In 2009, the famed NPR radio series This American Life aired an episode that would forever change how we looked at college life. “#1 Party School” featured Penn State University and shed light on the rampant alcohol abuse in higher education. Over a decade later, this issue remains a persistent challenge on college campuses. This article delves into the legacy of the “#1 Party School” episode …
An excerpt from 2060.
Willis murmured, “Not again.” He approached his mother, who was lying in bed with an uneaten tray of food on the bedside table. A stream of drool collected on her gown as she slumped to the right. “Mom.” Willis gently shook her, and she attempted to open …
It’s a busy day in the emergency department. The waiting room is full, and we are short-staffed. I just read an email from administration that morning about how our treat and release times are “slipping,” and in the same breath, they remind us of the importance of patient satisfaction. There are many patients in the department with chronic medical problems or chief complaints that could be interpreted as non-emergent. I …
Twenty years ago, the headlines were grim. It was common for studies to warn: “Rising childhood obesity will decrease life expectancy.” In large part, those predictions came true. The rise in obesity – both in children and adults – has correlated to a catastrophic rise in chronic disease that continues to affect life expectancy, cost of care, and quality of life.
But take a look at the health news headlines now, …
An excerpt from The Committee Will Kill You Now.
“You couldn’t get her niece to budge on the hemodialysis decision?” Harper sank into the resident lounge’s threadbare couch and kicked up her feet.
“Nope.” Noah slumped in the chair across from her. It was late afternoon, and he’d almost finished checking off …
We are in the midst of an alarming global mental health crisis. Its impact is felt most acutely by our youth. Nearly 20 percent of children ages 3-17 in the U.S. have a mental health issue, and suicidal behaviors among high school students increased more than 40 percent in the decade before 2019. As for 2020 and beyond, the isolation and sudden changes brought on by COVID exacerbated …
My decade-long struggle began with a tiny piece of popcorn hull stuck under my gum, which led to a visit to the dentist and an antibiotic, prescribed just in case that persistent irritation behind a tooth was an infection. The antibiotic, clindamycin, cleared my gut of healthy microbes to make way for a dangerous outbreak of Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile, leaving me with severe diarrhea that nearly killed me.
I suffered …
It was the final hour of my shift, and I was cleaning up for my colleague who would be taking over. Glancing at the clock, I decided I could see one of the “easy” fast-track patients just to help offload the board a bit. I figured he wasn’t going to take long, as his complaint on the board was “sore throat.” What I came to find out was that he …
I have typically managed my mild case of acne rosacea (AR) with affordable over-the-counter (OTC) medications, but there has always been a residual redness that bothered me.
Recently, while reading about Demodex, microscopic mites that live on the faces of many of us in our hair follicles and sebaceous glands, I became interested in their potential connection to AR. I wondered if a topical mitocidal treatment might be helpful. Some research …
An excerpt from The Unexpected Gift of Trauma. Copyright © 2023 by Edith Shiro. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins.
When a traumatic experience shatters our world and we’re left to pick up the pieces, the idea that we can heal, and actually transform as a result of …
Nurse practitioner (NP) burnout is at an all-time high. Many nurse practitioners (and health care providers in general) are struggling right now, feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Many are contemplating leaving health care altogether. The factors contributing to nurse practitioner burnout are multifactorial, stemming from various personal and work-related causes. However, for APRNs, there is a leading cause of burnout.
Signs and symptoms of nurse practitioner burnout:
Before we delve into …
Obesity has undeniably become the top health issue of our time, with its prevalence and impact on our bodies making headlines across health care and popular media.
This isn’t merely a matter of carrying extra pounds; it’s about the multitude of serious health complications that come in its wake. The conversation around obesity often gravitates towards heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Still, another critical aspect frequently slips under the radar – …
The patient was a typical one in my primary care practice, and for those of you in my field, one familiar to you as well. Jim, as we will call him, was a middle-aged, obese male with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, whose most concerning medical problem was his long history of noncompliance. He came in once a year for the physical his company required but otherwise ignored …
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Americans are suffering from an unequal health care system in which some people have resources and receive excellent care while others lack access to basic and essential services. Despite the entrenched and systemic nature of some of these barriers, there are vehicles for change on the horizon.
Nearly 80 percent of health outcomes are directly impacted by social determinants of health (SDoH) which is a term that encompasses social factors …
Finishing up a consultation in the ICU, the nurses approached me to see how it went. “Did you get the DNR?” I explained that I enter these conversations without an agenda. My first goal is to develop rapport, reading the room to gauge how far I can take this conversation. What are they ready to hear? This phase of the consult is akin to preparing the soil for planting. The …
It can be difficult for patients with substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder to seek care and commit to a regular schedule of behavioral health care visits. However, telehealth and telepsychiatry have vastly enabled both access and compliance with care. That being said, medication should not be prescribed without proper oversight and care, regardless of whether the doctor is assessing the patient online or in person.
During the …
As emergency physicians, my husband and I were determined to protect ourselves, our teenagers, and society at-large with the latest, monovalent COVID vaccine, which the CDC recently recommended for every American 6 months and older.
I realized, though, we were in for turbulence when my 78-year-old mother arrived for her appointment at a national pharmacy chain only to be told they did not yet have the vaccine. …
In Daniel Goleman’s model of emotional intelligence (EQ), there are two main competencies: Personal competency, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation; and social competency, which includes social skills and empathy.
We can think of both competencies in terms of communication. Personal competency relates to our abilities to identify and value our needs, wants, limits, etc., and to express them respectfully, i.e., speaking up. Social competency refers to our ability to observe, …
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), health is perceived as a holistic concept that encompasses not only the physical aspects of our bodies but also the emotional and spiritual dimensions.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have long held the belief that there is a deep connection between our organ systems and the appearance of our face.
This profound link sheds light on how our internal well-being and emotions can be reflected in our facial …
An excerpt from Beautiful Monster: A Becoming.
The day of the surgery we show up early to the small clinic. After a brief wait we are taken into the back, where the doctor draws a map of my body-to-be on my now-body, detailing the road to my new life. The anesthesiologist …
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