Laura Vater, MD, MPH (@doclauravater) / X

Laura Vater, MD, MPH

2,110 posts

Laura Vater, MD, MPH

@doclauravater

Oncologist striving to keep healthcare human | Emotions in medicine (joy, burnout, moral injury, grief) | Cancer prevention & early detection

Indianapolis, IN

Joined March 2017

Pinned
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Jan 4, 2025
I'm an odd oncologist, maybe. When my patients opt for no chemo, I keep seeing them if they wish. I help w/ symptoms, follow scans over time, & help interpret data about alternatives. A doctor is a guide. We should continue to guide, even if a person opts for a different path.
601K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Sep 26, 2025
In med school, I learned that Huntington's disease was one of the most devastating inherited conditions. It caused progressive neurological decline, starting around age 30. There was no treatment. Now, Huntington's has been treated for first time. This is why we fund science.
2.2M
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Feb 18, 2023
Being awake for 24 hours is the equivalent of having a blood alcohol content of 0.10%. This is higher than the legal limit for driving. If doctors aren’t fit to use their driver's license after 24 hours awake, should they be asked to use their medical license?
781K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
May 27, 2023
I’m an odd oncologist, maybe. When my patients opt for no chemo, I keep seeing them if they wish. I help w/ symptoms, follow scans over time, & help interpret data about alternatives. A doctor is a guide. We should continue to guide, even if a person opts for a different path.
419K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Feb 19, 2023
Sleep deprivation kills compassion. Without sleep, we can’t process emotional information. The parts of our brain where we feel empathy don’t work as well. If we look at MRI scans of people after a night of no sleep, they have far less activity in empathy parts of the brain.
493K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Jul 1, 2024
Most patients don't realize their doctors and nurses think about them in the spaces between visits. While walking to the parking lot, driving home, brushing teeth… even before falling asleep. Our work is a part of us, and we really care about you. That's all.
337K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Jun 6, 2024
A resident reached out to me: "I've worked 122 hours this week. Had a 36-hour shift, a 50-hour shift, & no days off. We just got an email from our program director that we aren't working hard enough." Residents are human beings & deserve reasonable hours, sleep, & appreciation.
372K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Oct 16, 2023
Once, a woman stopped me in the lobby. "I'm sorry, I can’t find the ICU.” I showed her where to go. An hour later, I was called to the room—her husband was dying from cancer. That was the day I decided to treat every person in the hospital as if it were their hardest day.
353K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Apr 22, 2023
In the 1890s, Dr. Halsted created the model for residency training as we know it today. Residents worked long hours with little sleep. Sadly, we now know he was using cocaine to stay awake & morphine to sleep, and relied on residents working nonstop to cover up his addiction.
603K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Mar 13, 2024
Today we honor Dr. William West, who died by suicide.  His family writes, “We hope systemic changes can be made to support aspiring medical professionals better. This is critical. We don’t want any other families to experience tragedies like this.”
306K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Dec 28, 2024
In med school, a woman with cancer was lying on the table before surgery. She was scared. Everyone was completing their tasks. I wanted to go to her, hold her hand. But I was worried it would make me look soft, or weak. So I stayed back. These are the moments I regret the most.
173K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
May 27, 2025
Why do doctors work without sleep? Tradition. In the 1890s, Dr. Halsted created a model for training where residents worked nearly 24/7. Only later, we learned: Dr. Halsted used cocaine to stay awake & morphine to fall asleep, relying on residents to cover up the addiction.
230K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Nov 7, 2023
We need to stop shaming doctors & nurses for: - Seeking mental health care - Crying if a patient dies - Needing time to sleep - Taking vacation What did I miss?
300K
Laura Vater, MD, MPH
@doclauravater
Jun 12, 2025
The chart: “Patient is noncompliant with her blood thinner.” Reality: She lost her job, and with it, her insurance. She barely has enough to put food on the table for her kids, let alone afford the out-of-pocket cost of the medication.
47K