I learned about leadership from my father as a child. My father enlisted in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and went through basic training. He was a “slick sleeve,” no rank insignia on his shirt sleeve as an Airman Basic. It took him the bare minimum of time, five years, to be promoted to technical sergeant because of his skills in electronics. The USAF selected him for Officers Training School. …
In our diverse world, where everyone sees things through their own lens, shaped by life experiences, beliefs, and facts, chasing after one absolute “truth” often sparks arguments instead of solutions. But what if we aimed for something better: a “shared truth”? This is about coming together, respecting each other’s opinions, and teaming up to find common ground that works for everyone. It’s like turning a debate into a friendly conversation, …
What is the significance of World AIDS Day?
While pondering this question, many memories came flooding back. As a medical student in 1985, I was given the option to go into the room of a patient with pneumonia who was infected …
Most discussions about cannabis stay on the surface: legality, crime, or medical claims. But the core question is this: What suffering does a society allow? After watching a recent documentary with police, lawyers, physicians, and families, I found cannabis is the stage. The real drama is the system behind it. When ethics is pushed far, inconsistencies become impossible to ignore.
1. Legal ethics: When the law punishes pain instead of harm
Some …
You just saved a patient an emergency room visit with a three-minute portal message. You reviewed their connected blood pressure cuff data, saw a concerning trend, and tweaked their medication. It was efficient, high-quality, proactive care.
Your reward? Zero dollars.
Worse than that, your contribution was invisible. It didn’t count toward your productivity. It didn’t show up on a dashboard. In the eyes of our current health care system, that high-value interaction …
As a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP), I strongly support the recent FDA decision to remove the boxed warnings from FDA-approved estrogen therapies. For decades, these warnings created unnecessary fear and confusion for women and clinicians alike. They were based on early interpretations of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) that we now understand were overstated, misapplied, and widely misinterpreted.
The new FDA stance aligns with The Menopause Society guidelines and what …
The medical profession has gone through major changes from the days-past to present days. The transition from quackery to science, and from role assuming or inheriting to regulated graduate and postgraduate education.
The changes took place over centuries, but the most notable evolution in medical knowledge and training took place in the last couple of centuries and continues to evolve. Evolves may be used to describe positive as well as negative …
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Fertility specialist Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa discusses her article, “How timing affects chemical exposure risks.” Yemi introduces her fascinating concept of “chrono-exposomics,” explaining how the time of day you are exposed to environmental …
Busy physicians are moving so quickly we almost never stop long enough to acknowledge the subtle ways medicine reshapes us. But every physician I’ve ever coached, including myself, can name a moment when they didn’t quite feel like themselves. Maybe it was:
For decades, I practiced medicine as a dermatologist and dermatopathologist, serving patients and teaching medical students at UC Irvine. I believed I could recognize addiction when I saw it. I was always alert for signs, such as the patient whose story didn’t quite match the evidence, or whose habits hinted at something deeper.
When alcohol came up in conversation, I learned early to quietly double whatever amount the patient reported; experience …
“Explain a time you faced vaccine hesitancy and how you handled it.” As a fourth-year medical student applying for pediatric residency, this question came up often in interviews. It is an experience that almost every medical professional has encountered, even early in training. The first story that came to mind was from my newborn nursery rotation during my third year of medical school.
I met a first-time mother who had just …
A cesarean section, or C-section, is one of the most common surgeries in the United States. In 2023, 32.3 percent of live births were cesarean deliveries, while 67.7 percent were vaginal deliveries, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Pain during cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia (regional anesthesia including spinal and epidural anesthesia) is a recognized clinical challenge and one that has received growing national attention. Recent media …
Before a doctor ever diagnoses a child with acute flaccid paralysis, the culprit leaves definitive clues in the sewer. At the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, we spin bottles of wastewater in the centrifuge, pH-balance, and look for these clues. Their presence signals the return of an enemy we once thought we had defeated.
For decades, the world has rallied around the dream of eradication, the triumphant declaration that humanity …
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A Guide and a Seeker walk into a bar.
The Seeker says, “I’m so glad I’m here, I’ve been searching far and wide for good beer to slake my thirst, and you, my Guide, have finally brought me here!”
The Guide says, “Ah, I know just the thing. I’ll get you some Dos Equis. A merchant’s representative told me it’s the most interesting beer in the world!”
The Guide tries to order a …
At the end of a clinic visit, the conversation often turns to lifestyle: eat healthier, exercise more, cut back on alcohol, sleep better. Patients nod, agree, and walk out the door.
And too often, little changes.
Why does advice that seems so straightforward rarely stick? The answer lies in the gap between medical instruction and human behavior.
The limits of good intentions
Research has shown that simply giving advice is rarely enough. A 2019 …
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Psychiatrist and author Arthur Lazarus discusses his article, “Finding integrity at the end of a career.” Arthur shares the poignant narrative of Dr. Raul Morales, a community internist facing retirement with a …
Medicine remembers data but forgets voices. I learned this between 1999 and 2003, when I was quietly fired and branded as someone who had “burned too many bridges.” That label was projection, not a critique of my science. My work within the national research network remains foundational to current clinical guidelines, and my training-grant application ranked near the top of all those submitted. Yet the whisper of “bridge-burning” became the …
Starting my training as an MD/PhD student at Yale, I expected long nights of memorizing biochemical pathways and drug mechanisms. I predicted challenging times learning how to care for patients in tough situations. But what I didn’t expect was just how difficult the current federal landscape would make this journey.
I felt this directly in early 2025. I came to Yale to study the health of LGBTQ+ populations. But when my …
Kidney stone disease remains one of the most common and painful conditions in urology, affecting millions worldwide each year. Global data show a continued rise in incidence (more than 100 million new cases in 2021) making prevention and long-term management a priority for both clinicians and patients. Despite significant advances in minimally invasive treatment, many patients still ask a familiar question: “Is there a natural remedy that can help …
Across conferences and journals worldwide, we repeat the same aspiration: Health care must shift from treating disease to promoting health. Yet most systems (regardless of country) remain architected around illness. Buildings, budgets, and workflows are still optimized for what happens after the body breaks down.
My perspective changed after speaking with a senior health care leader in Asia. He did not begin by discussing surgical innovation, emergency demands, or reimbursement challenges. …
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