PL-Playground

<p>Physician Emily Cook also pursues art, mixing art and medicine—and encourages other physicians to follow their passions, too.</p>
<p><strong>NAME:</strong> EMILY COOK, D.O., FAMILY PRACTICE PHYSICIAN IN OGDEN, UTAH</p>
<p><strong>EDUCATION&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; UNDERGRADUATE:</strong>&nbsp;BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY</p>
<p><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; POSTGRADUATE:</strong> ARIZONA COLLEGE&nbsp;OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE</p>
<p><strong>RESIDENCY:</strong> NEW HANOVER REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA</p>
<p><em>Emily Cook, D.O., (EmilyCook.Art) juggles art and medicine. She uses many different</em></p>
<p><em>mediums in her art, such as clay, acrylics and metal. She displays her art at The Monarch in Ogden,Utah.</em></p>
<h5><strong>What do you like about being an artist as well as a physician?</strong></h5>
<p>If you know you are going to be taking on a patient’s problems, which you cannot help but do, you know you have an outlet that is not medicine. I bring watercolors with me everywhere I go and a sketchbook. I can take 10 minutes and draw something, look outside, take a breath and put color on paper. It does not have to be pretty. In fact, sometimes the uglier, the better. Everyone can do it, and watercolors are a cheap gift—which is why I give so many out to people and my homeless patients. Time for play is what is missing from society. That’s where you start. You aren’t crunching 100 notes and finding a solution to everyone’s problems. You are just in the moment with your hobby.</p>
<p>“I bring watercolors with me everywhere I go and a sketchbook. I can take 10 minutes and draw something&#8230;”</p>
<h5><strong>Is there anything you don’t like about pursuing art</strong></h5>
<p>I’m definitely pulled between being an artist and a physician. At the Monarch Art Studio, I have a fellow artist. That is that person’s primary job. I don’t feel I’m acknowledged that I’m an artist in my own right because I’m also a doctor. I’ve been doing art since I was little. I went to school for art. On the flip side, as for being a physician, it’s always like the imposter syndrome being in both worlds. Sometimes I just want to say enough is enough; I’m legitimate in both fields. I spent thousands of hours mastering both.</p>
<h5><strong>Was there anything about doing this that surprised you?</strong></h5>
<p>I never realized how much I would love sharing art with other people. Originally, I thought it was more of a selfish undertaking. I was trying to heal me. From time to time, I think about how I can get my art out there. How can I make money on my art? How can I market my art and get people to buy it? Then I get disappointed if someone didn’t buy it. Whenever I go to that place, I’m not happy. When I return to my caregiving self, my physician mindset, that part of me when doing art creates beautifully and freely, it’s happy, and that’s so much better. That’s where creative energy lies.</p>
<p>“Instead of watching Netflix, work on your hobby,” says artist Emily Cook, D.O. “&#8230;You make your hobby, whatever it is, part of your life&#8230;”</p>
<h5><strong>Do you have any advice for physicians who might want to pursue their hobbies as well?</strong></h5>
<p>I would suggest getting your supplies and working on your hobby when you have free time. Take a backpack and bring it with you. When you have down time, take five minutes. When you’re home, instead of watching Netflix, work on your hobby. My kitchen table is my workspace. You make your hobby, whatever it is, part of your life, part of your routine, so that it happens. People always say they don’t have time, but we insert other things into our hobby’s place.</p>
<h5><strong>How would a physician go about pursuing art?</strong></h5>
<p>My friends and I have put on workshops, and there’s always little art hubs in most places. There’s always someone trying to offer a class on whatever hobby you do and make a living&#8230;always someone with a talent. It is as simple as desiring to try it and then looking online to get the materials. You don’t have to spend a lot. Go to a specific class and then do it. •</p>


