Author: Ryan Zimmerman, MD

Patient Communication

Chief Complaints

One of my senior partners tells a story where he is called out of a patient room to take an urgent phone call. The patient in the room was in his mid-60s and had spent the last 15 minutes describing the 10/10 severity of his lateral epicondylitis symptoms. On the phone was a former fellow, now practicing in a remote…
Clinical

The Science Behind Crazy O.R. Rituals

Everybody has them.  If you think you’re an exception, ask your PA, scrub or circulator and get ready to be surprised.  I’m talking about bizarre little rituals in the operating room.  They’re usually innocuous, arbitrary habits, but if neglected, make the entire case feel “off”.  Maybe you always have to be the one to clip the tourniquet towel; maybe it’s…
Community

Gray-Haired Consult

Don’t get me wrong.  I have a smart watch, an iPhone and an iPad, and my emails, photos and passwords are all synced.  I have more digital textbooks than I could ever read and I’m a regular Hand-e visitor.  But despite having even more technology at my fingertips, my first two years in practice have imparted a profound appreciation for…