Kevin Pho, MD

Kevin Pho, MD

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Physician/creator; posts commentary on digital health, practice tech, and patient experience

GLP‑1 Weight Loss Risks Muscle Loss without Proper Monitoring
SocialMar 24, 2026

GLP‑1 Weight Loss Risks Muscle Loss without Proper Monitoring

We are prescribing powerful weight loss drugs without measuring the most important metric: muscle mass. Physical therapist Maureen McBeth has tested the body composition of countless patients who lost 50 pounds on GLP-1s. The results? Dangerously low skeletal muscle and exceptionally...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Medical Training Fuels Imposter Syndrome, Not Personal Failure
SocialMar 23, 2026

Medical Training Fuels Imposter Syndrome, Not Personal Failure

The medical system thrives on your imposter syndrome. It is not a personal failing. It is a feature of your training. From medical school onward, physicians are conditioned to view uncertainty as dangerous. We are trained to find exactly how we do...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Frontline Nurses Demand Safety Amid Collapsing ER System
SocialMar 23, 2026

Frontline Nurses Demand Safety Amid Collapsing ER System

Healthcare is the only industry where you can be assaulted on the job and still be expected to finish your shift. Emergency nurse Kristen Cline has spent 20 years on the front lines. In a recent conversation on The Podcast by...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Physicians Must Choose Health Over Exhaustion, Says Dr. Mitchell
SocialMar 21, 2026

Physicians Must Choose Health Over Exhaustion, Says Dr. Mitchell

It takes the human brain two years to fully recover from burnout. Yet many physicians are in denial, assuming their absolute exhaustion is just normal. Dr. Tomi Mitchell hit her absolute limit. She was running a massive medical center, raising two...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Good Medicine Prioritizes Integrity Over Perfect Patient Scores
SocialMar 21, 2026

Good Medicine Prioritizes Integrity Over Perfect Patient Scores

A 100 percent patient satisfaction score does not always mean you are a great doctor. Sometimes it just means you are a people pleaser. Physicians are conditioned to panic over negative feedback. One bad review can trigger a complete nervous system...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Value-Based Care Incentivizes Dropping Sicker Patients, Not Healing
SocialMar 19, 2026

Value-Based Care Incentivizes Dropping Sicker Patients, Not Healing

Value-based care was supposed to save healthcare. In some cases, it created a new incentive: getting rid of the sickest patients. In a recent episode of The Podcast by KevinMD, Dr. Jonathan Bushman reveals the dark side of healthcare analytics. He...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Medical Residents Endure Toxic Culture, Power Imbalance Fuels Burnout
SocialMar 18, 2026

Medical Residents Endure Toxic Culture, Power Imbalance Fuels Burnout

Medical residents are the backbone of the hospital system. They are also its favorite punching bag. We expect them to work 80 hour weeks. We expect them to accept low pay. But we also force them to endure systemic disrespect, microaggressions,...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Side Gigs Unlock Freedom From Physician Burnout Trap
SocialMar 17, 2026

Side Gigs Unlock Freedom From Physician Burnout Trap

The most dangerous myth in healthcare is that physician burnout is simply an issue of working too many hours. It is not. Burnout is a symptom of feeling financially and professionally trapped. As a doctor, you are groomed to work 60 to...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Physician's Cancer Missed Due to Medical Gaslighting
SocialMar 15, 2026

Physician's Cancer Missed Due to Medical Gaslighting

What happens when a physician becomes the victim of medical gaslighting? They almost die. In a recent episode of The Podcast by KevinMD, neurologist Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor shared a story that exposes a massive crack in our medical system. Dr. Taylor...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Burnout Rooted in Nervous System Dysregulation, Not Stress
SocialMar 14, 2026

Burnout Rooted in Nervous System Dysregulation, Not Stress

Burned out and tired of hearing “just relax”? In this recent episode of The Podcast by KevinMD, Claudine Holt explains why stress is not always the real issue. Sometimes the deeper problem is nervous system dysregulation. That changes everything. It changes how we understand...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Sauna Use Cuts Cardiac Death 22% and Mortality 40%
SocialMar 13, 2026

Sauna Use Cuts Cardiac Death 22% and Mortality 40%

The wellness industry loves the word "detox." Doctors prefer the word "data." In this recent episode, we look at why sauna use is linked to a 22% drop in cardiac death and a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality. Is the heat shock...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Primary Care Handles 90% Yet Receives Only 5% Funding
SocialMar 13, 2026

