The Millennial Doctor- Mighty or Mediocre?
A 3rd year medical student started his rotation with me this past week and the rotation was a challenge for us both.
Blogs
Dealing with Drug Reps - Dead or Alive
Several years ago, long before promotional lectures, I traveled for a series of lectures. I flew north for 4 days and 4 lectures, 2 at major university programs and 2 dinner lectures to local rheumatologists.
The first lecture went well but the weather turned bad, with a snow storm in the overnight forecast. Hence my host, a local drug rep, suggested we drive at night to beat the snow and get to the next city for the 10 am University lecture the following morning.
The one-hour drive felt like a week in Cleveland.
Across the Table: Cush & Erkan on Antiphospholipid Syndrome (Best of 2017)
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common disorder affecting patients with and without autoimmune disease. Despite wider recognition of APS among physicians as well as the expanding research collaborations, many clinical questions are still encountered in clinical practice, which require further evidence-based studies. In this “Across the Table” edition, Drs. Cush and Erkan discuss some of these APS-related questions. Our guest expert, Dr. Doruk Erkan offers up his approach to diagnosis and management of APS.
Creaky Joints Nails New Patient Pregnancy and Family Planning Guidelines
Patients and physicians are riddled with misconceptions when pregnancy is concerned. As construed by Dr. Jack Cush, most rheumatologists treat pregnancy like a cancer and avoid the gravid patient, deferring to obstetricians who do not have training in rheumatology to manage the rheumatic condition as well as the pregnancy.
ACR 2017 Highlights: RA, SpA, PsA, OA, Lupus and More
The quality of the meeting was on par with the host city, with extensive data presented on a range of topics, from social media to drug safety. The organization committee did a great job and I got the feeling that most people felt the congress was user friendly given the magnitude of the event. During this year’s meeting, I had the privilege of working with the RheumNow team, which gave me the opportunity to hone my social media skills and get my Twitter game on. After reviewing plenty of posters and going to numerous presentations, here are my top take home messages as classified by disease state.
Across the Table: Cush & Erkan on Antiphospholipid Syndrome
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common disorder affecting patients with and without autoimmune disease. Despite wider recognition of APS among physicians as well as the expanding research collaborations, many clinical questions are still encountered in clinical practice, which require further evidence-based studies. In this “Across the Table” edition, Drs. Cush and Erkan discuss some of these APS-related questions. Our guest expert, Dr. Doruk Erkan offers up his approach to diagnosis and management of APS.
Online Reviews - of Burritos and Doctors
A new patient came in today; he noted that he made an appointment with me after reading a favorable online review on YELP about our practice.
Ten Things to Do At Every Visit
Busy days, overbooked patients and EMR overloads will certainly derail your day, especially if you don’t have a system to optimize efficiency. However, in your harried efforts you may overlook several simple, smart, if not crucial, tasks while seeing your next patient.
The Story Teller
Angie is my last patient before lunch. I've known her since her RA diagnosis at age 17 years. And for the last 7 years, she’s matured into a fabulous young woman who has adeptly grown her professional life, her dating life and developed her independence, despite her severely active rheumatoid arthritis. But today I see she has a troubled and anxious look as I greet her.
Rheumatologist's Vacation Checklist
Nearly half of all available vacation days go unused and over 40% of Americans failed to use any vacation days in 2015. Common sense says that taking more time off (not less) is likely to lead to increased work productivity. Your next vacation is essential to building a better you. Here are some tips to insure you get the most from your time off.