Marcia Travelstead

Mixing art and medicine

<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><strong style="font-size: 14px;">NAME:</strong>&nbsp;CHERRY CHEN, M.D., INTERNAL MEDICINE HOSPITALIST</p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><strong style="font-size: 14px;">EDUCATION&nbsp;UNDERGRADUATE:</strong>&nbsp;UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN</p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><strong style="font-size: 14px;">RESIDENCY:</strong> OREGON HEALtH &amp;SCIENCE UNIVERSITY, PORTLAND</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;"><em style="font-size: 14px;">Cherry Chen, M.D., is an internal medicine physician and cofounder of The Real Estate Physician, a resource that connects health care professionals with commercial real estate investment opportunities, helping physicians investing in real estate. One of her goals is to empower physicians to live purposeful lives both in and outside the clinic and to achieve greater financial independence. Chen is also the author of “The Physician’s Definitive Guide to Real Estate Syndications.” Learn more at therealestatephysician.com</em></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>What do you like about helping physicians invest?</strong></h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;">I like how empowering it has been. As physicians, we understand how hard we work for our income and as investors, we can make that money work for us. Ultimately, investing gives us the freedom to practice medicine on our own terms independent of our salary—and that is empowering.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 14px;"><b>What’s the most challenging part?</b></h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;">Much like in our clinical studies, the investment journey is one of continued learning that requires<br />
a healthy dose of curiosity, due diligence and caution. While there are plenty of great teachers<br />
out there, there are also many with ulterior motives. The remedy to this is due diligence. The most surprising part of this journey is the reception&nbsp;I’ve received from my fellow colleagues around&nbsp;the world. I’ve been fortunate enough to have heard stories from other physicians about their journeys into investing and been a part of the greater community that has been built around those stories. There is a grave need to have further resources to empower physicians financially.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 14px;"><b>What is your advice for physicians who might want to get into investing?</b></h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;">Develop your own investment philosophy, which starts with asking questions about yourself. What is the timeline of the investment? How much do I have to invest? Do I prefer liquid or illiquid investments? What level of volatility and risk aversion am I comfortable with? And most importantly, what is the opportunity cost? Developing your own investment philosophy will help rule out investments that are not well suited for you individually and provide guidance to sift through all the seemingly endless opportunities.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 14px;"><b>How did you start helping other physicians invest?</b></h2>
<p style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;">I started my investment journey like many other physicians. After residency, I made it a priority to max out my 401(k), which was the only financial direction I believe most of us had.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;">When I started looking deeper into other opportunities, I sifted through layers of information, attended conferences focused primarily on commercial real estate investments, and started developing a network of experts that could help guide me. That’s when I realized there are many wonderful resources out there for physicians to establish their financial health, but there were very few that focused on financial wealth. As I started to invest more into commercial real estate, I wanted to share the very same wealth of information I sifted through which led to the resource my company provides today.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Anything else you’d like to add?</b></h2>
<p style="font-size: 14px;">It took us a decade to learn the language of medicine, and we have to remember we did that through exposure and being surrounded by those who have or are going through the same journey. Similarly, the journey through financial literacy, specifically through navigating investment opportunities, is a process that takes time and exposure through books, podcasts or other physicians on the same path. •</p>


There are many resources for helping physicians invest through real estate, so it's important to know if it's for you and how to best do so.

