Examining the coverage of DOs in the mainstream media

Physician
May 29, 2024

In mainstream media, physicians are often depicted wearing a white coat, stethoscope, and name badge with the letters “MD.” In contrast, television and news coverage of doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) is notably absent or skewed. As a result, osteopathic medicine is not as well-recognized or well-known as allopathic medicine. One example was seen recently on ABC’s The View, where host Sunny Hostin described DOs as not being medical doctors. …

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Broken but beautiful: Healing ourselves and the world [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 28, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Nessa Meshkaty, an internal medicine, pediatrics, and infectious disease physician, as she explores the profound intersections of empathy, human connection, and societal challenges in this thought-provoking podcast. Drawing on insights from her …

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How AI became my medical tutor

Tech
May 28, 2024

“The patient is a 59-year-old male presenting with fatigue on exertion, pallor, and mild numbness and tingling in both feet. No family history of anemia or diabetes, but I still want to rule them out with a blood test. Does that sound reasonable?”

This is the 6th or 7th question I’ve asked in today’s session, but my tutor doesn’t mind the repetitiveness.

“Yes, performing blood work is a reasonable approach to help …

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Lung cancer in Asian American women: Don’t be a statistic (never smoked)

Conditions
May 28, 2024

May is AANHPI Heritage Month so it’s a good time to share again my journey from nonsmoker to lung cancer survivor. It is such an important issue to bring awareness to this little-known and potentially deadly health disparity because, according to the 2020 census, 6.2 percent or 20.6 million people identify as AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander).

Wait. How can you have lung cancer? You’re not a …

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The unseen work of women surgeons

Physician
May 28, 2024

I always said yes, taking on numerous tasks and roles, but now I question the value of unpaid work in my career trajectory as a colorectal surgeon. I always said yes. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Always say yes because you don’t know which opportunity will be “the one” that launches your career into orbit. So I said yes to organizing the lunch orders when the drug reps …

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Legal risks for doctors and compliance solutions [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 27, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, family physician and author of Burden of Pain: A Physician’s Journey through the Opioid Epidemic, Jay K. Joshi, with his extensive experience defending physicians, illuminates the pressing need for compliance …

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Reviving humanity in medicine: Why doctors must embrace the human art of healing

Physician
May 27, 2024

An excerpt from Beyond Diagnosis: Perspective in Medicine and the Human Experience.

As my career advances, I have been reflecting on this increasing standardization and what sometimes seems to be a dehumanization of medicine in the United States. While technology has the potential to help us bring humanity back to the forefront of medical practice while also improving diagnosis and care, much of the human element has been lost …

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Second opinions are no laughing matter

Physician
May 27, 2024

The practice of seeking second opinions in medicine has a long history, dating back to ancient times. The concept is deeply rooted in the ethical and professional principles of medical practice.

In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, often considered the father of modern medicine, encouraged patients to seek second opinions. He believed that a different physician might have a different perspective or alternative treatment suggestions. This practice was considered a way to confirm …

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Why discussing female sexual health matters [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 26, 2024
YouTube video

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Join medical students Olivia Negris and Jen Romanello as they delve into the often-overlooked topic of female sexual health in health care. In this insightful podcast, Olivia and Jen discuss the challenges patients …

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Why preventive care is the cure for our failing health care system

Conditions
May 26, 2024

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
– Thomas Edison

Mr. Edison, if he is watching over us, must be sadly disappointed.

The provocative idea of making cancer centers obsolete might sound extreme, but it underscores a critical vision for health care—shifting from reactive to preventive treatment. Envision a …

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Grandpa’s remains are helping push up daisies

Conditions
May 26, 2024

“Rejoin the natural cycle: to know that the last gesture you’ll make will be gentle and beneficial just feels like the right thing to do.”
– Recompose founder Katrina Spade

I love gardening and watching things grow, so I found the idea of human composting an intriguing concept. For those who find cremation unconventional or even unsettling, the process of disposing of the remains of a deceased loved one has taken a …

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Left in the dark: the censorship of health literature in prisons

Conditions
May 26, 2024

Kwaneta Harris had hot flashes and lapses of memory. She didn’t feel right and didn’t know why. “It felt like my body was completely betraying me,” she wrote. “I felt like I was losing my mind.” The cause wasn’t the eight years she’d spent in solitary confinement in a Texas prison. She was going through menopause. She didn’t understand it. And Texas officials wouldn’t allow …

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How the Apple Vision Pro can improve patient outcomes [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 25, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us for an engaging discussion on the future of health care diagnostics with physician, health care consultant, and serial entrepreneur Harvey Castro. In this episode, we delve into the transformative potential of …

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America’s broken health care system: Can doctors lead the fix?

Policy
May 25, 2024

America’s health care system, much like Congress, is broken, and doctors have to be part of the solution. I don’t know a single doctor who doesn’t wish to improve our ability to increase access and the delivery of health services to our patients. Maintaining and/or improving the health of patients is our goal. That should be the goal of anyone associated with the health careRead more…

Doctors or criminals? How misleading narratives hurt innocent lives

Physician
May 25, 2024

When it comes to journalism and health care prosecutions, today’s “papers” are so yellow that they could damage vision like a 580 nm laser. I have personally seen and suffered from this unbalanced approach to reporting and felt a need to provide a counternarrative based on reason instead of hyperbole. After studying hundreds of cases, I will argue that in roughly fifty percent of these, the government has paid hundreds …

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Crippling fatigue: a common enemy of autoimmune disease

Conditions
May 25, 2024

For many people with autoimmune disease, fatigue is the most debilitating symptom. Why autoimmune disease and fatigue go together is not entirely understood, although inflammation may be part of the reason. Other possible factors include pain, poor sleep, inactivity, and depressed mood. Fatigue is not just feeling tired. Fatigue is composed of both physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Unlike being tired, fatigue is rarely resolved with rest or sleep. Trying …

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Couples counseling: Understanding conflict and building intimacy

Conditions
May 25, 2024

Situations that trigger a call for assistance with couples counseling are generally described as a need for improved communication, chronic conflict, lack of physical or emotional intimacy, or a desire to better understand the impacts of past trauma. Therapeutic work can evolve into tackling more specific long-standing disappointments in emotional and physical intimacy. Disconnection is often exacerbated incrementally by increased responsibility with children, aging parents, and cultural differences, among other …

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Targeting cancer treatment for better outcomes [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 24, 2024
YouTube video

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We welcome Kevin L. Schewe, a radiation oncologist, as we explore the evolution of cancer treatment from the perspective of someone who has witnessed groundbreaking advancements firsthand. From the significance of targeted therapies …

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Improving maternal health with integrated technology and coordinated decision-making

Policy
May 24, 2024

The U.S. infant mortality rate, children who die under one year of age, rose to its highest rate in two decades in 2022, up about 3 percent to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

At the same time, the nation’s neonatal mortality rate, infants who die in less than 28 days, increased by 3 percent from 3.49 to 3.58, and the post-neonatal mortality rate, infants who die between 28 days …

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70 and thriving: How I discovered my encore career

Physician
May 24, 2024

In the midst of moving and changing my residential address, and at 70 years of age, I finally figured out my encore career: building Bankers Boxes. Perhaps my skills will transfer to folding pizza boxes.

This is as good a time as any to use humor, i.e. while winding down your career. Most people glumly retire. It has to be done with a modicum of planning and foresight, as well as …

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