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We sit down with Ellie Qian, a medical student, to discuss the profound experiences that shape the journey of becoming a compassionate health care professional. Ellie shares a transformative encounter from her first …
A medical student’s transformative encounter with end-of-life care [PODCAST]
Since the massacre on October 7, 2023, there have been misconceptions of Israel as a country and of the medical consequences of the terrorist attack. There have been charges against Israel of “colonization” and “genocide.” These accusations are accompanied by a rise in antisemitism in our communities, universities, and medicineRead more…
Changing the narrative: medicine and resilience in Israel
When it comes to science and medicine, knowing where you are and where you want to go is only part of the problem. That’s because no matter how strictly you try to control your system, chaos theory dictates that there will be perturbations which, if not corrected for, will lead you far astray. Trying to stay on course in a dynamic environment has been a problem since humanity began traveling …
A strategic approach for leveraging Lyapunov functions in health care artificial intelligence
In 2024, I met a Tamil doctor at an event. We spoke of memories from our childhood in Sri Lanka. We had one stark memory to share: burning bodies in stacks of tires, with beheaded human beings nearby. This was life in the Sinhalese-Tamil ethnic war in the eighties, nineties, and beyond, coupled with a Marxist-Leninist insurrection in the country.
Yet, there we were, two doctors, one born a Tamil and …
How these doctors overcame ethnic conflict to unite in medicine
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We sit down with Carine Carmy, a health care executive, to explore the often overlooked world of pelvic floor health. Carine shares her personal journey and sheds light on why many women, like …
Pelvic floor dysfunction: the overlooked health crisis [PODCAST]
At the November 2022 Obesity Week in San Diego, it was clear something big was happening. A late-breaking session released results of the STEP TEENS phase IIIa trial, showing 16 percent weight loss in adolescents with obesity treated with once-weekly semaglutide (Wegovy) for 68 weeks. The side effects were manageable and similar to those experienced in adults: nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
A month later, semaglutide received FDA approval for weight management …
Many kids benefit from GLP-1s. What happens when they have to stop taking them?
A patient recently came to my office seeking antibiotics for her viral URI symptoms. After a shared decision-making discussion on using Echinacea (an immunostimulant with antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects) instead, we were able to forgo the unnecessary antibiotic. Approximately 25 percent of U.S. adults report concurrently taking a dietary supplement with a prescription medicine. As a resident physician in primary care, I regularly receive questions from patients regarding …
Clinicians should not overlook the benefits of botanicals and dietary supplements
“I want you to be proud of me,” my intern replied when I asked what he wanted to get out of the rest of his year. We were wrapping up the first two weeks of July—his first two weeks of being a doctor—and having our end-of-rotation feedback session. However, he had just flipped the tables on me. His comment was the type of jolting response that made me rethink my …
A doctor’s reflection: 25 years of mentoring and pride in medicine
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Join Deborah C. Smith, a nurse who shares her courageous battle with T-cell lymphocytic leukemia and aplastic anemia. Diagnosed in 2017, Deborah navigated extreme fatigue, frequent transfusions, and challenging chemotherapy regimens before finding …
An inspirational journey through chemotherapy and immunotherapy [PODCAST]
This season, I’m living even more fully into who I am behind the scrubs and stethoscope. I’m deepening my understanding of whether I’m operating in my highest energy versus operating from stress and fear.
When my mother passed away months ago, I was thrust into unbelievable grief. I looked to family and friends who had lost a parent and wondered how they got through it. I wanted the pain to stop. …
How a doctor transformed grief into personal growth
Did you know? August 22nd marks World Plant Milk Day. Get ready for a creamy, non-dairy cheers! Once just reserved for soy, the list of alternate milk options now includes everything from macadamia to hemp to flax to rice milk.
But has anyone stopped to wonder why our milk craze, first ignited with the glass bottle deliveries of 1878 and now perpetuated with the bougiest …
From plant milk to human milk: the untapped climate solution
Regret. We often think about it because of an action or lack of action. We regret having done something or perhaps not doing enough. Regret is filled with “shoulds,” which soon spiral down into guilt, remorse, self-judgment, anger, and depression.
To me, I think about the actions often. Do I regret having trusted or opened my heart to others?
The thing is, I don’t have ANY regrets. I have experienced many circumstances …
How embracing vulnerability transforms pain into power
An excerpt from Curricular Injustice: How U.S. Medical Schools Reproduce Inequality. Copyright (c) 2024 Lauren D. Olsen. Used by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
In Curricular Injustice: How U.S. Medical Schools Reproduce Inequalities, I describe how the medical profession, in its attempt to integrate the humanities and social sciences to develop humane and equitable future physicians, often failed to do so. Clinical faculty members, in their capacity as …
How medical school curricula perpetuate inequality
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In this episode, we explore the Augusta Rule, a unique tax strategy that allows homeowners to rent out their property for up to 14 days annually without paying taxes on the rental income. …
Tax-free income with the Augusta rule [PODCAST]
When you allow yourself to truly see and sit with the fact that we are only here for a short period of time, it can feel scary and also freeing.
My world became small when I started developing profound anxiety about dying. It was a good sign, actually, as I came from a place of apathy to wanting to live. Truly live. …
A life of purpose: free from societal pressures that lead us astray
Fertility treatments are a challenging journey filled with emotional highs and lows. For many, these treatments represent the hope of starting or growing a family. However, one of the less obvious but critical aspects of this journey involves pharmacy benefit companies (PBCs). These companies play a significant role in determining access to fertility medications, and their influence can create unexpected barriers for patients and health care providers alike.
Pharmacy benefit companies …
The hidden impact of pharmacy benefit companies on fertility treatments
Hypertension, known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a global epidemic. It impacts a staggering 1.28 billion people, more than a third of the adult population, and is the leading cause of death globally.
The most frightening part?
More than 75 percent of people with HBP don’t have it under control – current treatments, like lifestyle changes and medications, aren’t working for many patients. Millions of Americans, including many of …
Renal denervation: a solution for hypertension patients worldwide
The standard treatment for methamphetamine poisoning is “sedate and wait.” There is no antidote to methamphetamine; instead, we typically aim to cover up the unwanted symptoms. We prescribe our favorite sedative, Ketamine or a B52 cocktail (Haldol 5, Ativan 2, Benadryl 50), and often multiple dosages are required to control the agitation and ensure the safety of both the patient and …
A game-changer in methamphetamine treatment
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that count.”
– Winston Churchill
In this vast world of hopes and dreams, few would shine as brightly as the dream of becoming a physician and saving lives. Each year, amidst tough competition, millions of young, eager minds compete for the limited spots in medical schools in their respective countries. After this first stepping stone, they continue to …
The resilience of international medical graduates
The fatal blow to President Biden’s reelection bid came during the debate when he appeared to have a stroke. The insult of being “too old” haunted and hounded him ever since. How quickly did Biden need to end his campaign to save face?
Dignity grants the certainty of whether three seconds, three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks, or three months is reasonable to pull the plug on sustainability and …
President Biden: a closer look at leadership, dignity, and aging
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