Why the cell-free fetal DNA test is a game-changer

Conditions
November 2, 2017

As a practicing OB/GYN, I feel lucky to be working in a field so full of promise and with space for advancement of medical technology. Although prospects of improved fetal imaging, cervical cancer prevention, and techniques of minimally invasive surgery are game-changing, new discoveries in the genetics arena of our field strike me as simply incredible.

Prenatal genetic testing has only been reasonably available to mothers since about 1970, and at …

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Why the cell-free fetal DNA test is a game-changer

How to care for patients who are personal health researchers

Physician
October 25, 2017

The ability to access health information via the Internet is creating a generation of empowered, informed patients. While this is almost always beneficial to both patients and the patient-physician relationship, it does call for changes to traditional counseling methods. Widespread access to myriad health information sources has divided patients into two subsets: those who prefer traditional counseling and those who become “personal health researchers” or PHRs.

While some patients will continue …

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How to care for patients who are personal health researchers

A day in the life of an OB/GYN chief resident

Physician
August 30, 2017

It’s 5:50 a.m. and my alarm is buzzing. It’s been going off intermittently since 5:30 a.m. Even though I really don’t need to be out of bed until 6:00 a.m., I’ve lived with myself long enough to know my biggest vice is the snooze button.

I roll out of bed and get ready for the day — blue scrubs, messy bun, enough makeup to feel like I tried, freshly clean teeth …

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A day in the life of an OB/GYN chief resident

Why patient education needs to be more YouTube-friendly

Social media
January 18, 2016

As I sat on the edge of her bed discussing delivering options, a sweet mom of twins (who we had decided to welcome to the world at just a few pounds each) looked at me and asked a question that many of us are asked: “What’s safest? What would you do if it were you?”

Most of the time we present options as best we can. If one is clearly the …

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Why patient education needs to be more YouTube-friendly

Key advice for medical students going on residency interviews

Education
January 20, 2015

It’s that time of year again. Bright-eyed fourth years have begun wandering our hospital in uncomfortable shoes and fancy suits. They look equal parts nervous and excited, ready to embark on the insane adventure that is being an intern. But first, they have to survive interview season and Match Day:  a stressful, expensive, hoop-jumping endeavor that culminates with an envelope containing the result of eight years of hard work. Wouldn’t …

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Key advice for medical students going on residency interviews

What can medicine admissions learn from Google?

Education
August 10, 2014

In a New York Times column, Thomas Friedman recent wrote about what Google values and seeks in its new employees. Striking to me was the fact that overall intelligence ranks lower on their values totem pole than several traditionally more important attributes.

So, what can medicine learn from Google and how can we apply it to our admissions process? Here are five key points from the article, adapted to our admissions process:

1. …

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What can medicine admissions learn from Google?

How does evidence-based medicine affect the art of medicine?

Physician
June 24, 2014

There’s no arguing the fact that evidence-based medicine (EBM) is moving us in the right direction as far as treating and preventing illness in medicine as a whole, but what does EBM, in its current interpretation, mean for medicine as an individualized art?

Everything new or controversial in medicine seems to have a swinging pendulum. From vaccines to hormonal treatment to alternative therapies, the pendulums of medicine seem to be in …

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How does evidence-based medicine affect the art of medicine?

I learn from patients who share their stories on Twitter

Social media
October 2, 2012

I recently tweeted asking about favorite patients, physicians, and students on Twitter and was met with a plethora of shocked tweets at my inclusion of patients as potential Twitter interests.

Perhaps other medical friends interpreted this as being similar to meeting people in clinic and asking for their Twitter handle (which is not something I do) or maybe people really think it’s wrong to follow patients on Twitter, I don’t know. However, I do …

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I learn from patients who share their stories on Twitter

Why I’m not hiding social media from residency interviews

Social media
April 2, 2012

As Match Day for the Class of 2012 quickly fades into the background and residency applications for my class begin to appear on the horizon, I find my classmates starting to disappear from Facebook and other socially-oriented websites.

“Are you taking your blog down for application and interview season?” someone innocently asked, “I mean, some program directors just may not appreciate the social media involvement as much as you do.”

The question, …

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Why I’m not hiding social media from residency interviews

How social media helped this medical student

Social media
September 27, 2011

In the course of our work as doctors we will undoubtedly witness events that change lives, but coming into medical school I never realized how directly some of these events would change my life.

Often in medicine we see people at the worst possible time. Patients are sick or grieving and rarely happy to be in our presence, no matter how great we might think we are. Usually, they are experiencing …

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How social media helped this medical student