Ira Bedzow is an assistant professor of medicine and director, medical ethics program, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.

Jewish identity is so much more than a person’s biology

Physician
February 17, 2020

Recently I made a self-deprecating joke among friends, when one of them said, “that’s so Jewish,” to which another quipped, “What do you expect? It’s in the genes.”

The idea of a Jewish gene is not necessarily new, but it has become more popular and more concerning in recent years.  For example, today, direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, identify people with certain genetic markers as being a percentage Jewish, …

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Jewish identity is so much more than a person’s biology

Medical students creating their own oaths: Is that the best way to enter the profession?

Education
August 16, 2019

As the fall approaches, medical schools across the country are preparing for the arrival of a new crop of medical students. The primary emphasis of medical school is to teach technical competencies so that students graduate with the medical knowledge and know-how to diagnose and treat disease.  Recognizing the health care is getting more and more complex, schools are also introducing new and evolving fields like health systems …

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Medical students creating their own oaths: Is that the best way to enter the profession?