Melinda Ring, MD
Physicians

As an integrative/functional medicine physician, I’ve been criticized, like many of my colleagues in the field, for being “anti-science.” In the past five years, many of us within the field have perceived increased and biased scrutiny by the ACCME, the…
As an integrative/functional medicine physician, I’ve been criticized, like many of my colleagues in the field, for being “anti-science.” In the past five years, many of us within the field have perceived increased and biased scrutiny by the ACCME, the organization tasked with accrediting continuing medical education providers. But in the wake of COVID-19, where pharmaceutical interventions were being
…
Read more…
I’m called anti-science. I’m just an early adopter.
Conditions

Back in medical school, during a first-year retreat, our whole class did the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychometric test, supposedly to help us learn what field of medicine might be the best fit for our unique combination of characteristics. It…
Back in medical school, during a first-year retreat, our whole class did the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychometric test, supposedly to help us learn what field of medicine might be the best fit for our unique combination of characteristics. It was the first time I’d done a formalized personality assessment, and it felt like something closer to a Cosmo quiz than a valid tool for career guidance. Since then, I’ve …
Read more…
Can personality tests make you a better doctor?
Meds

Like many scary health scenarios where patients seek some modicum of influence, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to patient demand for “immune-boosting” dietary supplements. Toilet paper wasn’t the only essential item being limited by stores; bottles of zinc and vitamin…
Like many scary health scenarios where patients seek some modicum of influence, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to patient demand for “immune-boosting” dietary supplements. Toilet paper wasn’t the only essential item being limited by stores; bottles of zinc and vitamin C flew off the shelves as consumers stocked up. The role of vitamin D in COVID-19 has been conflated and deflated depending on
…
Read more…
6 unconscious biases against vitamins and supplements
Physicians

My first clinical rotation as a third-year medical student was in orthopedics. I remember the excitement of being scrubbed into the OR, with the gloried task of suctioning while the fellows did the real work. About 30 minutes into the…
My first clinical rotation as a third-year medical student was in orthopedics. I remember the excitement of being scrubbed into the OR, with the gloried task of suctioning while the fellows did the real work. About 30 minutes into the surgery, when things were getting underway, a male physician scrubbed in and took the tool away from me — I grabbed it back, letting him know I had the
…
Read more…
As both patients and physicians, women face discrimination
Real physician voices, twice a week
Free, and one click to unsubscribe.