Here are the top posts from this past week, based on the number of times they were viewed.

1. How social media impacted a medical student’s career. After learning about the far-reaching effects of social media, I have decided to make these tools a part of my future career.

2. 10 ways to make a difference in the lives of your patients. Most of us who write about health believe that knowledge can make a difference. But is the primary health issue facing us today a lack of knowledge? Or is it, instead, something I’d call the tenth-patient-of-the-day challenge?

3. A real doctor will first do no harm. I believe I help people heal themselves and educate them about when they do need medicine.

4. Who are the most powerful people in American medicine? Almost everyone I know considers the American healthcare system to be a horrible mess, although some that are deeply into it are quite happy with it. It serves their interests well.

5. When people decide not to vaccinate their children, I take it personally. If the media and Internet are to be believed (and these days, really, what is the difference?), the act of parenting has become a full-scale cultural war.