In Emergency Medicine, Mistakes Are Harsh Teachers
In emergency medicine, no one ever wants to make a mistake. We assume worst first because at…
About Benjamin Thomas, MD
Dr. Thomas is an attending physician in the emergency department at Kaiser Permanente (Greater Southern Alameda area).
Posts by Benjamin Thomas, MD
Lessons Learned During My First Year as an Attending Physician
Someone once told me that the learning curve after completing residency is steep and the first three…
Emergency Medicine Requires Us to Be Ready for Anything at Any Time
One of the reasons I chose emergency medicine is because I love the spontaneity our specialty offers….
Stepping into the Shoes of an Attending Physician
Several months ago, I stepped into the role of attending. No more safety-net superior to catch my…
Don’t Let Bias Affect How You Treat Your Patients
“Don’t worry about them, doc—they’re a frequent flier.” “Doc, they’re just drug-seeking.” These phrases are much too…
Three Tactics to Deal with Emotionally Difficult Cases
Beep! Beep! Beep! “This is EMS bringing in a code three cardiac arrest. We have a toddler…
Residency Brings Training That Extends Beyond Textbooks
My time as an emergency medicine resident will be coming to an end in less than six…
Emergency Departments Often First Point of Care for Domestic Violence Trauma, Injury Cases
I recently spent a month rotating on the trauma service at my hospital. One day early in…
Injuries from Inner-City Guns Reignite Plea to Stop the Violence
“Don’t let me die,” he told me. As I provided supplemental oxygen to him at the head…
Positive Patient Encounters Can Help Emergency Physicians Cope with Burnout
I never thought burnout was a real thing. People always talked about it, but I felt it…