The Optimized Doctor

• 'I Shall Harm': When Patients Experience the Nocebo Effect Nocebo, from the Latin, "I shall harm," is the dark counterpart to the placebo, Jeffrey Benabio, MD, writes in his column.
  Medscape Dermatology, August 12, 2022
• 'How Long, How Long to Sing This Song?' Lament is making a comeback, Dr Jeffrey Benabio writes in his column. 'A once-common word in the 1800s, it fell steeply in popularity in the 20th century. Lately, I see it everywhere,' he says.
  Medscape Dermatology, July 12, 2022
• Fighting Burnout: Lessons From Centenarians Why do some older workers recharge daily and carry on while many younger ones say the daily grind is burning them out?
  Medscape Dermatology, June 06, 2022
• The Work After Work We physicians are focused on fixing physician burnout. Maybe we should also be looking at what happens in the 'second shift' at home, Dr Jeffrey Benabio says in his column.
  Medscape Dermatology, April 29, 2022
• 'We Don't Want to Be an Inspiration' Although acknowledgment is appreciated, the women I work alongside don’t need me to be inspired by them. They need me to stand with them, to help them, Jeffrey Benabio, MD, MBA, says in his column.
  Medscape Dermatology, March 22, 2022
• Here's to a Perfect Day 'Attempting a perfect day or perfect surgery or a perfect pour over coffee is a fun game, but perfectionism has an insidious side,' Dr Jeffrey Benabio writes.
  Medscape Dermatology, February 22, 2022
• When the Patient Wants to Speak to a Manager 'With virus variants raging, inflation growing, and call center wait times approaching infinity, many of our patients, it seems, cannot bear any more,' Dr Jeffrey Benabio writes in his column.
  Medscape Dermatology, January 21, 2022
• Is It OK to Just Be Satisfied? Being a 'satisficer' or maximizer is probably somewhat fixed, a personality trait, like being extroverted or conscientious, Dr Jeffrey Benabio writes.
  Medscape Dermatology, December 27, 2021
• Words From the Wise When there's time, consider asking for advice from those elders who happen to have an appointment with you. Bring you wisdom, they will.
  Medscape Dermatology, November 23, 2021
• Our Patients' Timeless Stories "Listening to a patient's tales is one of the benefits of being a physician," Jeffrey Benabio, MD, writes in his column.
  Medscape Dermatology, October 28, 2021
• Noise in Medicine "Both bias and noise create trouble for us. Although biases get more attention, noise is both more prevalent and insidious," Jeffrey Benabio, MD, MBA, says in his column.
  Medscape Dermatology, September 30, 2021
• Caring for the Difficult Patient 'What is toxic to us doctors is the maelstrom of cognitive dissonance these patients create in us,' Dr Jeffrey Benabio writes.
  Medscape Dermatology, August 27, 2021
• Artificial Intelligence Wish List "If we can blast a 70-year-old businessman into space on a private jet, surely you can invent an AI that gives us more time to spend with patients," Dr Jeffrey Benabio says.
  Medscape Dermatology, August 10, 2021
• Using 'Court Awareness' to Practice More Efficiently 'The clinic has been busy lately. Vaccinated patients are returning after a year with their skin cancers that have flourished and psoriasis covering them like kudzu,' said Dr Jeffrey Benabio, on managing his patients.
  Medscape Dermatology, May 21, 2021
• The Optimized Doctor: Say My Name Mispronouncing names can alienate patients.
  Medscape Dermatology, April 19, 2021
• Applying Lessons From Oprah to Your Practice Trying to be like Oprah can help you be better in clinic tomorrow. If we break down what she's doing, it's just fundamentals done exceedingly well.
  Medscape Dermatology, March 19, 2021
• How Not to Miss Something As doctors, we've gotten proficient at being triage nurses, examining each appointment request, and sorting who should be seen in person and who could be cared for virtually.
  Medscape Dermatology, July 23, 2020
• Overcoming COVID-Related Stress Dr Jeffrey Benabio details ways to stay healthy and calm during a pandemic.
  Medscape Dermatology, April 22, 2020
• AAD 2020 Dermatologists Call In: 'If you need me, I’m available' Some dermatologists are relearning how to intubate so they will be ready to face the coming healthcare crisis.
  Medscape Dermatology, March 26, 2020