I'm not a doctor basher. In fact I'm actually quite the contrary. Over the course of my career I have worked with some great docs. They have been encouraging, helpful and generally treated me as a peer. During my education I had physician preceptors and early in my career I had physician mentors. In my practice I have consulted with ...

You don't have to break the law to fail a pre-employment drug test. In fact, you could lose your job just by using countless products hanging on the wall of your local gas station. That's because at my hospital, when an employee's urine drops into that little plastic device during a pre-employment drug screen, it is checked for ...

Well, as you guys know, I've passed boards and have already accepted a position in an acute care setting. I actually started yesterday and am so excited! So far I've been in orientation and the anticipation of actually rounding and caring for patients is killing me! I start rounding next week and am really looking forward to sharing this ...

If I could give any future medical student advice about the ER, my three most important words would be: Vicks Vapor Rub. When I first entered the ER, I was prepared to be jaded, but I was not prepared for the smells: abscesses, STDs, rotten teeth, body odor, mildewed t-shirts, alcoholics, chain smokers, drug-addicts, and diarrhea diapers, to ...

Happy New Year! Is your resolution for 2013 to start or increase your social networking skills? If you have been meaning to get a more active online presence this year, I have 5 quick tips for you. Keep it positive. Current and potential employers now regularly check the internet to see what you might be doing online. Negative comments ...

Last week, NP & PA Student blogger Terry Clarke shared his concerns over the status of nursing. ''I am currently in a class called ‘Societal Forces' as a precursor to my first semester of advanced assessment in the Adult/Gero Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track. The teachers are passionate and well informed. The speakers are excellent, but ...

I am currently in a  class called ''Societal Forces'' as a precursor to my first semester of advanced assessment in the Adult/Gero Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track. The teachers are passionate and well informed. The speakers are excellent, but the subject matter...The subject matter is frankly depressing. The class theme seems to ...

I recently attended an aesthetics conference in south Florida. There were many great speakers- seasoned cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists, successful CEOs, and highly-acclaimed skin care specialists. Aside from learning about new and improved aesthetic technologies and techniques, a specific speaker enlightened me before he ...

''ED personnel to the stabilization room in 5 minutes.''  This is a common overhead page in the ED where we treat patients with serious MVA injuries, gunshot wounds, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, or altered mental status. As a student, my responsibility is to assist with CPR when needed and be the ''recorder,'' writing down ...

Over the past month I have had some very challenging patients. I will often question, why and how did someone end up here at the correctional facility? I believe it is better I do not know. Actually, it is none of my business; it keeps the care unbiased and pure and it does not impact how I treat them. If one of the inmates upsets the ...