Lauren Burgoon is a pediatrics resident.

Philadelphia’s devastating gun violence epidemic: a wake-up call for action

Policy
July 4, 2023

It’s become my morning ritual on the way to the hospital. Cruising down a main Philadelphia stretch, just as the road crests and the hospital becomes visible, I steel myself for the line. Is it going to be long today? In just a few more blocks, my second reflexive check-in: Are there news vans outside of the hospital?

Both glances are woven into the larger story of Philadelphia’s gun violence epidemic …

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Philadelphia’s devastating gun violence epidemic: a wake-up call for action

What no one tells you about being a new doctor

Physician
July 26, 2022

We’ve all heard the tired cliché about July being the most dangerous time of the year to go to a hospital. All new interns — freshly minted doctors straight out of medical school — are on the loose. And you better watch out, the tale goes. That’s demonstrably false, and July is as safe as any month for medical care.

But there is still a big reason to worry — not …

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What no one tells you about being a new doctor

Medical students deserve the COVID vaccine in the first phase of distribution

Conditions
December 29, 2020

After nine months of death, despair, and fear, the one-two victory of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine approvals is a major turning point for everyone in health care. Social media timelines suddenly sprang to life with vaccine selfies as besieged health care workers got their first doses. It is truly a turning point in this relentless pandemic, and it finally feels like we can imagine the end of this nightmare.

But …

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Medical students deserve the COVID vaccine in the first phase of distribution