Primary Care Handles 90% Yet Receives Only 5% Funding

The numbers defining US healthcare. 11 years & $300,000 for an MD. 30 minutes & $38 for an insurance license. Primary care handles 90% of issues but gets only 5% of total healthcare spending. Who is wrong? We discuss the low value placed on...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Eldest Daughters Fuel Women Doctors' Burnout Crisis
SocialMar 12, 2026

Eldest Daughters Fuel Women Doctors' Burnout Crisis

85 to 90 percent of women physicians share ONE surprising childhood trait. They are eldest daughters. Raised to over-function. Expected to carry the burden. Conditioned to never ask for help. Medicine does not just attract this trait. The entire healthcare system secretly relies on it. And...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Resident Suicides Top Death Cause; System Must Change
SocialMar 12, 2026

Resident Suicides Top Death Cause; System Must Change

Suicide is now the LEADING cause of death for US medical residents. We are losing 500 physicians a year. That is an entire med school class. Stop demanding "resilience" from doctors and start fixing the system. Tie executive bonuses to wellness, not...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Sabbaticals, Not Resilience Training, Save Burned‑Out Doctors
SocialMar 12, 2026

Sabbaticals, Not Resilience Training, Save Burned‑Out Doctors

Medical culture says you are either 100% in or you are out. That toxic lie is costing us incredible doctors. The cure for physician burnout isn't more resilience modules. It is a sabbatical. In a recent episode of The Podcast by KevinMD,...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Early‑Morning Hustle Hurts Doctors: Embrace Natural Energy Peaks
SocialMar 11, 2026

Early‑Morning Hustle Hurts Doctors: Embrace Natural Energy Peaks

The 4:00 a.m. executive wake up call is a productivity myth, and it is actively driving physician burnout. As healthcare leaders and professionals, we often feel pressured to be online before dawn just to keep up with the inbox. But what...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Burnout Is Blocked Energy, Not Just Exhaustion
SocialMar 10, 2026

Burnout Is Blocked Energy, Not Just Exhaustion

Physician burnout isn't an empty battery. It’s an engine revving while stuck in park. 🏎️💨 It’s not just exhaustion; it’s blocked energy. When your moral agency is stripped away, your "aliveness" turns into cynicism. It’s time to reframe the problem. 🧵 👇 Link...

By Kevin Pho, MD
Ten Emerging U.S. Healthcare Trends Shaping 2026
SocialMar 6, 2026

Ten Emerging U.S. Healthcare Trends Shaping 2026

The future of U.S. medicine: 10 health care trends in 2026 https://t.co/Cp6QufTISs #Physician #Malpractice via @kevinmd

By Kevin Pho, MD
AI Transforming Clinical Care Guides New HHS Policies
SocialMar 6, 2026

AI Transforming Clinical Care Guides New HHS Policies

Artificial intelligence in clinical care: Shaping the HHS policy landscape https://t.co/XF7GFSav1j #Policy #PublicHealthPolicy via @kevinmd

By Kevin Pho, MD
Linking Glucose Control to Vascular Health: Diabetes' Next Frontier
SocialFeb 25, 2026

Linking Glucose Control to Vascular Health: Diabetes' Next Frontier

From glucose to vascular health: the future of diabetes care https://t.co/UMhK4BkOE3 #Conditions #Diabetes via @kevinmd

By Kevin Pho, MD
Physicians Must Lead AI Governance in Healthcare
SocialFeb 24, 2026

Physicians Must Lead AI Governance in Healthcare

AI governance in health care: Why physicians must lead the design https://t.co/W2SZujkFXz #Physician #HealthIT via @kevinmd

By Kevin Pho, MD
Metrics Miss the Mark: Data Gaps Hinder Value Care
SocialFeb 18, 2026

Metrics Miss the Mark: Data Gaps Hinder Value Care

Value-based care data gap: Why metrics fail to reach the bedside https://t.co/CvUOKiL4Ki #Policy #PublicHealthPolicy via @kevinmd

By Kevin Pho, MD
Ambiguous CPT Codes Threaten Physicians with Criminal Charges
SocialFeb 17, 2026

Ambiguous CPT Codes Threaten Physicians with Criminal Charges

I interviewed a dual-boarded psychiatrist and internist who warns that the ambiguity of CPT codes is being used to criminalize physicians. Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai joined me to discuss the chilling case of Dr. Ron Elfenbein. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Elfenbein...

By Kevin Pho, MD