Power of Diagnosis: Delivering Bad News Is Just the Beginning
I first met TJ when he was newly diagnosed with HIV. Good-looking and soft-spoken, he was an out, young, gay black man who considered himself a leader amongst his peers. TJ had been infected recently, and knowing that patients diagnosed early are thought to enjoy better outcomes if they start medications quickly, I figured he would do well. We agreed to try Triumeq (abacavir, dolutegravir and lamivudine). Although that medication is...
Marie-Elizabeth Ramas, MD … Family Physicians Are Dream Catchers
It helps to remember that we hold the key to the health of our patients, a point that was driven home at this year’s AAFP National Conference of Constituency Leaders. I often hear that this conference is the heartbeat of the Academy, the place where key issues are tackled with an emphasis on change. Each chapter is invited to send representatives from constituencies historically underrepresented in AAFP leadership: women;...
Why Should I See a Family Doctor?
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), among numerous other family medicine organizations, recently launched the Health is Primary campaign to advocate for the values of family medicine. As part of this campaign, the ABFM launched an excellent video promoting the many benefits of seeing a family physician....
Field Notes: Advice on Finding a Residency
We have finally arrived. After four years of endless studying, constant testing, and what sometimes felt like never-ending days in the hospital, a new crop of family physicians is about to join the ranks of residents-in-training. We have, for the last six months, hit the road to learn about and explore to our hearts content not just what kind of physician we hope to become, but also where and how. The question of “What kind of doctor...
Samantha
She was a tall woman, intimidating even, especially when she raised her voice. Nurses were reluctant to check in on her, and she refused every blood draw; sometimes she would allow her mother into the room, but they would always argue vehemently. Her explanation to me was always the same: her life was being threatened. Her mother was trying to kill her, poison her, hurt her. She was jealous. She didn’t understand her gift, she wanted...