Here’s a great power word for readers to casually toss around with friends. Iatrogenic . This refers to a medical condition or complication caused by a medical treatment. For example, if a person undergoes a knee replacement and suffers blood clots afterwards, this complication is considered to be an iatrogenic illness – it is a direct result of a medical intervention. The volume of iatrogenic illness is enormous. I am not suggesting that the medical profession is culpable, although adhering to strict safety guidelines and best practices can lower the case load. Indeed, many such safety practices are in place today that were not present when I entered the profession. Among the most common iatrogenic conditions are medication side effects. On a regular basis, every physician and health care practitioner has wondered if a patient’s new or worsening symptom might be the result of a medication. Sometimes this is an easy call. For exa...
Next month my schedule will change. I will henceforth be off on Fridays with my work week truncated to Monday through Thursday. I am excited to be enjoying a long weekend every weekend. And while the schedule change is relatively minor, this event does feel like an important career moment for me. It is the first step on a journey that will ultimately lead beyond my professional career. It is this recognition that makes this modest schedule modification more significant than one would think it deserves. As some readers know, my current employed position has been a dream job for me. Prior to this, I was in a small private practice, which I loved, but was much more challenging professionally and personally. My partner and I ran the business. Working nights, weekends and holidays were routine for decades. On an on-call night, if I slept through until morning, I felt as if I had won the lottery. And w...