A new year and that warm, fuzzy feeling of paying maintenance of certification fees…

I know that the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) is working to respond to continued concerns about the costs and burdens of their maintenance of certification (MOC) program, but after spending more than $3,000 on initial certification (for primary and specialty boards) when I started out, the annual fee requirements to continue to “participate” […]

How do YOU discuss Code Status? Cartoons of Common Traps

N. Gray, MD I have witnessed many code status discussions — good, bad, and ugly. Here is a smattering of the “not-so-pretty” code conversation patterns. Keep reading to the end for a suggestion on a better approach… The Menu: This approach leaves patients to pick from an overwhelming array of interventions (pressors, shocks, tubes), some of […]

That Time Again…

Tired and yearning…

The Five Stages of Consult Grief

Prague and Vienna in Pencil and Ink

I kept myself from cartoon “work” while traveling, but found lots of great fodder for sketching and inking to keep me busy during our train rides…

The Intern Spectrum – Cowboy or Cornered Cat?

I don’t claim to be an expert on medical training, but here’s my diagram of the intern spectrum. It’s been 8 years since I walked into the hospital as an intern, and I’m still searching for that sweet spot myself. To new doctors out there, err on the side of caution… confidence will come later! […]

EHR Voyage – Episode 3

The EHR Voyage – Episode 2!!

Will Captain Smartphrase and Databoy be able to find their digital way in the midst of the mindless muck? …Or will they be swallowed into an abyss of cut-and-pasted smart-text? Come back to the Ink Vessel next week(ish) to find out!!

Captain Smartphrase and The Electronic Health Record Voyage!!! (Episode 1)

What will happen to Captain Smartphrase and DataBoy? Will they be lost forever in a sea of meaningless digital flotsam? Come back to The Ink Vessel next week(ish) to find out…