Physicians investing in real estate

<nav aria-label="breadcrumbs" class="rank-math-breadcrumb"><p><span class="last">Public speaking in healthcare</span></p></nav>
<h4>Table of Contents</h4>
<p>By seeking opportunities for public speaking in healthcare, physicians can become well-known experts and share their messages.</p>
<p>NAME: SHAWN C. JONES, M.D.<br />
EMPLOYER: PURCHASE ENT, PADUCAH, KENTUCKY<br />
EDUCATION<br />
UNDERGRADUATE: UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE<br />
MEDICAL SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE SCHOOl OF MEDICINE<br />
INTERNSHIP: ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER, BUFFALO, NEW YORK</p>
<p><em>Otolaryngologist Shawn C. Jones, M.D., is an author, consultant and speaker on the topic of physician burnout. He first stepped into public speaking as a physician because he was passionate about bringing awareness to the damage caused by secondhand smoke.</em></p>
<h5>What do you like about being a public speaker?</h5>
<p>I think all physicians&nbsp;<a href="https://magazine.practicelink.com/distinguish-yourself-through-knowledge-sharing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have an educator within us</a>. That’s what we do primarily in the office. We’re educating our patients about the disease process and things they can do in their lives to improve their health. I like being able to take that message I’m passionate about and share it in a way that’s meaningful to others. I’d say the educational part of sharing the message is the biggest thing.</p>
<h5>Was there anything that surprised you about being a public speaker?</h5>
<p>I think it surprised me a little bit that a passion for a topic and the willingness to invest yourself to essentially become somewhat of an expert in it can set you up to be the person that people go to in certain situations. It isn’t something that happens in most instances by accident. It’s the result of concerted effort and drive, motivation and hard work. The good news is, if you have something that you’re interested in and passionate about, with some hard work and dedication, you can set yourself up to be an expert and accomplish what you want to. I would not want to spend the time and effort doing this with<br />
respect to something I really wasn’t passionate about.</p>
<h5>What advice do you have for physicians who want to become public speakers?</h5>
<p>The most important thing is to recognize that when you start out on this path, you really have to do your homework and make sure you know your topic very well, and that you’re honest if you are asked a question and you don’t know the answer. There’s no harm in saying, “I haven’t thought about that” or “That’s not come up before, I’ll look into that.”<br />
I would avail myself to all of the information that’s out there and available on the mechanics of public speaking and what makes a good speech. In the end, if you want to educate people on what you’re passionate about, it’s going to be a lot more effective if it’s an interesting and entertaining presentation and really grabs their attention.</p>
<h5>How can a physician get started?</h5>
<p>Do some serious introspective work about what you have an interest in and what you would like to be known for. In your wildest dreams, if you found yourself as a highly sought after public speaker, you’d want to make sure you really had a keen interest in your topics. What do people need to hear, what do they want to hear, and how are you uniquely qualified to deliver that message?</p>
<p>Once you find out what thing(s) you’re interested in talking about, read everything you can and talk with everyone in that field and hone that perspective. I still do my best to read every book I can find on physician burnout and listen to other talks and opinions on it.</p>
<h5>How would a physician public speaker market themselves?</h5>
<p>First, you need to have a presence online, such as a speaker’s website with testimonials, perhaps a video that shows you speaking so that people know what they’re getting if they decide to have you speak. You need to be on social media and have consistent messages. Also, you may want to have two sites, a page for your personal use and one for professional. You don’t want people who are interested in your public speaking to have to go through your family photos. It’s about being professional online.</p>
<h5>Anything else to add?</h5>
<p>For me, it’s more about the message than me speaking. In the end, I’m more interested in addressing physician burnout, making a difference in the world, than I am about Shawn c. Jones, m.d., being a highly sought-after public speaker. A good message is important and rings true to people and has a positive effect.</p>
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Shawn C. Jones, M.D. has a passion of public speaking as a physician and educates others on his field.

Public speaking in healthcare

<figure id="attachment_21326" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-21326" style="width: 683px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-21326" src="https://bpplplayground.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Angela-Fiducia-DishaSpath-AF_15-JB.jpg" alt="" width="683" height="1024"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-21326" class="wp-caption-text">Disha Spath, M.D., blogs about physician finances. &#8211; Photo by Angela Fiducia</figcaption></figure>
<p>Employer: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians, Hoosick Falls, New York</p>
<p>Name: Disha Spath, M.D.</p>
<p>Education</p>
<p>Undergraduate: University of Georgia, Athens</p>
<p>Medical School: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta</p>
<p>Residency/Internship: Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital, Nashville</p>
<p>Disha Spath, M.D., created and maintains <a href="https://www.thefrugalphysician.com/">“</a><i>The Frugal Physician” blog. She created the blog to reflect the way she and her husband paid their way out of student loan debt and to empower other physicians to take control of their finances and helps those learning how to manage physician finances. Spath also contributes to the PracticeLink Magazine Financial Fitness column.</i></p>
<h4>What do you like about being a physician who blogs?</h4>
<p>I love that it stimulates another part of my brain than what I’m doing in medical practice. It’s a completely different skillset. I love building the entrepreneurial aspect of it as well. I really enjoy getting to talk to physicians and trying to heal the healers. It’s an immense privilege to be able to do that. I find a lot of meaning in helping another doctor be happier and practice medicine on his or her own terms.</p>
<h4>What’s the most challenging part of blogging?</h4>
<p>Sometimes I don’t like the attention. I’m not looking for fame. I think it’s important for me to share what I’m going through personally in order for people to understand where I’m coming from. Hopefully, it resonates and they learn from my mistakes and experience.</p>
<h4>How often do you put out a blog?</h4>
<p>For the first three years, I put out a blog once a week. Consistency is key initially. Now that the site is more established, I have started to focus on quality rather than quantity. I’m now working on a podcast as well.</p>
<h4>Was there anything about blogging that surprised you?</h4>
<p>I went into it from a purely hobby perspective. I quickly realized that in order to sustain the website and get the word out, it had to become a business. That’s something I hadn’t expected but I’m enjoying the challenge of learning how to run a business and building the skillset of managing people.</p>
<h4>How do you come up with ideas for your blogs?</h4>
<p>Every year, I think about which direction I want to go in. For example, do I want to continue with the frugality theme or do I want to go into the investing side and earning more money? I want to focus on what I’m feeling the most passionate about and what my audience needs right now. Over the years, I’ve refined my area of expertise.</p>
<h4>How would another physician get started in blogging?</h4>
<p>It’s relatively easy to get started, but it’s a much bigger commitment than I ever imagined before I started it. When you begin, you need to commit to a schedule of blogging every week or sometimes every two weeks. You’ll need to put a lot of extra time into the content creation, as well as content promotion. That’s the way you get the message out to help the people you want to help.</p>
<h4>Can physicians make extra income from blogging?</h4>
<p>It can be a business. I will tell you that most bloggers don’t make that much money. It’s mostly a passion project for me because it sustains itself but doesn’t bring me much income personally. However, I have also made the decision to reinvest in the site. I would tell doctors to give it a shot for a year or two and you are going to have to sustain the site. If you can do that, then perhaps you can get into the income building side of it. I found that it’s a good way to diversify income rather than rely on that income. Also, it’s a very good way to tax strategize because you now have the benefits of running a small business. I have also been able to get into speaking at conferences about finances due to the site.</p>
<h4>Anything else to add?</h4>
<p>Stay humble and authentic if you want to be a physician blogger. You will need a lot of self discipline to keep it going. Eventually, if it becomes a business, you will need to learn how to outsource and manage people.</p>


