Knowledge and power: The fallacy that leads to a distrust of medicine

Physician
May 17, 2015

Some time ago, I engaged in a debate with a proponent of GMO labeling. His main point was that the information provided by labeling would allow consumers to make better decisions about what they eat. He went so far as to condense his argument into three simple words: “Knowledge is power.”

What my opponent failed to mention is that the truth of this statement is conditional. Knowledge can be powerful, but …

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Knowledge and power: The fallacy that leads to a distrust of medicine

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the true cost of upholding the Hippocratic Oath

Physician
April 25, 2013

It has been weeks since the Boston marathon bombings.  The hospitals in that city, by most accounts, were remarkably well prepared, expertly and compassionately caring for the injured innocents.  Emergency response was fluid and efficient.  As tragic as the events of April 15 were, the health care workers of Boston were beacons of inspiration for a city in shock.

Yet these heroics do not represent the most impressive actions performed by …

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the true cost of upholding the Hippocratic Oath

In defense of basic science: The need for translational research

Physician
March 7, 2013

When I first decided to pursue a career as a physician scientist by enrolling in the medical scientist training program, my goals seemed very clear; to bring what I learned at the bench to the bedside.  Today, as a junior faculty member in a department of pediatrics who spends most of my time in the lab, this now clichéd phrase continues to echo in my mind. Yet, I am concerned …

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In defense of basic science: The need for translational research