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Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we explore recent breakthroughs in gene editing, including its use in curing deafness and treating sickle cell anemia. Joseph discusses the ethical implications, accessibility challenges, …
Exploring gene therapy for chronic pain [PODCAST]
Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is seemingly simple: we are to join forces with another non-profit group in order to deliver medical care to those that need it most on St. Lucia, a West Indian island nation variously colonized by the English and French, with Arawak and Carib roots. It will be our inaugural trip to this Caribbean idyll and our first collaboration with another non-profit, but …
Bringing vital medical care to St. Lucia’s underserved
The absolute belief in a vast conspiracy is often associated with an unbalanced mind. People suffering from some forms of mental illness are prone to these beliefs, seeing the invisible hand of the CIA behind the music choices on their radio stations. But that’s not always the case. Dr. Andrew Wakefield was born in 1956 and completed his medical degree in 1981, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of …
The opioid crisis: profits, lawsuits, and pharmaceutical influence
An excerpt from of Paint and Pancakes.
The epicenter of Jane’s cancer occupied some very expensive real estate between Broca’s area and the motor strip. Her ability to speak and form coherent words resided in Broca’s. A little further back was the Motor Strip, which controlled the movement of the right side of her body.
It all looks the same … so damned normal. Mike cleared his throat. High-price …
Heart-stopping brain surgery: a surgeon’s harrowing dilemma
My son was born in a small community hospital with breathing and heart issues requiring transfer to a children’s hospital several hundred miles away. I arrived at the children’s hospital, worried, exhausted, and overwhelmed many hours after he did. Everything had happened so quickly my head was spinning.
After I checked on my son, I was directed to the Ronald McDonald house. I arrived in the wee hours of the morning …
How a simple chore transformed my perspective on medicine
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Join Harry Severance, an emergency physician, as we delve into the alarming rise in violence against health care workers. We’ll explore the root causes of this issue, the impact on health care professionals, …
Violence against health care workers [PODCAST]
I recently worked a 28-hour shift in the hospital. I am on a rotation where I work these long shifts every four days, and my last 3 or 4 of these shifts have been the kind that really tries a person’s soul. I got called all night to see new patients and take care of existing ones, and mind you, this is after a 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. day …
Surviving a 28-hour hospital shift: a resident’s struggle and passion
An excerpt from The Medical Matrix: One Physician’s Story Maneuvering the Minefields of Medicine.
It was a routine Monday morning in the middle of May 2011. I had custody of my boys that day, so I dropped them off at school and headed to work.
As soon as I got to work I received a phone call from the vice CEO of the hospital. Maria (name changed) was a short woman …
Sham peer review epidemic: A doctor’s career destroyed
I finished my residency training on June 30th, 2000, in a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency program at Ohio State University and Columbus Children’s Hospital (before it was renamed Nationwide Children’s Hospital). One month later, I was slated to begin my first “adult” job as I joined a private family medicine practice in Southern Ohio – practicing traditional medicine (outpatient and inpatient care). There were no hospitalists back then …
Discover the physician who made a village his family
Do masks prevent COVID-19 infections? You might be thinking that it is a bit late to ponder these questions. But better late than never! As shown in the following graph provided by the CDC, COVID is here to stay with us, at least for the time being. Even though nothing compared to the 140,000 hospitalizations per week during the early 2022 wave, there were still about 40,000 weekly hospitalizations a …
Beyond medical vs. N95: strategic masking for COVID protection
An excerpt from First Do No Harm: A Physician’s Burnout and Mental Health Guidebook from Medical School to Retirement.
Residency requirements have changed drastically since my father completed medical school in the 1970s. Residents needed to be fully focused and alert despite working forty-eight- or seventy-two-hour days, which led some to substance misuse. Some residents took stimulants to help perk themselves …
The untold truth of medical residency: a look at its grueling past and present
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Join Dennis Hursh, a health care attorney. Dennis sheds light on the often misunderstood world of physician contract negotiations, emphasizing the importance of understanding one’s true value. He shares insights from his practice, …
Contract negotiations: When physicians ask for too much [PODCAST]
These days, everybody is coughing. The resurgence of COVID, RSV, and flu has overwhelmed emergency rooms and hospitals this early winter. But not all coughs are viral. If you recently visited a family member for the holidays and noticed a persistent cough after dinner, you may have witnessed not a viral illness but what’s known as an aspiration event.
As primary care providers, we frequently take care of people who are …
Is your persistent cough more than a cold? Understanding micro-choking.
“You have various options for this procedure. However, we will only be able to get the best results with the newest artificial lens on the market. Unfortunately, this type of lens is not covered by any insurance provider since it is sold by a single company in U.S. dollars. Unless you can afford it out of pocket, we would have to go with the older version.”
This is part of a …
The costly divide: tech innovations and global health inequality
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible prion disease seen in the deer family – including mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, and moose – in countries throughout the world. The prion affects nervous system tissue in infected animals. Eventually leading to erratic behavior and certain death. Currently, there is no evidence of direct transmission of CWD to humans. However, given the biological plausibility for transmission, equity/ecological concerns, and the …
Why the medical community should be invested in understanding chronic wasting disease
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Join Kim Downey, a physical therapist, alongside Brittany Lamb, an emergency physician, and Adam Harrison, a physician, lawyer, and leadership coach. Together, they share their unique journeys and discuss common themes of empowerment, …
Breaking boundaries in health care: untold stories of triumph and transformation [PODCAST]
It’s been said that the challenges neurodiverse people face are the ones that neurotypical people view as easy, and vice versa. It speaks to the hard-wired diversity of cognitive styles and perspectives among different individuals.
Neurotypical people, who generally fit within the societal norms of cognitive functioning, might find certain tasks or social situations easier due to their alignment with mainstream expectations. On the other hand, neurodivergent individuals, who have variations …
How narrative medicine empowers neurodivergent patients
A scene in the movie Barbie is all too familiar to female physicians. Ken asks a female physician, “Can I talk to a doctor?” and she replies, “You are talking to a doctor.” He ignores her, then requests her assistance with various menial tasks (“Can you get me a coffee … I need a clicky pen”) before abruptly walking off in the direction of two short-haired, presumably male medical professionals, …
How Barbie exposes sexism in medicine
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We dive into the urgent state of children’s mental health in America with our guest, Alex Stavros, a health care executive. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Alex sheds light …
From crisis to solution: Overcoming America’s children’s mental health emergency [PODCAST]
Cavities in kids are common, and many children are unable to complete dental work without sedation. Dental anxiety must be balanced with safe and expedient dental treatment. Further information about early childhood caries can be found here. The prevalence of dental decay in children varies in different groups but is as high as 85 percent in some populations.
Sedation is recommended for the completion of dental work in children with …
The ultimate guide to child dental sedation
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