Learning how to manage physician finances

<figure id="attachment_20013" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20013" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://bpplplayground.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Levi-Harrison-M.D.jpeg" alt="Levi Harrison, M.D." width="1024" height="590"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20013" class="wp-caption-text">“&#8230;I was astounded by how immediately people gravitated to my channel,” says physician and YouTuber Levi Harrison, M.D. &#8211; Photo by Legacy Union Photo Co.</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Employer:</strong> The Harrison Orthopedic Institute, Glendale, California</p>
<p><strong>Education</strong></p>
<p><strong>Undergraduate:</strong> Howard University, Washington, D.C.</p>
<p><strong>Med school:</strong> University of California-Davis</p>
<p><strong>Residency:</strong> Orthopedic Surgery</p>
<p><strong>Fellowship:</strong> Indiana Hand Center, Indianapolis</p>
<p>Besides being <i>an orthopedic surgeon, Levi Harrison, M.D., is also a fitness expert, TV and radio personality, book author and a <a href="http://youtube.com/drleviharrison">YouTuber</a>&nbsp;who focusses on gamers’ injuries. (He’s also an avid gamer himself.) His YouTube videos not only include exercises for gamers but also drummers, musicians, barbers, estheticians and nail artists, to name a few. </i></p>
<h4>What do you like about putting content on YouTube?</h4>
<p>I like the fact that I provide a service to people globally. Someone here in Los Angeles can watch a video that can help them as well as someone in Istanbul, Egypt, Vietnam, Greece or New Zealand. What I love is what I call global interconnectivity.</p>
<p>Even though we all do not speak the same language, one can go online and basically figure out that I am doing something to help that individual have greater health and fitness for mind, body and soul.&nbsp;I provide a service to people who may not be able to afford this in their own country.</p>
<p>Another thing I love is the positive feedback I get from people. I might get a comment from someone in South Africa or Canada about how the videos have helped them.</p>
<h4>How often do you create videos?</h4>
<p>My goal is to put one or two videos up every two to four weeks. I don’t like to announce them. I just like to put them up organically. I work with a videographer, who is phenomenal. What I do is put together a bank of 12 videos. It takes around two hours. I’ll release those episodically every month or so. It’s a lot of planning, but I like it. It keeps me on my toes to make sure the data is fresh, current and meaningful.</p>
<p>Can it help the people I want to help? Can it cross all geographic, gender, and religious boundaries? My business is how I can be of service and how I can get the viewer healthy, fit and feel better about who they are. My job is to be an uplifter and motivator.</p>
<h4>Was there anything about creating YouTube content that surprised you?</h4>
<p>First, I was astounded by how immediately people gravitated to my channel. People needed these exercises, as their hands, wrists, shoulders and eyes hurt. There’s a plethora of YouTubers that do fitness and health. There’s one doctor that works with gamers, and that’s me.</p>
<h4>Could a physician on YouTube get paid?</h4>
<p>I have heard a YouTuber can get sponsors who will basically pay them to do things, but want to control the content. That doesn’t work for me. One thing I heard in an interview years ago is the best thing you can do for yourself in the media is to own yourself and your content. That was more than 20 years ago, and I never forgot it. I don’t give up ownership of my videos to anyone.</p>
<p><strong>Any advice for physicians who might want to create YouTube content?</strong></p>
<p>First, be yourself. Second, be authentic. Third, be an expert at whatever you want to present. If you’re not an expert in it, don’t even think about it if you haven’t lived the experience.</p>
<p>I’m a gamer every day. I know what it’s like to have injuries that could be attributed to gaming. To me, it’s like giving a sermon about something. Unless you’ve lived the life, how can you tell people how they can make their life better? You have to live what you preach. So, I lived this life as a gamer, as a physician, as an orthopedist, as a hand surgeon, as a motivational speaker and as an author.</p>
<p>My job is how I can make things better for people. How I can get people to love themselves more and do it in a healthy way they can duplicate and then live the life of moderation, balance and success.</p>


