Azfar Basunia, MD

DR @PennRadiology '26 | MD, @UpstateNews '21 | MS, @HarvardChanSPH '17 | Med/Rad Ed | Tweets are my own
Youtube:

[Azfar Basunia, MD @AzfarBasunia]

Please check out my *free* comprehensive videos covering almost every biostats & epi topic on the USMLE syllabus with lots of examples + mnemonics.

https://t.co/d55KZN5kZ0

#MedEd #MedTwitter #MedStudentTwitter @futureradres @InternalMed_Res @FuturePedsRes @IMG_Advocate

[AuntMinnie.com @AuntMinnie]

Millennial rads -- and a Gen Zer -- weigh in: What's an 'Aunt Minnie'? #radiology #millennials #genz @uofcincy @ColumbiaMed @Penn @AzfarBasunia @UMMCnews https://t.co/09FrJz8Omv

[Azfar Basunia, MD @AzfarBasunia]

Penn Radiology residents, fellows and faculty. ⁦@PennRadiology⁩ ⁦@PennRadRes⁩

[Rich Duszak, MD @RichDuszak]

If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, depending on your location, there’s as much as a 20% chance an NP or PA (not a physician/radiologist!) will interpret your imaging study. New work out today by our @UMMCRads and @NeimanHPI team. 🧵Below. 1/11

[Dr. Glaucomflecken @DGlaucomflecken]

A lot of people are dragging this person. The knee jerk reaction of “92% coverage?! That’s amazing! Why are you complaining. Leave the country.” This shows how low the bar has been set for health insurance coverage in the US. Let’s put on our empathy hats for a moment.

Imagine paying a ~$1k per month premium for the privilege of having health insurance. It was $750 last year, but the company you work for had a lot of employees use their health insurance in 2023, so Blue Cross decided to hike up the premiums to defray the cost of actually paying for their customer’s healthcare. You’re annoyed but fortunately, are still able to pay the monthly premium.

Over the course of the year, you seek preventative medical care like you’re supposed to, paying a $20 co pay for every visit. Maybe you have a few extra visits to your PCP or the emergency room. These bills go entirely to your deductible, which means you pay for 100%. The high deductible plan was all you could afford due to the rising premiums. Again, you’re annoyed but you can manage.

Finally you reach your deductible, thinking “great, I won’t have to pay anything the rest of the year.” At least that’s what it sounded like from the intro pamphlet you received from HR at the beginning of the year. It was all pretty confusing.

With your deductible met, you finally schedule that procedure your doctor has been nagging you to get that will prevent further health care issues down the road. However, you didn’t realize co-insurance charges still apply until you reach your out of pocket maximum (~$12,000 for the plan you chose. Again, the only plan you could afford). You are frustrated, but fortunately still able to cover the estimated cost.

Then, while recovering from major surgery, you receive a bill for $4,457 that you can’t pay. This is more than you were quoted by your doctor’s medical office. Turns out Blue Cross thought some of the medication you received during the procedure was unneccesary, so they refused to pay for it.

You’re angry. You have done everything right. You paid your premiums, you did everything your doctors suggested to keep yourself as healthy as possible, and yet, you still end up with a bill that will take months, if not years, to pay off. If you don’t, you will be sent to collections, wrecking your credit, and making life an even harder uphill climb. Does all of this apply to the OP here? Maybe, maybe not. But it does apply to millions of other people in the US every year.

Does this person not have a right to be angry? Should we just be ok with a health care system that is death by a thousand cuts? Or should we strive for a system in which a person can access health care without risk of financial distress? Unfortunately, many people can’t understand this point of view until they are on the receiving end of those medical bills. Health insurance companies don’t care about you. They are evil. Don’t settle for slightly less evil.

[Penn Radiology @PennRadiology]

We are thrilled to announce our amazing incoming residents for 2025! Welcome to the Penn Radiology Family #Match2024 #RadRes #futureradres @PennRadiology @PennRadRes @Penn_IR @PennMedicine

[Ben White, MD @benwhitemd]

A wide-ranging radiology conversation on the resident-run radiology podcast: Clinically Correlate.
https://t.co/LnItSgOnkY

[Vedant Acharya, MD @vedantacharya20]

"Protect yourself from being golden handcuffed into your first job as a attending physician." - Michael Johnson, physician contract lawyer @PhysicianContra.

