Blog Archives

Good vs. Bad Psychiatry? (Venn Diagram) →

While it’s courageous to ask for help, getting the wrong help may be harmful.

Derived from Greek psukhe soul and iatreia healing, psychiatry means soul healing.

Opening your soul to healing requires a therapeutic relationship with honesty and respect from both you and your psychiatrist (with no intrusive outside influences).

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3 US Senators Demand DOJ Investigate Medical Boards →

An attorney just notified me of this letter submitted to the Department of Justice citing my 2019 journal article documenting widespread mental health discrimination by medical boards. Read letter below or download original document with citations here.

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Tags: Department of Justice Medical Boards, Physicians American Disability Act

Physician intraprofessional disrespect endangers patients →

An interview with two physicians I admire for their courage to speak and share the truth uncensored. Thank you, Drs. Corina Fratila and Kevin Pho. May we all learn from your dedication to the physician community.

Kevin Pho: Hi, and welcome to the show where we share the stories of the many who intersect with our healthcare system but are rarely heard from.

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Tags: Corina Fratila, Kevin Pho, patient abuse, Physician abuse

Hazardous work conditions kill doctors (and patients) →

I was invited on to this TV show to share why burnout and moral injury fail to address the underlying cause of physician distress—human rights violations in medicine. View full TV show here.

Doctors have the highest suicide rate of any profession.

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Tags: doctor moral injury, moral injury, Wendy Dean

Physician-Friendly States for Mental Health: A Review of Medical Boards →

Physician-Friendly States for Mental Health: A Review of Medical Boards
Research Project by Pamela Wible, M.D., and Arianna Palermini, OMS2
© Copyright 2019

Read updated version of article (& download PDF) in peer-review journal dedicated to physician mental health.

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Tags: Alabama Medical Board, Alaska Medical Board, Arizona Medical Board, Arkansas Medical Board, California Medical Board, Colorado Medical Board, Connecticut Medical Board, Delaware Medical Board, Doctor suicides in PHPs, doctor suicides in physician health programs, Federation of State Medical Boards, Florida Medical Board, Georgia Medical Board, Hawaii Medical Board, Illinois Medical Board, Indiana Medical Board, Iowa Medical Board, Is it safe for doctors to see psychiatrists?, Kansas Medical Board, Kentucky Medical Board, Louisiana Medical Board, Maine Medical Board, Maryland Medical Board, Massachusetts Medical Board, Medical board licensing applications, Medical board mental health questions, Medical boards do undermine physician mental health by breaching physician confidentiality and privacy., Michigan Medical Board, Minnesota Medical Board, Mississippi Medical Board, Missouri Medical Board, Montana Medical Board, Nebraska Medical Board, Nevada Medical Board, New Hampshire Medical Board, New Jersey Medical Board, New Mexico Medical Board, New York Medical Board, North Carolina Medical Board, North Dakota Medical Board, Ohio Medical Board, Oklahoma Medical Board, Oregon Medical Board, Pennsylvania Medical Board, physician confidentiality, Physician HIPAA rights, physician privacy, Physician waive HIPAA rights, Physicians ADA rights, Resident physicians are legally forced to work 28-hour shifts, Rhode Island Medical Board, should doctors go to psychiatrists?, should doctors lie on licensing applications?, South Carolina Medical Board, South Dakota Medical Board, Tennessee Medical Board, Texas Medical Board, Utah Medical Board, Vermont Medical Board, Virgina Medical Board, Washington Medical Board, West Virginia Medical Board, Wisconsin Medical Board, Working beyond 24 hours is equivalent to a 0.10% blood alcohol content, Wyoming Medical Board

Doctor Suicide Prevention | Physician Suicide: Prevention & Intervention →

Luncheon keynote (Beware: loud forks & knives banging on plates during first few minutes). Download MP3 or listen online here. Full transcript mildly edited for clarity below.

Dr. Virginia Hall: I want to welcome you to this afternoon’s session.

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Tags: Pamela Wible Keynote, Pennsylvania Medical Society, physician health programs, Physician Resilience Summit, The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, Wible Human Rights Violations

3 danger signs it’s time to quit your job →

How to know it’s time to quit your job: Patient wanting refill threatens to be back with a gun. Employer sides with patient. TRUE STORY!

I posted this on Facebook and was surprised how many others chimed in with similar threats. One doctor summarized: “Being an ’employed’ physician means you are totally expendable.

