Brittany Panico

Dec 12, 2024 | opmed.doximity.com | Brittany Panico

As I walked into my office on a typical Tuesday morning, my medical assistant gave me a familiar, knowing glance. I had arrived early, having overbooked my schedule to accommodate one of those patients. You know the ones — our “VIP” list of difficult cases. While some patients end up on this list over time as their medical conditions evolve, others start off challenging from day one.

Sep 13, 2024 | opmed.doximity.com | Brittany Panico |Danny Landau |Matthew Scott |Soubhana Asif

“I just want to play golf.”How many of our patients say that they just want to enjoy retirement? At 82, Mr. H just wants to play golf. At least, he tells me that is an important goal of his and it’s why he is here in my office. He is the primary caregiver for his wife who suffered a stroke, and golf is HIS time with his pals. They have been playing together for years. It keeps them young. But Mr. H is worried about his game.

Jul 25, 2024 | opmed.doximity.com | Brittany Panico |Heather Kristin Schopper |Mallory Grove |Danielle Pigneri

Practicing medicine is nothing short of variety. No two patients are alike and rarely do our patients follow treatment algorithms exactly. Some may still say this is the “art” of what we tap into as clinicians. I enjoy that I get to see patients for one complaint and diagnose them with something that unifies several other complaints they have. I feel like I “do” something when I start a treatment, because the conditions and symptoms I treat as a rheumatologist are tangible.

May 30, 2024 | opmed.doximity.com | Marjorie Ordene |Brittany Panico |Abraham Kim |Rajiv Vasudevan

The emotional bond I establish with my patients may be the most important tool in my toolkit. It goes without saying that my patients must have confidence in my medical competence and knowledge. But in order for them to feel comfortable communicating to me their deepest concerns, they must feel an emotional connection as well. Recently a young woman, Marilyn, came to me with the unusual complaint, “The trouble is my qi.” It took me a while to figure out what she meant.

May 30, 2024 | opmed.doximity.com | Brittany Panico |Marjorie Ordene |Abraham Kim |Rajiv Vasudevan

Every day feels the same. Stuck in the grind, spinning around and around in the hamster wheel. See a patient, write the note, close the chart, on to the next. Then answer messages, refill prescriptions, fill out forms, and hide from the endless questions from my office staff about what I want to do for the patient who has called three times already that day. As a young attending, I felt stuck. Many of us feel stuck. Medicine is not at all what we thought we signed up for as medical students.