New podcast episode (co-partnered with @RadDiscord) talking about the specifics of signing your first diagnostic radiology contract.

Full episode: https://t.co/28tBExXT1r

[Vedant Acharya, MD @vedantacharya20]

5 main takeaways from the @ClinCorVA podcast conversation with Michael Johnson, a physician contract lawyer.

1. The value of your first physician contract can be anywhere from $300,000 - $5,000,000. Getting help to make sure you have favorable terms is crucial.

2. The negotiation process starts when you first start talking with the practice. Develop allies within the practice to provide information to better understand the needs of the practice/what they are willing to negotiate on.

3. Negotiate the offer letter for the most important deal breakers (salary, shifts, location).

4. Negotiate the contract for all legal stipulations (non-compete/non-solicit clauses)

5. The contract is the only document that is legally enforceable. Make sure all prior verbal/written negotiation promises are expressed in the contract.

6. The contract lays out: what is your compensation, what you need to do to receive that compensation, and how to terminate the contract. Most physicians overlook the last point.

7. The key to negotiating: Demonstrate value (clinical skills) + ability to take that value someplace else. (AKA have a competing offer) + comparison to objective benchmark data (ex: MGMA)

This episode was full of nuggets that is applicable for all specialities. Contract negotiations may be the single most important non-clinical skill residents/fellows can learn during training. Full link below:

#MedTwitter @AzfarBasunia @PhysicianContra

https://t.co/pmSzyliOcy

[Azfar Basunia, MD @AzfarBasunia]

How will AI impact radiology in 2024. Penn Rads resident Vineeth shares his predictions/ insights

@gangaramstyle @ClinCorVA @vedantacharya20

https://t.co/Bf5ncWR9Th

[Azfar Basunia, MD @AzfarBasunia]

Penn Radiology winning best radiology training program 2nd year in a row. @PennRadiology @PennRadRes

[AuntMinnie.com @AuntMinnie]

The 2023 Minnies winners have been announced! #radiology https://t.co/ZDj218uHY9

[Vedant Acharya, MD @vedantacharya20]

For all prospective radiology residency applicants, find out how Dr. Mary Scanlon, our @PennRadRes PD for more than 15 years, recommends choosing a residency program! @AzfarBasunia @ClinCorVA #Match2024

https://t.co/SNDh5lqixl

[Azfar Basunia, MD @AzfarBasunia]

@skeletalrad Amazing and educational, thank you!

[CIR/SEIU @cirseiu]

In a landslide victory, the residents and fellows of @uofpenn voted 892-110 to become the first housestaff union in Pennsylvania. 💜💪

[Upstate Medical University @UpstateNews]

Escaping war, Somali refugee finally finds a home in Syracuse, earning a medical degree from Upstate Medical University.

Read more: https://t.co/wPco4NOfAr

[NPR @NPR]

Medical residents at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia are pushing to form a union to demand better working conditions and higher wages, a move that’s in line with a national trend. https://t.co/hSf3RQHjxp

[Penn Radiology @PennRadiology]

We are thrilled to announce the results of the 2023 @PennRadiology Match! Welcome to the Penn family! We look forward to living life, learning Radiology and celebrating many more great events with you. #Match2023 #RadRes @PennRadRes @PennRadiology @Penn_IR @PennMedicine

[Clinically Correlate with Azfar & Vedant @ClinCorVA]

Very excited to release the first 7 episodes of Clinically Correlate with @AzfarBasunia & @vedantacharya20!

In our first season, we focus on our experiences as 1st year radiology residents at @PennRadiology!

https://t.co/BvAvCxByJx

[Azfar Basunia, MD @AzfarBasunia]

Penn Medicine's resident physicians want to form a union https://t.co/VhOGtnJe4z

[Bryan Carmody @jbcarmody]

I don’t usually brag about our residency program, but today I’m gonna make an exception.

Like other children’s hospitals, we’re managing a surge in respiratory illness.

But unlike most hospitals, we’re gonna pay the residents who work extra overnight/weekend shifts $100/hour.