Career move: SWAT team physician Mark Merlin, D.O., shares insights

Rise of physician influencers

<figure id="attachment_17307" style="width: 800px;">
<p><figure id="attachment_19913" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19913" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://bpplplayground.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kavita-Jain-M.D.jpeg" alt="Kavita Jain, M.D." width="1024" height="590"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-19913" class="wp-caption-text">Tutoring medical students helps Kavita Jain, M.D., retain foundational knowledge and prepare others. &#8211; Photography by Jakub Redziniak.</figcaption></figure><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Name:</strong> Kavita Jain, M.D., Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon, Georgia</p>
<p><strong>Education</strong></p>
<p><strong>Undergraduate:</strong> Johns Hopkins University</p>
<p><strong>Medical school:</strong> Atlantic University School of Medicine, Saint Lucia</p>
<p><strong>Residency:</strong> Medical Center of Central Georgia</p>
<p><i>Tutoring medical students helps prepare them for exams such as the USMLE, COMLEX, MCAT, board certification exams, all third-year medical school shelf exams and all medical school subject area exams. Physician tutoring, such as with <a href="https://www.selectmedtutors.com/">Select Med Tutors</a>, takes place online for maximum flexibility for both students and tutors. Kavita Jain, M.D., has tutored med students for five years.</i></p>
<h4>What do you like about being a tutor?</h4>
<p>The thing I like the most is being able to share my cumulative medical knowledge with the future generation of physicians. They’re so motivated to succeed in their career that it’s really a privilege to help students achieve the performance necessary on their examinations to reach their aspirations, whatever they may be.</p>
<h4>What’s the most challenging part of the role?</h4>
<p>I think there can be intense pressure on the tutor to help his or her student meet their target test score. There can be high stakes involved because some residencies can be dependent on test score. That being said, it’s incredibly fulfilling and gratifying to get a call or text from a student saying, “I did it!” They got the score they wanted and they know that they can apply for whatever their specialty may be.</p>
<h4>How do you balance being a tutor with residency?</h4>
<p>Life is really all about balance. Most tutors I know tend to become personally invested in their students. That’s great, but I also think it can become overwhelming at times. It’s really important to find a level that allows physicians to balance their professional practice with tutoring. It’s also important to find the position of being a tutor with a company that is willing to give you the flexibility you need.</p>
<h4>Was there anything about tutoring that surprised you?</h4>
<p>I really didn’t realize how helpful being a tutor would be in my clinical life. Teaching requires me to be constantly up to date with the foundational knowledge and content tested on the standardized board exams, and that helps at work. The foundational knowledge, I think, is under appreciated. It’s really helpful to have that to rely on, and I’m definitely grateful.</p>
<h4>What advice would you have for a physician who might want to become a tutor?</h4>
<p>Again, I think it’s all about balance. Most associates I know have become really invested in how their students do, and that makes it a wonderful job—but also demanding. It’s important to start slowly and make sure it’s right. Find a position as a tutor that allows you to have flexibility.</p>
<h4>How can physicians get started tutoring med students?</h4>
<p>Reach out! I called companies about opportunities, and I was drawn to Select Med Tutors because they didn’t require me to commit to a minimum number of students or hours. That allowed me to get into tutoring and make sure it’s something I wanted to do. I think it’s important to have that kind of flexibility early on. The head tutor is available 24/7, and the staff is always there to provide guidance if I have a difficult situation.</p>
<p>It’s a flexible lifestyle, especially now that all of the tutoring is performed via Zoom. It’s really conducive to having a good work/life balance.</p>


