An excerpt from Life at High G-Force: The Quest of Mayo Clinic Researcher Dr. Earl H Wood.
Tensions were high in the Aero Medical Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in the fall of 1959. The space race with the Soviet Union to send a human into outer space and eventually to the …
Pioneering space race research: G-forces and human physiology
Tax-efficient investing is about preserving your capital by optimizing investment decisions to minimize the tax consequences. This strategy becomes especially crucial when you’re investing for the long term. With their professional management and diversification, mutual funds offer several avenues for tax-efficient investing.
1. Capital gains efficiency. When you buy and sell individual stocks, you’re responsible for capital gains taxes on any profits you realize. In contrast, mutual funds pool money from multiple …
How to pick the right mutual funds to reduce your taxes
In the early 1990s, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) began its rise with the development of the National Institutes of Health’s CAM center. However, scientists and clinicians struggled with the decision of whether or not to allow individuals access to information on these CAM approaches. I was part of that discourse as I was invited to speak at a congressional hearing on that very issue. Thankfully for everyone, the right …
What is the physician’s role in the food is medicine movement?
September was National Suicide Prevention Month. In a short while, we also approach the 41st birthday of the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss, a widely beloved dancer and executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show whose death by suicide is still hard to grapple with
tWitch, who initially rose to prominence from the dance competition So You Think You Can Dance, captured the hearts of millions by running social media …
America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?
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Join Sarah Samaan, a retired cardiologist and Master Certified Physician Development Coach. We’ll delve into the pressing issue of physician dignity, discussing the challenges physicians face in today’s health care landscape and Sarah’s strategies to combat disrespect …
When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]
An excerpt from Slow Dancing with the Devil: A Son’s Substance Use Disorder, A Mother’s Anguish.
The only time my anxiety was gone, or at least on pause, was when Luke was in a treatment center or sobriety house. I knew he was safe and surrounded by those who understood the …
Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment
In the vast universe of all that has been written, writing about loss, illness, and death is probably second only to writing about intimacy, relationships, and longing. In the world of narrative medicine, the order is reversed. Patients are harnessing the power of writing, sharing, and telling stories of health and sickness using personal narratives to navigate illness, trauma, and grief. The experience of being ill is made less isolating …
The essence of health narratives, including poetry
This summer, my cousin Cindy has been raising Monarch butterflies. Two weeks ago, when I was visiting her for the weekend, she gave me a chrysalis to bring home. She’d already done the bulk of the work, feeding and caring for the caterpillar. I left with a mesh-sided carrier and an expected due date of 7 days. I was instructed on how to determine the gender and that I needed …
Discover the power of patience
Challenging and frustrating are two words describing what it feels like to be a doctor today. Yet numerous physicians are sharing their journeys as to how they moved through difficult times and have been able to find joy again by practicing medicine on their own terms.
The following doctors describe how they have continued seeing patients while incorporating additional pursuits that help them feel balanced and fulfilled.
Be sure to watch their …
Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms
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Join Althea Halchuck, a patient advocate. We explore critical insights into end-of-life care, the ethical considerations around antibiotic use, and the quest for a peaceful, dignified death. Delve into the complex world of health care decision-making in …
End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]
Police officers are required to undergo second-victim counseling before returning to duty. Should physicians also undergo such counseling before resuming their work? This question arises, especially in light of the ongoing shortage of health care professionals. It prompts us to consider whether the prerequisites for returning to work are deemed more critical for police officers than for doctors. Perhaps physicians should establish specific scenarios where taking time off before returning …
Physician return-to-work policies
In a recent podcast conversation with Kevin Pho, MD, we talked about the importance of assertiveness in health care, including the ability to say “No” and the significance of culture in supporting it.
One of the topics we touched on was the influence of both top-down and bottom-up factors, which I want to elaborate on here.
Organizational culture refers to how and why things are done at work and the rules …
Communication, power dynamics, and organizational culture in health care
In May 2020, I wrote a piece published on this very website titled, “Remembering the art of medicine during virtual visits.” In that article, I wondered how telemedicine could possibly allow us to make the humanistic connection that occurs more organically during in-person office visits. Now, more than three years later, and after hundreds of telehealth visits, my patients have shown me how.
In December 2020, one of the bleakest …
How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor
A phrase commonly heard is “reproductive rights,” and while there is some variability in what this entails, in most cases, this includes a woman’s right to choose not to be sexually active, to say no to unwanted sex, to access contraception, to receive appropriate and adequate care during pregnancy, and to seek abortion. By definition, rights are “a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act …
Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations
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Join Ruchi Thanawala, a cardiothoracic surgeon, as we explore the transformative power of technology in surgical training. Discover how innovation is reshaping the way we educate future surgeons, improve feedback, and address critical issues of equity in …
Innovations in surgical education [PODCAST]
When we think of symptoms or ailments, they are often a signal to us that there’s something off with our health. Yet, many of us, as well as doctors, often don’t think so much outside the traditional box when it comes to what may be influencing or causing these health issues. I have even experienced this personally in my life.
Some people may even experience ongoing frustrations with concerns failing to …
Everyday dangers unknowingly impacting our health
Just a few weeks ago, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) issued a report, “A Transformational Effort on Patient Safety.” This was both a “surprise” and “not a surprise” to me because I’m a nurse, a subject matter expert in patient safety, and a shop teacher’s daughter.
PCAST’s call for action was not a surprise because in 2023, care intended to help patients harms them at an …
A shop teacher’s daughter on transforming patient safety
During my early years as a pediatric hospitalist in the U.K. during the ’80s, a figure that loomed large was the chemical pathologist (CP).
The CP was the guardian of the laboratory, and every hospital had one. This fearsome beast was approached with trepidation, as the outcome was likely to be a unique but bruising “educational experience.”
Interaction was common because almost every lab test apart from the CBC, ESR, chem 20, …
What happened to the chemical pathologist?
The United States health care system is in the midst of a crisis. Despite being among the richest nations in the world, it consistently ranks among the lowest for maternal health outcomes—and that’s before you begin digging into the health disparities women of color face in this nation.
Pregnancy-related complications kill Black mothers three times as often as white and Hispanic women. Not to mention, more than half …
Utilizing AI may reduce maternal and infant mortality
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We sit down with Franchell Hamilton, a bariatric surgeon, to explore the intriguing link between genetics, brain function, and obesity. She shares her insights into why many patients don’t feel full even after eating, even post-bariatric surgery. …
Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]
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