Docs Outside The Box

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Time for a new update!!!

This is Update 6.2! Have I been keeping track of the updates so far? Hell no, but just know that I’m moving forward with my updates. Dr. Renee jumps on and helps me explain the new changes for the show. Here’s what to expect on this episode:

• Focus on the 3 M’s for the show
  • Money
  • Mindset
  • Mission
• Shout out to my successful podcast coaching alumni and current student:
  • 3 Friends Talk Podcast
  • The Mindset Experience

Understand your voice is intellectual property

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What’s good everyone!!

A large part of providing good patient care is developing a trusting relationship. At times this may require an understanding of the nuances of your patient’s cultural and social makeup. Recent events bring to light the added pressure and marginalization that black and brown communities face just based on skin color alone.

Well on this episode, I got four docs who not only provide amazing care to their patients, but have done the work to identify and decrease how racism affects their patient population.

Here’s our panel:

Dr. Kameron Matthews - Family Medicine

Dr. Italo Brown - Emergency Medicine

Dr.Utibe Essien - Internal Medicine

Dr. Alden Landry - Emergency Medicine

We talk about how racism affects them personally and professionally. You’ll also learn in this episode:

• Their opinions on healthcare disparities
• Have we made progress over the past 50 years
• Is there a magic healthcare legislation that can get rid of racialized healthcare disparities
• Outcomes with Covid 19

Although you’ll find out that these issues aren’t new, hopefully, after listening you’ll be inspired to follow them and take similar action in your communities. 

Resources:

Dr. Kameron Matthews - @DrKamLeigh

Dr. Italo Brown - @gr8vision

Dr.Utibe Essien - @uressien

Dr. Alden Landry - @amlandrymd

Physicians for Criminal Justice Reform

Tour 4 Diversity

Physicians Anti-Racism Network

A Test of Diversity - What USLME Pass/Fail Scoring Means for Medicine

Trap Medicine

Vot-er

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What’s good everyone!

On this Ask Dr Nii segment, we’re going to dive deep into how old is too old to start medical school and continue into a career in surgery. One of our listeners submitted a voicemail asking since because he’s in his early thirties is it too late to go after his goal of becoming a surgeon.

I brought on Dr. David Hampton, Trauma Surgeon at the University of Chicago, to explain his non traditional route in medicine and engineering. That’s right! Dr. David has a Masters in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (a.k.a. MIT – BOOM!) We also get into his experiences caring for troops in the armed forces, as well as the advantages of being an older medical student!

Resources:

Delmonte Johnson fatally shot on South Side

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What’s good everyone!!

“Don’t make emotional decisions about real estate,” and “Numbers matter!” These are going to be the important takeaways from today’s episode. Weeks ago, we told you that we wanted to document our journey into purchasing our first investment property together. Before we get into all the number crunching, calculus shit; you need to hear about our first experiences with real estate.

Dr. Renee had positive experiences around real estate. Me, not so much. It started with an emotional decision that led me down a 13-year rabbit hole of bad mistakes. I get it, you’re probably thinking “Yeah that’s not going to be me.” However, it’s really important to understand how someone can make these decisions. Consider this a cautionary tale!! 

Sponsored by: Money Insights

To learn how to efficiently build an opportunity fund to purchase your next investment property, check out the Investment Optimizer video at moneyinsights.net/darko or you can text the keyword “Darko” to 31996.

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show!

What’s good everyone!!

Get your popcorn ready. Get comfortable. We got a new episode of Dr. X Files. Remember, these are episodes of anonymous doctors speaking their truths in a format that makes them most comfortable.

This episode will blow your mind like the first one. When people talk about a “food chain” in medicine – let’s just say Doctor X is at the top of this food chain. She is highly specialized, well-compensated, and extremely satisfied with her career/lifestyle balance. This wasn’t the case a couple of years ago.

Decisions we all make to survive residency, can turn into pathologic lifestyle choices later as an attending. Well, this caught up to Dr. X early as an attending. Some of these decisions are rooted in people-pleasing and avoidance of conflict. Either way, don’t judge we’ve all been there.

Dr. X explicitly details how her decisions led her to sign a contract that was not very detailed, felt uncomfortable asking for market value for her skills, and put self-care on the backburner.  She also talks about how her reputation was almost ruined. Dr. X ain’t no punk though. She became the heroine of her own story and gives a masterclass on how she saved her career and is living her best life!!!

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show!

What’s good everyone!

For this Ask Dr. Nii segment, Dr. Nina Lum jumps on to help answer questions from our international medical graduate students. We’re going to answer two questions: 1. In what order should I take my step tests, especially in light of Step 1 going to pass/fail?; 2. Can I realistically get into a US – based orthopedic surgery residency as an IMG?

Resources:

The IMG Roadmap Podcast

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What’s good everyone,

Meet Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng. He comes from north of the border and is a physician formally trained in critical care medicine and palliative care. His research focuses on making the ICU more efficient and improving access to palliative care services. To achieve this, he founded the Resource Optimization Network, a multidisciplinary research group working to reduce health spending in this area without compromising care. Dr. K, as he is fondly called, is a leading contributor helping the department to achieve its vision of shaping the future of Medicine.

Recently, he joined the physician podcast family with his popular show Solving Healthcare.  Solving Healthcare is a podcast series featuring interviews and discussions on topics related to improving healthcare delivery in Canada based on the values of cost-effectiveness, dignity, and justice in healthcare. I gotta give him props, my man has been busy pumping out great content around Covid-19 and I definitely recommend you all subscribe to his podcast.

Dr. Kwadwo is on the hot seat today so we can learn more about him, why he started his show, and what are the differences in responses to COVID 19 between the US and Canada. 

Resources:

Solving Healthcare Podcast

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What’s good!

Match season just went by. What can be a joyous moment for many, can be soul-crushing for others. Recently a listener reached out to me and asked what to do when you don’t match. It’s been close to 13 years since I went through the match process. So, I brought on Dr. Berry Pierre to drop some knowledge for our listeners. Dr. Berry Pierre has been a guest on the show before, but he also serves as Program Director for Wellington Regional Medical Center Internal Medicine Program.

Resources:

Website: Dr. Berry Pierre

Podcast: listentodrberry.com

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show!

What’s good!

I’m bringing two powerhouse Trauma Surgeons to chat about the outside of the box ways they’re connecting with their communities. Dr. Laurie Punch practices at Barnes – Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Brian Williams practices at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. We’re focusing on how violence is a public health issue and the long-lasting effects it has on communities.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• What’s it like being on the police review boards for their respective cities
• Punch’s decision to live in Ferguson, Missouri
• We discuss should trauma surgeons live in the neighborhoods they serve
• Their experience with treating patients with Covid-19

Resources:

• Dr. Laurie Punch’s Ted Talk 
• Dr. Brian Williams:
  • Website
  • Race, Violence, Medicine Podcast

SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE!!! Let Drs. Nii & Renee know what you think about the show!

This is a special solo episode. If this resonates with you, share with others. Also appreciate your feed back. Go to drniidarko.com and click on “Ask Me A Question” to leave a message on SpeakPipe.

Resources for education about Health Care Disparities

1. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2018/sep/focus-reducing-racial-disparities-health-care-confronting
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/opinion/coronavirus-race-obesity.html#click=https://t.co/bHD23zk5eB
3. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2012910
4. https://unhealthywork.org/psychological-risk-factors/john-henryism-and-cardiovascular-health/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470581/
6. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/edit?usp=drivesdk