Tutoring medical students

<figure id="attachment_16998" style="width: 800px;">
<p><figure id="attachment_19795" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19795" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://bpplplayground.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Yasmine-S.-Ali-M.D.jpeg" alt="Yasmine S. Ali, M.D." width="1024" height="696"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-19795" class="wp-caption-text">If you enjoy writing, editing and fact checking, you could add CME content development to your CV. – Photo by Keith M. Sturges</figcaption></figure></figure>
<p><strong>Name:</strong> Yasmine S. Ali, M.D., Cardiologist</p>
<p><strong>Education</strong></p>
<p><strong>Undergraduate:</strong> Vanderbilt University</p>
<p><strong>Postgraduate:</strong> Vanderbilt University Medical School</p>
<p><strong>Residency:</strong> University of Virginia Health System</p>
<p><strong>Fellowship</strong>: Vanderbilt University Medical Center</p>
<p><i>Ali is a medical writer and editor with extensive experience in multiple media, including prescriptive nonfiction, creative nonfiction and poetry, medical content and writing for CME. She is also a medical consultant specializing in cardiovascular medicine, clinical lipidology and health care in addition to many other areas. </i></p>
<p><i>Ali is chief editor of the atherosclerosis section of Medscape Reference Drugs and Diseases and chief editor of Medscape’s congenital heart disease section.&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>In addition to serving in many other capacities, she has been a medical editor, writer, and CME speaker for MedStudy, Inc., specializing in the creation and revision of board review materials in the fields of internal medicine and pediatrics. Physicians interested in learning more about CME content development can contact Ali at yasminealimd.com. </i></p>
<h4>What’s involved in developing CME content?</h4>
<p>CME writing involves textbooks, online texts and reference materials. A CME content development physician may also perform medical editing. Someone else may have put the materials together and need a medical reviewer.</p>
<p>A CME company may come to you to consult about what should go into the content and what the hot topics are. Each company has its own request. One may want content development; another may want me to map out strategies for an entire curriculum.</p>
<p>At one point, I just focused on editing. I think that’s the easiest way to start in this field if a physician wants to get paid for CME work.</p>
<p>With medical editing or medical review, the content has already been produced and a physician needs to put an eye on it to make sure it’s accurate.&nbsp;That’s where I did my CME work for several years. It was really rewarding and taught me a lot; however, you have to be prepared to catch errors and be alert for fact checking.</p>
<h4>What do you like most about developing CME content?</h4>
<p>I like the opportunity to influence the education of my fellow physicians. I’ve always enjoyed medical education and love teaching, so that sums up the heart of everything I do. I like to help physicians be their best. That’s what CME is all about.</p>
<h4>How can other physicians become CME content developers?</h4>
<p>That’s really difficult to answer, because it depends on what aspect of CME you’re interested in and what your goals are. Are you trying to get a little experience or trying to make a business or career out of it?</p>
<p>You can start by creating your own presentation to give at a local or regional medical or specialty society. You can start by writing review articles for journals that are published for CME credit.</p>
<p>If you go to a website such as LinkedIn and type in search terms, several opportunities will pop up. Some of the terms could be “physician editor,” “CME editor,” “CME writer” or “CME physician.” Just type in “CME content development” and see what comes up. It’s something you can do and still practice.</p>
<h4>What advice would you give to interested physicians?</h4>
<p>You really have to like reading and writing. There will be times that you spend alone at your desk and computer. It’s not the same as seeing patients. Although, it will help you when seeing patients especially if you’re doing CME in your field. It will make you a better physician because you will be up to date.</p>
<p>Developing CME content is more of an introverted activity, and you have to be OK with that. You have to read literature and research.</p>
<p>If you get asked to review something that has already been written, you need to be able to know if there are updated guidelines that need to be included and how you would search for those guidelines. You need to know how to find that information online.</p>


