Please excuse my blog silence the last few months. I was training for my first marathon and it sucked up a lot of my free time usually dedicated to writing. Thank you to my running partners for listening to the blow by blow but I’ll just say that it was an incredible experience, especially the last…
Author: ThePensivePhysician
What you really want to know about my qualifications, you won’t find in my resume
“What makes a doctor qualified? How do you know if it will be a good fit?” When I started in private practice in 2013, I replaced another doctor. I already had a panel of patients and as a result, rarely take new patients. Recently, a few local doctors announced their retirement and to help meet…
Saying no for self preservation
Earlier this week, I was struggling to get out the door. I followed my four year old in his snow boots, carrying his backpack, my work tote, my lunch box, my gym bag and a heavy bag of library books to return. I had a nighttime board meeting after work, and wanted to hit the…
Does Hate Mail Mean I’ve Arrived?
I hit a personal milestone in 2019. I had my third opinion piece accepted for publication in The Buffalo News, our local newspaper that serves a metropolitan area of over a million people. Anything I published in medical blogs previously had been viewed by a thousand people at most, usually closer to a few hundred….
No to “Natural” Teething products: Strangulation, Choking, Deadly Nightshade and Sludgy Blood
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning this week after receiving reports of an 18 month old child who was fatally strangled while napping with an amber teething necklace around his neck. The death of any child is devastating but sadly, as pediatricians, this death comes as no surprise. The American Academy…
26 Publications in 2017-2018: Why Wait to Follow Your Passion?
I have always loved reading. My introduction to the field of medicine was a combination of Bring Your Daughter to Work Day with my amazing nurse practitioner mother and reading a series of books about sick children and realizing I wanted to learn enough to help people like the characters. As a kid, once I…
“Simply get moving”: Making EXERCISE a regular habit was one of the best decisions I have ever made
Making exercise a regular habit was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It is right there behind marrying my husband…or more specifically, saying yes to that first blind date when I wrote my phone number on a Gap coupon I dug out of my purse. Number two would be having my…
Are flu shots your thing?
Are flu shots your thing? My oldest brother asked me this about a month ago. It didn’t come out of left field. I’ve been on a little bit of a flu shot rant for the past year. I wrote an opinion piece for our paper about the vital importance of vaccinating children for influenza. The…
Things this doctor has been dying to talk about: the New Car Seat Recommendations
I ask teens and young adults the following question: “Is there anything you’ve been dying to talk to a doctor about?” While the answer is usually a terse “no,” I have been surprised a few times. Even shocked. Well, if you asked me the same question but switched out “doctor” for “patient”, the answer would…
(Doctor) Moms: Piece Together Moments for Yourself
As I lay my head on my yoga mat after a series of difficult poses, I thought, “This is the most relaxing moment of my week.” My heart was beating rapidly, the sweat was pouring down into my eyes, but I felt wonderfully rested for those few breaths, with the cool floor under my face….
