Insights on Residency Training

September 25th, 2015

More Work Hours, More Strokes?

Andrew Ip, MD

Do doctors work too much? Residents would probably say “Yes! I’m burnt out,” and supplement it with some form of “I’d much rather work less.” Outside of residency, the answer may be a mix of yes, no, and maybe. Recently, Lancet published a meta-analysis on work hours and its effect on incident coronary disease and stroke. The study showed that […]

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December 11th, 2013

Making Value-Based Decisions About Ordering Tests

Paul Bergl, M.D.

As Dr. David Green reported this week in NEJM Journal Watch, the American Society of Hematology is the latest society to comment on appropriate and cost-conscious care in the ABIM Choosing Wisely campaign. I’ve followed the Choosing Wisely campaign closely and have been using it on the wards and in clinic as academic ammunition. A specialist society’s […]

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September 16th, 2013

Medical Interns – Not at the Bedside, but Not to Be Blamed

Paul Bergl, M.D.

This past week in NEJM Journal Watch General Medicine, Abigail Zuger reviewed an article from the Journal of General Internal Medicine by Lauren Block et al. in which researchers examined how medical interns spend their time. The results from this time motion study might be concerning but are not unexpected. The investigators found that interns […]

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August 28th, 2013

Vaccination Against Pertussis – Is It Worth the Trouble?

Paul Bergl, M.D.

 “Four out of four!” exclaimed a proud PGY1 as she handed me the billing sheet for her last patient in continuity clinic. “Four out of four?” asked I. “Yes, I gave all of my patients their updated Tdap today,” she boasted. As her preceptor, I commended her for her commitment to routine health maintenance — you know, the supposedly […]

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November 1st, 2011

A Little Advice Goes a Long Way

Heidi Zook, MD

In an effort to get in shape, I decided to start working out with a personal trainer. Before the training sessions started, we met to talk about my general health. When it comes to health, I feel like I know what I’m doing — I’m a physician! Of course I know how to eat healthy […]

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May 13th, 2011

A Change of Heart

Greg Bratton, MD

I joined a gym today. It has been 18 months since I last lifted a dumbbell, ran on a treadmill, or attempted anything else to tune my body. In my own defense, I didn’t stop working out because I was lazy; in fact, quite the contrary. Truth is, 18 months ago, my son was born, and, […]

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February 14th, 2011

Practice-Changing (or at Least Interesting!) Articles

Greg Bratton, MD

Recent advances and discussions in medicine are the cornerstone of Journal Watch. To provide some insight into what I believe is potentially the most practice-changing current medical information for busy clinicians, I will be highlighting three articles every other week that I think are interesting, relevant, and, in some cases, just plain fascinating. I hope […]

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January 13th, 2011

Help Me Help You

Greg Bratton, MD

Although this clip is from a movie about a sports agent trying to negotiate a new contract for an entitled egotistical football player, every time I see it, it reminds me of work. Put a white coat on Tom Cruise, and transplant them from a shower room to an exam room, and it becomes a […]

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December 13th, 2010

Healthy Is Not Always Convenient

Greg Bratton, MD

7-11s and McDonalds are everywhere. They are successful because they are convenient, and we embrace convenience. We don’t want to go out of our way for anything. We have evolved into a society of drive-throughs, Internet shoppers, and Garmin users. If a short cut exists, we take it. Probably two or three times every day, patients ask […]

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