I was pulled from my clinical duties as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist to start my time as a critical care attending a bit early in light of COVID-19’s rampant spread throughout the greater Houston area. After completing my first week on service, I’ve come to realize how devastating this disease is from a medical and social standpoint. Families who have to be updated solely over the phone/video conference about their loved one dying from hypoxia and acidosis. Previously healthy patients succumbing to multisystem organ failure. Feeling like we just don’t know enough about COVID-19 or “good” therapies because… we don’t. […]

On Call With RK.md

Episode 014 – COVID ICU Attending

With July right around the corner, I wanted to go over some tips for soon-to-be interns as they embark on their graduate medical education! Please check out the full post I wrote at the end of my intern year for more tips.

Episode 013 – Tips For Intern Physicians

Of all characteristics, I think flexibility is perhaps the most desired attribute of an attending in academic medicine. Knowing how to balance trainee autonomy with protecting the patient, being a good educator, and providing timely feedback are all promoted by having a flexible approach to one’s practice.Drop me a comment with your thoughts on this podcast!

Episode 012 – Flexibility As An Attending In Academics

It’s been over six months since I’ve been an attending cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and intensivist! Listen to this episode where I discuss what I learned in that time as new faculty and things I did to be successful. […]

Episode 011 – My First Six Months As An Attending

Throughout the course of my collegiate and medical training, the manner in which I’ve studied has evolved tremendously. In this podcast, I’ll share this process and outline how I study these days. Check out this post with book references too! […]

Episode 010 – How I Studied During Training

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices are becoming more prevalent and sophisticated with each passing year. In this episode, I’ll briefly cover some of the basics for intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), Impella, CentriMag, ProtekDuo, TANDEMHEART, and ECMO. As always, drop me a comment with your questions and thoughts! […]

Episode 009 – Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) Devices

Many healthcare workers become jaded by taking care of patients who regularly abuse drugs and seek more potent medications during their admissions (often times saying they have an “allergy” to more traditional analgesics). I’m not naive to this; however, as an anesthesiologist, I’m also very mindful of appropriate pain management in the OR and ICU settings. Every patient should be treated individually, and consideration must be given that we are undertreating pain based on the clinical situation, tolerance, drug metabolism, etc. […]

Episode 008 – Not Everyone Is Drug Seeking

As a follow-up to episode 003 where I discussed inotropes and pressors I routinely use as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and intensivist, in this episode, I’ll discuss some of the anti-hypertensives I use in the same settings. As always, drop me a comment below with questions! ?

Episode 007 – Vasodilators And Venodilators I Use

Working in both the ICU and OR settings, I’ve come to learn the workflow and considerations unique to each environment. However, with all the required tasks one must complete, I feel like patient care is sometimes jeopardized. Join me in this episode where I discuss two of my biggest pet peeves related to patient care.

Episode 006 – A Pair Of Pet Peeves In Patient Care

Despite all the positive aspects of working in healthcare, it doesn’t take long before one experiences mistakes and patient deaths. In this week’s podcast episode, I’ll delve into how I handle these two, independent situations by promoting a culture of forthcomingness, patient safety, honesty, and supporting (rather than scolding) each other. 

Episode 005 – Dealing With Mistakes And Death In Healthcare

As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, I have been trained extensively in cases which require cardiopulmonary bypass (“the heart-lung machine”). CPB is similar to VA-ECMO in many ways, but for the purposes of surgery, it allows the surgeons to have a motionless and bloodless field when combined with cardioplegic arrest. […]

Episode 004 – What Are Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) And Cardioplegia?

Cardiovascular pharmacology in acute care settings involves a variety of medications ranging from vasopressors and inotropes to inodilators and inhaled pulmonary vasodilators. Listen in on this podcast as I discuss how I use agents like epinephrine, norepinephrine, vasopressin, milrinone, phenylephrine, calcium, methylene blue, and more in my practice. […]

Episode 003 – Cardiovascular Pharmacology

Surgical scrub technicians (“scrub techs”) are incredibly important individuals in the course of an operation. They facilitate surgical workflow by providing instruments, positioning the patient, ensuring sterility, assisting with tissue retraction, etc. […]

Episode 002 – Thank You, Surgical Techs!

After taking a hiatus for over a year from podcasting as a critical care fellow, I’m finished with my formal training and ready to hit the ground running as an attending physician with the rebirth of my podcast. […]

Episode 001 – The Rebirth

"On Call With RK.md" is a podcast dedicated to all aspects of medical training - from admissions and clinical pearls to philosophies about medicine and team-based, patient-centered care, Dr. Rishi Kumar uses his experience as a triple board certified cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and critical care physician to delve into the realities of life as an academic clinician.