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Articles by Lynn McComas
Teaching clinical reasoning starts with saying it out loud
One of the most useful teaching techniques I have used as a preceptor is also one of the simplest: I think out loud. Experienced clinicians make hundreds of small decisions throughout the day. We know which questions to ask, which findings matter, and what needs to be addressed today. Much of that thinking becomes so automatic that we may not realize our students cannot see it.
Why patients don’t trust doctors, and how we earn it back
National Immunization Awareness Month got me thinking about vaccines, but probably not in the way you might expect. I have never been anti-vaccine. In fact, vaccines are very personal to me. My father had polio. I spent my entire life watching the effects it had on him and thinking about how different his life might have been if the polio vaccine had been available before he contracted the disease. It became available just a year later.
How AI scribes can rescue clinical education from burnout
If the computer is getting more of our attention than the patient, we have a problem. It is not a small annoyance. It is not just part of the job. It is pulling clinicians away from patients, draining attention from the exam room, and quietly chipping away at the quality of clinical education. We can debate workflow, efficiency, and EHR optimization all day long.
From glucose to vascular health: the future of diabetes care
Historically, blood glucose control and the avoidance of severe complications such as nerve damage (neuropathy) and amputation were the primary focus of diabetes management. However, developments over the last two decades show this siloed view is not holistic to promote long-term patient health. As a result, many of us shift our approach to risk-factor management, focusing on addressing lifestyle factors and promoting early screenings versus crisis response.
Protecting what matters most: Guarding our NP licenses with integrity
As nurse practitioners, our professional licenses are more than credentials. They are symbols of trust, responsibility, and commitment. It is vital we never take them for granted, because when they are compromised, not only do we suffer, but our entire profession pays the price. We must be vigilant: safeguarding our licenses is on us alone No one cares about our NP licenses as much as we do. They grant us the privilege of healing, the autonomy to serve, and the respect of patients and colleagues.
Medicine Exit Interviews: Reflecting on Care
In the heart of healthcare, a quiet exodus is underway. News Directory 3 investigates why clinicians are leaving medicine, a trend frequently enough overlooked by focusing solely on staffing. This crucial article sheds light on the critical need for exit interviews, revealing that burnout is often a symptom of deeper issues, including disillusionment and moral injury.
What if medicine had an exit interview?
They left quietly. Logged their last note. Disconnected their badge. Maybe cleared out a drawer, maybe not. And just like that, another clinician walked away from medicine. No exit interview. No debrief. No conversation about what led up to that final decision. Just silence. In most professions, when someone resigns, leadership wants to know why. What worked? What didn’t? What could we do better next time? But in medicine? We barely blink. There’s a schedule to fill. A shift to cover. A patient in Room 3.
Why true listening is crucial for future health care professionals [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Certified coach Kathleen Muldoon discusses her article, “The cost of presence: a lesson in listening.” She recounts a poignant experience observing a health care student disengaged during a powerful presentation by a mother sharing her life as a caregiver to children with disabilities.
The preceptor paradox: PAs get the nod while NPs are sidelined
Let’s talk about a trend I’m seeing—and honestly, I can’t stay quiet about it anymore. Across the country, more and more NP programs are telling highly experienced family nurse practitioners (FNPs) working in acute care settings that they can’t precept ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) students. Meanwhile, those very same programs are approving Physician Assistants to precept ACNP students in those exact same roles.
Defining my own future: a doctor’s journey through health care turmoil
I was an aspiring internist, then became an aesthetic physician, and now I am preparing to train abroad. This is the story of how I had to make life-changing decisions as a doctor to survive in this ever-changing world. In August 2020, as a fifth-year medical student, I experienced my first doctor’s strike. I remember standing under the scorching summer sun, chanting slogans in protest. The conflict?
How AI and quantum computing are revolutionizing the future
In the lead-up to the recently concluded U.S. presidential election, Elon Musk, the celebrity tech billionaire and the world’s’ richest man, officially endorsed Donald Trump. While Musk was full of praise for the former president, Grok, the AI chatbot he owns, had a starkly different perspective.
The future of orthopedic care: Embracing the ASC-urgent care model
The landscape of orthopedic care is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by rising health care costs, patient demand for convenience, and the increasing popularity of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). As an orthopedic surgeon dedicated to advancing minimally invasive techniques and maximizing patient outcomes, I believe the key to navigating this evolving landscape lies in prioritizing patient access to the appropriate clinician via seamless care delivery.
How a standardized agreement could end the preceptor shortage
A few years ago, my college-age sons utilized the Common App for college applications. It’s a logical and brilliant concept: one online application that students can use to apply to multiple colleges and universities at once. And it’s accepted by thousands of colleges and universities worldwide. I remember thinking, “Why aren’t we doing this for nurse practitioner (NP) programs?” It seemed like a great solution, so I decided to research it.
A surgeon's insight into the future of health care staffing [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We sit down with Maria Iliakova, a bariatric and general surgeon, to explore the exciting ways AI tools like ChatGPT are reshaping clinical practice. Maria shares her experiences using AI to enhance hospital staffing, analyze patient data, and predict patient flow in real time. We discuss how AI can help address health care staffing shortages, improve the efficiency of call schedules, and provide more personalized care.
The future of health care depends on hands-on training: We cannot afford to cut corners
Imagine walking into a doctor’s office or hospital and being treated by someone who has never actually touched a patient before. Sounds absurd, right? Yet, this could become a reality if we continue to push aside the hands-on training of our future health care providers. This may seem extreme, but it reflects a recent message sent by HR to one of our most dedicated preceptors.
Why nurse practitioners train on the backs of physicians
“Nurse practitioner (NP) education is seriously underfunded. The profession is attempting to saddle private physicians with this cost.” That is how “Dr. X” replied to my email asking whether he would be willing to precept a nurse practitioner student for her clinical rotation. I read through his clearly disgruntled letter and wanted to explain to him why NPs have to train “on the backs” of physicians and why funding for nursing education needs to change.
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