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Government Grand Rounds: A call to action for the 119th Congress
A foundational element for effective advocacy is understanding the profound impact that legislative decisions have on the practice of medicine and the health of our patients. The retirement announcements of several key members of Congress from the “Doc Caucus” present…
Our patients need more Spanish-speaking vascular surgeons: An argument for medical Spanish in residency
Since there are more than 40 million Spanish speakers in the United States, training more bilingual physicians could potentially improve equitable care in Latino communities, according to an article published on July 18, 2023, by the Association of American Medical…
The good, the bad and the bloody: Reflections on the road to residency
As my third year of residency comes to a close, that little thing called The Match feels like a distant fever dream. The memories of Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application anxiety now tinted with the rose-colored glasses of a…
Corner Stitch: Navigating pregnancy as a vascular surgery trainee
As a vascular surgery resident, our training emphasizes anticipating and planning for complications. This mindset is undoubtably critical clinically but can be less beneficial in settings outside of hospital confines. It certainly was my first reaction to the positive pregnancy…
Springtime in the world of vascular training
In places across the country, it’s spring. March Madness is ending, flowers are sprouting, gardens are being planted, and trees are budding. In the vascular trainee world, there is frantic preparation for the end of another academic year and the…
The power of grassroots and grasstops advocacy
The progress in congress can seem overwhelmingly slow, especially considering the 118th Congress has only passed 27 pieces of legislation while holding over 700 votes. However, rather than being overcome with a sense of discouragement, this is when we should…
I’m just a bill: An overview of health-related committees on Capitol Hill
In the U.S., the legislative process is complex. Among the most important in this process are congressional committees, which play a pivotal role in shaping policy concepts, drafting legislative proposals and shepherding them through the path to becoming law. These…
Grit: The value of growth mindset and persistence as a vascular trainee
One of the biggest mental shifts I had to make during residency was my view on failure. I literally had to rebrand failure. As a medical student, and like many of my peers, I had been conditioned to automatically feel…
Budget neutrality and code valuation basics
So, what is budget neutrality and how does it affect physician payment? The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) is a resource-based relative value scale (RVS) payment system, where relative value units (RVUs) are based on resource costs associated with physician…
‘Where are you from? Where are you really from?’
Vascular resident Saranya Sundaram, MD, shares a story of finding cultural understanding and community. “It’s Sundaram, S-U-N…” I’m interrupted by a nurse asking me if I’d like to call anesthesia for an airway. I quickly nod and ask them to…