HIV/AIDS vaccine underscores need for better health access

Policy
October 11, 2021

“HIV has been a blessing in my life.”

Lola was a 48-year-old woman living in Denver when I interviewed her in 2002 about her HIV-positive diagnosis. She said the diagnosis improved her life in important ways; she had received income and housing support, nutritional assistance, health insurance, medication assistance and primary and infectious disease health care based on that diagnosis.

She said her sense of life’s purpose had changed, her basic needs …

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What my father taught me about language

Education
October 11, 2021

Here — outside with nature — this was where I needed to be. It was raining cats and dogs, unlike the light drizzle earlier in the day.

Earlier in the day.

Earlier in the day, I could still see the casket go into the ground, adding finality to the affair as if death was not final enough. Goodbye, Baba. I was yet to cry. That was why I needed to be here. …

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Is COVID a turning point for sustainability in hospital supply chains? [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 10, 2021
YouTube video

“Scarcity has, in many ways, defined the COVID-19 experience in the U.S., from shortages in personal protective equipment to ICU ventilators and hospital capacity, to COVID test kits, to drugs like Remdesivir in hard-hit states. These shortages have added impetus and new dimensions to existing conversations around health care …

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The pediatricians are not alright

Physician
October 10, 2021

In the past week alone, I have heard the following comments from pediatricians on the front lines: “I’ve been practicing for 21 years, and I’ve never seen things this bad”; “I have been called uncaring because my patient had to wait an hour. But I couldn’t tell my patient that I was running behind because of a suicidal patient”; “I’m considering leaving clinical medicine because it seems like there is …

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Robotic surgery’s impact on training the next generation of surgeons [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 9, 2021
YouTube video

“Technology continues to evolve every day. In the near-term future, portable and easily deployable robots will allow surgeons all over the world to perform minimally invasive surgery in an increasing number of procedure types and become even more effective surgeons. To achieve our goal of having a future surgeon workforce …

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Trapped in a cauldron of suffering, medical staff are weary

Physician
October 9, 2021

Sometimes I really look forward to something new. An alien race arriving on earth would be a nice start. I think we could all use a change in the news cycle. Because I am very tired of thinking about, talking about, and especially treating COVID-19.

In all of my years of medical practice, I have never seen anything that taxed the system and caused so much mayhem, while simultaneously producing such …

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Clinicians are diamonds in the rough

Physician
October 9, 2021

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, diamonds are formed deep within the earth, about one hundred miles down in the upper mantle. As you might imagine, it is quite hot in that part of the planet, and there is a tremendous amount of pressure bearing down in that location. The brutal combination of pressure and heat is what it takes to form diamond crystals.

Now, we can’t actually travel there or even …

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5 technologies that will transform medicine post-COVID

Physician
October 9, 2021

When medical historians write about the coronavirus pandemic, they’ll likely focus on the slow U.S. response and failures of leadership that led to a tragically high death toll. But that will be only part of the story.

From the wreckage and devastation will emerge something few contemporary observers would expect: a brighter future for American health care.

Five technologies, all previously underappreciated and underutilized, will help …

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Being a health care hero means we get free ChapStick

Physician
October 8, 2021

Guess what, everyone, I am a health care hero. I have been applauded by strangers. The Blue Angels flew over the hospital once in the pitch of COVID to salute us. I once sifted through a giant box of free chapsticks delivered to the hospital basement and grabbed one for my colleagues.

First of all, let me clarify: There is no such thing as a “hero.” It’s a social construct laypeople …

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Stop resisting the imposter [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 7, 2021
YouTube video

“The problem with feeling like an imposter is thinking there’s something wrong with it.

I know this is different from any way you have thought about it, but humor me. What happens when we are offered an opportunity but we feel like an imposter?

We hide.

We overwork to compensate.

We look around at …

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How to overcome the roadblocks to getting a medical second opinion

Physician
October 7, 2021

There are many reasons why you should seek a second opinion. A second opinion can help you:

  • Make sure your diagnosis is accurate, lowering your risk of misdiagnosis and the harms that can cause.
  • Ensure that you’re choosing an appropriate, evidence-based treatment that has been shown to achieve better outcomes.
  • Learn about all appropriate treatment options, both medical and surgical, so you can make an informed decision.

One study conducted by …

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Women are still being “burned at the stake” in medicine

Physician
October 7, 2021

Are you a woman, and your sanity has been questioned? Congratulations: You are now an activist.

There is such a thing as implicit bias in which we may not be aware of how our subconscious thoughts are affecting our conscious thoughts, opinions, or actions we have daily.

They manifest in all aspects of life. Whether you come to see me for a surgical consultation and when you walk into the room, you …

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Sexism in medicine: Alive and well or a dying breed?

Physician
October 7, 2021

Thirty-five years ago, as a first-year student, I (DWS) wrote an article for my medical school’s student-run newspaper titled, “Sexism in Medical School.” The article highlighted three examples of sexism:

  • In the middle of a pathology lecture, the professor projected a photo of a woman in a skimpy bikini lounging on a sports car to “liven things up.” He then showed a photo of a kitten, “So you ladies don’t …

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Aduhelm and how money and politics supersede science [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 6, 2021
YouTube video

“Sufferers of diseases, particularly terrible ones like Alzheimer’s disease, and their loved ones need and deserve something better than science can deliver today. However, the scientific rigor of the clinical trials process where approval is only granted to drugs with a clear benefit in excess of risk needs to return.

Imagine …

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Why this physician is running out of sympathy

Physician
October 6, 2021

Every day I read stories on the Internet and in the newspaper of the deaths of previously healthy people who died of COVID-19. They were good people, caring parents, working people who seemed like responsible citizens. What they all shared was not being immunized against COVID-19.

Maybe they were just “vaccine-hesitant” — one of those who wasn’t convinced of the value and safety of the vaccines. Maybe they didn’t understand the …

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Physician identity: who you are vs. what you do [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 5, 2021
YouTube video

“‘Hi, my name is Kristin Yates, and I am the OB/GYN doctor.’ This is how I greet most patients for the first time.

It has never really felt natural to introduce myself as ‘Dr. Yates,’ even now that I have been an attending physician for more than five years. To be …

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The needs of Afghan refugee children must be prioritized in evacuation and resettlement plans 

Policy
October 5, 2021

I smiled as the Afghan family of six approached my triage station in the Philadelphia airport. The three young boys were laughing, playful, and full of energy despite the long journey. The oldest, who looked about 10 years old, sat on a chair and immediately began describing his symptoms—sore throat and cough, most likely a viral upper respiratory tract infection. I completed my physical exam as the medical student flipped …

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Why people diagnosed with cancer should get a second opinion [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 4, 2021
YouTube video

“Although people think of medicine as a science—the facts reveal the diagnosis, the diagnosis dictates the treatment—most physicians acknowledge that medicine is as much an art as a science. It’s not like a simple math equation with one undeniably right answer. Even when the diagnosis is clear, there may still …

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