Medical content and writing for CME

<figure id="attachment_16587" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-16587" style="width: 403px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-16587" src="https://bpplplayground.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/EP_01107_JB.jpg" alt="Greg Vigna, M.D." width="403" height="600"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-16587" class="wp-caption-text">Physicians in any specialty can consider being a life care planner to estimate the needs of people as they move forward after injury. &#8211; Photo by Eric Peterson</figcaption></figure>
<p>Name: Greg Vigna, M.D., JD</p>
<p>Education</p>
<p>Undergraduate: University of the Pacific, Stockton, California</p>
<p>Med school: Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans</p>
<p>Residency: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston</p>
<p>A rehabilitation physician and life care planner can assist plaintiffs or defense lawyers by evaluating the needs of the ill or injured and what their needs will be in the future. It does not require an active clinical practice, is not limited by specialty, and a physician does not have to testify against other physicians regarding care standards.</p>
<p>Greg Vigna, M.D., JD, is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician. During Vigna’s residency, he had the opportunity to train at some of the leading hospitals in the country. At these institutions, he learned how to manage the most catastrophic of all traumatic injuries. He is also a member of the California State Bar and the Washington, D.C., Bar.</p>
<h4>What do you like most about your role?</h4>
<p>What I like is learning about the future impact of the illness or injury and how that will cause further disability so you can predict the medical possibilities or what services the client will need.</p>
<p>As an example, brain injured patients who are dealing with spasticity and are ambulating with a single-point cane or a walker will require further mobility aids. You need to think outside the box and include it in their life care plan.</p>
<p>It requires study in the field of medicine and thinking not only of the patient’s needs in the present but also in the future. Being a physician life care planner is good for doctors who are in their mid-life of practicing medicine and those at the end because they have gained a lot of experience.</p>
<h4>What’s the most challenging part?</h4>
<p>The need to be flexible, because trials can be pushed and you have to be in a position where you can take off for a day with two weeks’ notice. You have to have reliable coverage in your practice for the patients you have.</p>
<h4>What has been surprising about your role?</h4>
<p>The surprise was how enjoyable it was. There are good people out there, such as nurse life care planners, who can assist. There are numerous health care professionals who can assist with some of the health care chronologies. Not only do you, as a physician life care planner, have to discuss what a person needs, you also have to do research to determine how much it’s going to cost. These subcontracts are under your control, and there are very skilled people who can assist.</p>
<h4>How can physicians become physician life care planners?</h4>
<p>It’s a pretty straightforward process. There are courses that can be done online for certification. These consist of modules and books to read. It doesn’t take that long to get certified.</p>
<p>Again, people who are life care planners can be nurses, psychologists and other physicians. As a physician, you will certainly have the background to pass the tests with relative ease. You do have an on-site weekend course where you meet some of the leaders in life care planning. That was very valuable because I could network there and develop my team.</p>
<h4>What advice would you give to interested physicians?</h4>
<p>I think that once a physician becomes certified, then you need to start going to medical legal conferences and get a booth. You need to start advertising. At the conferences, you can meet physicians and lawyers. Once the word gets out that you can provide this service and have a reliable product, in addition to testifying reasonably well, then the cases will come.</p>
<h4>Anything else to add?</h4>
<p>It’s very lucrative. Doctors are used to rounding and doing follow-ups to procedures. Being a physician life care planner provides a different income stream. It’s all done virtually. With this job, I don’t have to develop a back office. Everything is provided virtually now. I can do this anywhere that I have a laptop. The team members I have are located in Florida. I live in California and have never met them in person but work very closely with them.</p>


Lori MacPherson, M.D. returned home to practice rural medicine.