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Tags: clinic fraud, doctor homicide, doctor killed, doctor murder, doctor murdered, doctor resigns from job, doctor suicide, doctor threatened, doctors who have been oppressed, help opening a clinic, help opening medical clinic, hospital bullying, hospital fraud, hospital sexual harassment, how to be self employed, how to open a medical clinic, how to open a medical office, how to open my own clinic, how to quit my job, how to resign, how to start a clinic, how to start a medical clinic, insurance fraud, medicare fraud, nurse practitioner independent practice, open a small clinic, patient refills, physician fraud, physician homicide, time to quit my job

Why Are So Many Male Anesthesiologists Dying By Suicide? →

I just received this email:

“I’m a male anesthesiologist. I have been battling suicidal ideation for seven years and eight months. I vividly remember the day I was admitted. A colleague came into my locked office and saw me sitting at the desk with induction meds and an IV.

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Tags: anesthesiologist addition, anesthesiologist malpractice help, anesthesiologist PHP, anesthesiologist stress, anesthesiologist suicide, anesthesiologists overdose, burned out anesthesiologist, burned out surgeon, depressed anesthesiologist, depressed surgeon, disruptive anesthesiologist, disruptive surgeon, male anesthesiologist retreat, male anesthesiologists, male anethesiologist suicide, male radiologist, male radiologist retreat, male surgeon retreat, male surgeon suicide, physician addiction treatment, physician addiction treatment program, propofol addiction, propofol suicide, suicidal anesthesiologist, suicidal surgoen, surgeon addiction, surgeon malpractice help, surgeon PHP, surgeon suicide

Physician warriors don’t cry →

WarriorDocTom

poem
i need to run

i need to run
in the rain
or something i need to run
i need to rest but i need to run,
i need to wash the blood off my pants and
sneakers
i want to talk to someone but i cant
can i,

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Tags: Emergency doctor PTSD, emergency doctor trauma, physician PTSD

Physician PTSD—Help for Traumatized Doctors →

Physician PTSD

NOTE: Article updated 10/7/22 to reflect my newfound experiences with traumatized physicians.

I recently spoke with an emergency doc at a busy understaffed hospital. He had just dealt with a mass shooting and is now in the midst of a divorce. Clearly distressed,

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Tags: medical student PTSD, physician anxiety, physician panic attacks, physician PTSD, Resident PTSD, Vicarious trauma in physicians

Physician retreats: how doctors heal →

This past week I held my 14th physician retreat. To promote intimacy, I generally allow no more than 40 attendees at any one retreat. This retreat was unusual in that I only invited a handful of graduates from prior retreats—all successful solo doctors in their ideal clinics. In their own words .

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Top 10 Fears That Hold Doctors Back →

What prevents us from being the doctors we always imagined? We enter medicine as inspired, intelligent, compassionate humanitarians. Soon we’re cynical and exhausted. How did all these totally amazing and high-functioning people get screwed up so fast? Attention: med students and doctors: It’s not your fault.

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Tags: medical student PTSD, medical student self-confidence, physician addiction, physician anxiety, physician depression, physician imposter syndrome, physician perfectionism, physician PTSD, physician self-confidence

A Valentine’s plea for doctors →

Love yourself first

For all of you hard-core docs who put everyone’s needs ahead of your own.

For all the docs forgetting to eat or drink all day then fainting in operating rooms.

For all my sisters working through miscarriages without taking time off to grieve.

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Tags: Happy Valentine's Day for doctors, Love your doctors, Valentine's Day for doctors

Doctors-in-training hit with knives, punched, left crying in hospitals →

So I started medical school in Germany. Germany has a very strange system. At that time it was relatively easy to get into medical school, but then they do everything to get you out of medical school. It’s the opposite of the United States. It has changed now. It’s very abusive from the get go.

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Tags: medical school, medical school abuse, medical student bullying, Physician abuse, physician bullying, physician whistleblower, quitting residency, residency abuse

Hospital obstructs medical care, nearly kills doctor →

I recently reported on Stephanie Waggel, the doctor fired by a prestigious U.S. hospital for getting cancer (story also picked up by Medscape and The Washington Post). In her whistleblower video, Stephanie describes how she nearly died due to obstruction of medical care.

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Tags: Physician abuse, physician bullying, physician suicide, residency abuse, resident abuse, Stephanie Waggel