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Welcome to this session of grand rounds, a collection of posts I have discovered in the blogosphere and have found of interest and hope you do too.

This offering of Grand Rounds looks at articles from around the web that deal with some of the financial and emotional issues we are facing thanks to a pesky little microbe, COVID-19.

 

 

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.-George Santayana

Although COVID-19 has been referred to as a novel coronavirus, it does not mean that there is nothing from our past that can help shed light on what is happening.

Because we are dealing in the realm of infectious diseases, whose mind is better to tap into than that of FI Physician, a practicing ID doc?

FI Physician does not disappoint, as takes us on a jaunt through the history of viral pandemics and gives insight on what to expect with our current situation in, “COVID-19 In The Future: The Common Cold?”

 

 

COVID-19 has unleashed its fury across the globe, with a corresponding negative economic impact the likes the world has not seen in decades, if not centuries.

I have previously written that even traditionally “safe” occupations such as those in medicine were not financially immune from COVID-19 as many of my colleagues have been furloughed or had drastic pay reductions.

Loonie Doc realizes that while it is important for us to build immunity to COVID-19, it also is necessary to be protected financially so that next time we will be better prepared in, “Building Financial Immunity.”

 

 

In my clinic, and I expect across America, one of the specialties that has been decimated by COVID-19 is Ophthalmology, with patient volume reductions approaching 95%.

Even when the “all clear” sign is given and shelter-in-place orders are rescinded, I fear that patient volumes will not miraculously rebound.

There will be patients who will try and avoid taking the role of the Redshirt Star Trek personnel who tend to be sent out as sacrificial lambs when exploring a new world.

The future of medicine will have to adapt to this brave new world and SoloBuilding Blogs, an ophthalmologist, predicts just that in the post, “The End Of The Status Quo, A New Beginning, And Telemedicine???”

 

 

It may seem like the sky is falling and we destined for gloom and doom as everything we have grown accustomed to has been turned topsy turvy thanks to the pandemic.

However it is important you keep your head and perform thoughtful analysis of your situation before you do anything drastic, lest you turn into a modern day Chicken Little.

Wealthy Doc gives you tips on keeping your financial sanity in, “How To Avoid Pandemic Portfolio Panic.”

 

 

A lot of physicians are compensated based on RVUs (Relative Value Unit), while others, like me, are compensated on an “Eat What You Kill” type model.

Regardless of how a physician gets compensated, one thing is certain, physicians, and all healthcare workers for that matter, are worth so much more than those 3 letters represent in our current pandemic.

The appropriately titled website, A Doctor’s Worth, touches on this in, “Relative Value.”

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the reading material.

Have a great rest of the week.

 

 

Note:

If you are in search of financial help, please consider enlisting the service of any of the sponsors of this blog who I feel are part of the “good guys and gals of finance.”

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