Rehabilitation physician and life care planner

<p>Leo Lopez III, M.D., National Clinicians Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine</p>
<p>Undergraduate: Texas A&amp;M University, College Station, Texas</p>
<p>Postgraduate: University of Texas School of Medicine, San Antonio</p>
<p>Residency: CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program, San Antonio</p>
<p><i>Lopez is CEO of El Renovatio Films, LLC. As a physician filmmaker, he directs and produces documentaries on health care and human rights. </i></p>
<p><i>He has been the recipient of numerous awards including Young Physician of the Year and the 2017 and 2018 National Hispanic Resident of the Year by the National Hispanic Medical Association. </i></p>
<p><i>In addition, he is also founder and president of the nonprofit Salud Su Derecho, which promotes the reduction of health disparities at the Texas-Mexico border.</i></p>
<h4>How did you become a physician filmmaker?</h4>
<p>As a young man, I was always fascinated by the power film had to bring people together. Film, more than any other form of media, allows us to see a reflection of ourselves.</p>
<p>This reflection can lead to empathy and connection. It might help us think a little differently about a range of experiences and situations. That’s why I got fascinated with storytelling. It wasn’t until I was a medical student that I began to take it more seriously.</p>
<p>I started writing about health disparities and working with other colleagues on producing films that highlighted various topics, such as the negative effects of bullying.</p>
<p>I connected with a group of medical students in Europe who were interested in producing a documentary about man-made barriers to health. They knew I was making short films and asked if I would like to direct a film in the West Bank and Israel. I flew there and directed the piece, which was about how health and wellbeing are affected by conflict.</p>
<p>After Israel, I got a project in Japan working with the United Nations and produced a film about youth as agents of change in disaster areas. I came back to Texas and directed a film called “Texas UnMedicated” that looks at the implications of Texas not expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>I’m now leading the production of a documentary series that presents the intersection of health, medicine and social justice.</p>
<h4>What do you like about being a filmmaker?</h4>
<p>I think that telling health care stories through film gives a community an opportunity for social change.</p>
<p>Stories provide an opportunity for empathy and shared experience. Through empathy, we can address some of the most pressing societal issues: inequalities in the health system, the ways people access housing or access food. We can tell powerful stories that give us an opportunity to address those inequalities.</p>
<h4>What’s the most challenging part of your role?</h4>
<p>I wish we could get stories and films out quickly. I respect the kind of time that goes into producing a high-quality product. I’ve learned to be patient with this process. Otherwise, I wish I could turn around a production much faster.</p>
<h4>Was there anything about telling health care stories that surprised you?</h4>
<p>I think that being a physician inherently comes with a position of social privilege and a status. Sometimes, being in that position, a physician can become disconnected with some people who are suffering immensely.</p>
<p>Getting our feet on the ground in conflict zones or areas that have been devastated by disasters or on the Texas border where families are being separated serves as a harsh reminder of the realities that our neighbors are facing. It is always somewhat shocking to witness the conditions that families all over the world face to this day.</p>
<h4>What advice would you give to physicians who want to make films?</h4>
<p>I certainly think physicians have an important role to play in storytelling in general, but film in particular because we can help bridge the understanding between society, environment, policies and the implications for health.</p>
<p>If there are policies that don’t enable us to access health care, which has negative consequences for health, we can use film to help the public understand those links better than a peer-reviewed journal can.</p>
<h4>How would you recommend physicians go about making films?</h4>
<p>I think the primary objective for any physician or medical student is to practice medicine, reduce suffering and show compassion in the clinic and hospital.</p>
<p>It might be difficult to find the time to build an entirely new skillset in storytelling. The thought can be daunting. However, there are other ways to get involved in the filmmaking process either as a consultant on a screenplay or helping on the production side.</p>
<p>One might consider seeking an opportunity on a<a href="https://magazine.practicelink.com/magazinearticles/hollywood-calling-entertainment-medical-consultant-summer-2020/"> media project as an adviser</a> that ensures that vulnerable populations are protected and informed consent is obtained.</p>
<p>In this role, one might also make certain that the portrayals of physicians and health care workers in the media are accurate and dignified. I suggest premedical students and medical students work with their humanities department to advocate for this type of skill building.</p>


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Mixing art and medicine

Physicians investing in real estate

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Mixing art and medicine

Related Content About Career Move

Mixing art and medicine

Physicians investing in real estate

Public speaking in healthcare

Learning how to manage physician finances

Rise of physician influencers

Tutoring medical students

Medical content and writing for CME

Rehabilitation physician and life care planner

Physician filmmaker

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Virtual Career Fairs

New England