccine and Johnson & Johnson vaccine that: patients receive double the amount of antibodies from the Moderna vaccine , the Moderna vaccine has a higher percentage when preventing infectio...

Many physicians contemplate leaving clinical medicine but few know how to make the transition. Becoming a doctor requires a large commitment of both time and money and many doctors are not trained to do anything else. These are just some of the hurdles physicians face when trying to leave clinical medicine. In this week's episode I deep dive into the reasons physicians want to leave clinical...

While health officials are developing a plan to roll out COVID-19 booster shots to people in the U.S., many people are wondering who will be eligible for these booster shots. What exactly is a booster shot and how is the booster shot different from the first two doses of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna? As a medical doctor and vaccine expert, I break down the COVID-19 booster shots start...

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine, officially named Comirnaty. On the 23rd of August, 2021, Comirnaty became the first vaccine under emergency authorization to receive such an approval for those 16 and over. The data gathered under the emergency authorization period was substantial and rigorously reviewed before it was handed in to the FDA for full revi...

Most people have no idea what a hospitalist is even though it's the largest subspecialty in Internal Medicine. If you've ever been admitted to the hospital, you probably received care from a hospitalist. When did hospitals start using hospitalists and why? Well we're going to go over how in just 20 years internists, who were the doctors working in hospitals, were replaced by hospita...

What's wrong with the US Healthcare System? A lot. But the most important point is the transaction between Medical Doctors and Insurance Companies. In this close analysis, we take a look at the problems of the US healthcare system through the eyes of the Doctors, Health Insurance  Companies, and you, the Patient. How to fix the healthcare system in the US is a tough question to answer, but th...

It's hard to find official information about breast implants from a certified doctor. The internet is filled with horror stories of plastic surgery gone wrong, but with this breast implant information, we hope you'll be better prepared to answer the question, "Should I get breast implants?" Arm yourself with essential facts about plastic surgery, answers to common questions abo...

Believe it or not, there are many misconceptions when it comes to allergies,  or more specifically, hay fever. In this video I begin by going over what hay fever is, what are the different allergy types, and what are common allergy symptoms.  Then, we dive deeper into questioning if allergy testing is even accurate and I explain how most people are taking their allergy medications incorrectly. Tha...

Do Not Resuscitate is a touchy and somewhat controversial topic. Who decides DNR status? At what point is this decision made? What exactly does it mean to choose "Do Not Resuscitate" status? These are fairly common questions that come up around the topic. In this video I not only go over these questions, but I go deeper into the research to find out what really happens to people who choo...

Medicare, Medicare Supplements, and Medicare Advantage can all be very confusing. That's why in today's episode I will be interviewing an Insurance Broker, Matthew Claassen, who specializes in all things Medicare. In this episode we will go over the differences between Medicare and Medicare Advantage, the pros and cons to each, and which plan may be best for you.  Thank you for joining m...

With the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increase in talk about vaccines. Which means I've been hearing more and more common myths around vaccines. In today's episode I discuss how vaccines work, if vaccines contain toxic ingredients, why vaccines may actually be the most natural of medications (or biologics) that you can take, why anti-vaxxers even exist, if we should be spacing out...

What is Medicare? What is Medicare Advantage? Do you know what the difference is between Medicare and Medicare Advantage? If not, you MUST watch this video before making your decision. There are some key differences between the two that could dramatically affect your quality of care. In this video I cover what Medicare Supplement plans are, what is Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, and Medicare Pa...

There are different types of hospitals: Community Hospitals, Teaching Hospitals, Government Hospitals and more. Depending on which hospital you get admitted to, it could dramatically affect your medical care and experience. There are also different floors you can be admitted to in hospitals that could give you a lot of information about what kind of medical care you're going to receive. Are y...

In today’s episode, I discuss how to pick a primary care physician. Arguably one of the most important decisions an individual can make regarding their quality of care. Thank you for joining me on another episode of Baktari MD! Do you have a question regarding our healthcare system? Please visit our YouTube Channel for FULL Videos and leave your question in the comments below so I can make an epis...

In today’s episode  I discuss the complex topic of Hospital Admissions. Knowing what questions to ask and who you're talking to can be the difference between an efficient admission and disaster.   Thank you for joining me on another episode of Baktari MD! Do you have a question regarding our healthcare system? Please visit our YouTube Channel for FULL Videos and leave your question in the com...

In today’s video, I discuss when to go the Emergency Room. An extremely important aspect of understanding how to navigate your healthcare.  Thank you for joining me on another episode of Baktari MD! Do you have a question regarding our healthcare system? Please visit our YouTube Channel for FULL Videos and leave your question in the comments below so I can make an episode about it. Also, I’d love...