As I was aimlessly browsing the web one night, I noticed a strange ad on the side. It was for a bird feeder powered by artificial intelligence (AI). I don’t know exactly what prompted the Google ad algorithm to show me this particular advertisement, but I was nevertheless struck by it. Against my better judgment,…
In this episode, Dr. Kumar offers some advice for incoming rheumatology fellows: “Start constructing winner’s triangles.”
June is always a bittersweet month, at least in academic medicine. We get to look forward to a new fresh set of faces coming into our training programs, but we also have to say goodbye to those once-fresh faces that have progressed through their medical education journeys. These transitions are never easy, neither for the…
In this episode, Dr. Kumar reflects on the importance of championing patients and healthcare through advocacy, and systems thinking.
One of the great joys of rheumatology is that it prioritizes systems-based thinking. Whether integrating data from radiographic imaging or piecing together a puzzling case of autoimmunity, rheumatologists are tasked with understanding how systems fundamentally work. In fact, this emphasis on systems-based thinking is often what draws and keeps the best and smartest physicians within…
In this episode, Dr. Kumar reflects on the value of physical touch in the clinical encounter, a key element of a holistic patient assessment that can reveal important diagnostic information and strengthen connection between doctor and patient.
During the height of the pandemic four years ago, I took every precaution to avoid, or at the very least, delay contracting COVID-19. I religiously wore a mask in all public settings, I washed my hands so frequently that my skin became dry and cracked, and I studiously maintained a six-foot distance from others. But…
In this episode, Dr. Kumar discusses brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership.
“I’m actually from Iowa. Where do you hail from?” I replied, in the friendliest tone I could muster. Many readers may already know the context, but I’ll rewind a few moments to clear up any ambiguity. I was in clinic and talking with a kind lady with joint pain. While I was in the middle…
In this episode, Dr. Kumar discusses concepts of time, flow and what they mean for the patient experience and the rheumatologist.