Burnout is a big problem in healthcare. It's a hot topic in the press right now, highlighted by the pressures of the pandemic, but it's nothing new to those in medicine. Burnout symptoms have been experienced by - I’m taking a leap here - everyone who has worked in a healthcare setting, at least in … Continue reading The hierarchy of burnout prevention for healthcare
Leadership
Start with why
I recently came across Paul Lockhart's amazing essay (rant?). He's a mathematician, and he's really unhappy about the way we teach math. The entire essay is worth a read and it opened my eyes to seeing math as an art. But it's valuable even if you just read the first few pages. He starts with an … Continue reading Start with why
Neglected skills of a leader: humility and empathy
I recently wrote a multi-part series about how to argue better. I wrote it for anyone who wants to argue in a way that connects rather than divides, but I realized as I wrote that the same techniques could be used by leaders to become better at their work. Here were the steps: Decide what … Continue reading Neglected skills of a leader: humility and empathy
Unfortunately, this is who we are
Yesterday all Americans were stunned, even if they saw it coming, by the sight of an angry mob storming and occupying the Capitol. As we waited to hear the response from our leadership, I found myself silently hoping "Please don't say 'this isn't who we are.'" Unfortunately, that's exactly what many leaders said. But at … Continue reading Unfortunately, this is who we are
RSNA 2020: Attending a virtual medical conference
Every year on the weekend after after Thanksgiving, much to the disappointment of my family, I fly to Chicago to attend one of the largest medical conferences in the world: the RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) annual meeting. The conference is huge, with tens of thousands of attendees, hundreds of educational talks and posters, … Continue reading RSNA 2020: Attending a virtual medical conference
Start designing telehealth now
One lesson from COVID has been that some things we thought were impossible are not only possible, but also necessary. Working from home is one of those and another is telehealth. Why have we been making patients come in to see us when many of them would rather stay home because of comfort, transportation issues, … Continue reading Start designing telehealth now
Getting into a good college is nothing to be proud of
As school is starting, incoming high school seniors (my son among them) are ramping up their college application process. The parental hope is that our kids will make it into their desired school. If only they can do that, all will be right with the world! We will have achieved the ultimate in parenting, and … Continue reading Getting into a good college is nothing to be proud of
Red Goggles 