Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Ton La, Jr. is a physician and can be reached on LinkedIn.

December 8, 2019Dec 8, 2019

Every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns. Forty-four percent of American adults report knowing someone who has been shot. As a society, we have come to accept gun violence as commonplace and not something to take immediate action on.…

Every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns. Forty-four percent of American adults report knowing someone who has been shot.

As a society, we have come to accept gun violence as commonplace and not something to take immediate action on. We hear about a new mass shooting on the television, on social media, on the radio or from a friend. We shake our heads in disbelief, ponder on how this is …

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Gun violence is a public health crisis

Conditions and Diseases

Why abortion care is women’s health care

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

December 4, 2019Dec 4, 2019

On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade established a woman’s fundamental right to abortion nationwide. Roe v. Wade should not be overruled because women having universal access to abortion services means women have the right to choose what is best for their health care. This is how health care should be in that if there is a viable medical option for the patient to pursue, the patient should have the …

Conditions and Diseases

Physician-assisted suicide is a collaborative process

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

November 17, 2019Nov 17, 2019

Who remembers Jack Kevorkian, Doctor Death? He was found guilty in 1998 of second-degree murder. Still, it was because of his advocacy that the terminally ill patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide was propelled into the public arena. And…

Who remembers Jack Kevorkian, Doctor Death? He was found guilty in 1998 of second-degree murder. Still, it was because of his advocacy that the terminally ill patient’s right to die by physician-assisted suicide was propelled into the public arena. And who can forget Brittany Maynard? It was her advocacy for physician-assisted suicide that reignited the debate on its legality in 2014 — …

Conditions and Diseases

Patients: Be proactive in your health care

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

October 30, 2019Oct 30, 2019

If you’ve ever been in the hospital for a surgery, you probably had a resident speak to you about the procedure; you were presented a laundry list of risks, the benefits mentioned, asked if everything was understood. And finally, you initial in several spots before signing your name on the dotted line. You looked at the wall clock and noted that the conversation took a mere six minutes.

Is this proper …

Medical Education

Why this medical student chose to pursue medicine

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

October 20, 2019Oct 20, 2019

Pain and suffering together is a universal language. It is unspoken, one that a person of any age feels when they see a loved one die, or when someone sees another human being suffer when nothing more medically can be…

I once saw a Vietnam War veteran who, within a few years of returning home, suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke. He was robbed of his ability to walk, to talk, …

Conditions and Diseases

What is patient autonomy?

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

September 3, 2019Sep 3, 2019

I yelled for the nurse as I wrapped my arms around Mr. John. He was suffering from a violent acute dystonic reaction from a dose of Haldol the night before. Severe muscle spasms overtook his entire body. I saw the whites of his eyes as his gaze shot to the ceiling. He had lost all control over his body — legs, torso, arms, neck, face, eyes.

“I can’t breathe, I can’t …

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What is patient autonomy?

Medical Education

A patient’s family bridges two worlds

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

August 25, 2019Aug 25, 2019

Toward the end of my clinical rotations, I met Salma, a 34-year-old woman who came from Egypt with her family to the U.S. two years ago. Wearing a latte-colored hijab, she was here at the hospital to care for her…

When deoxygenated blood comes to the right side of the heart, it gets pumped to the lungs to …

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A patient’s family bridges two worlds

Physician

10 reasons why doctors get sued

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

August 17, 2019Aug 17, 2019

The one thing doctors want to avoid like the plague is a lawsuit — a medical malpractice lawsuit. To be sued means the doctor loses precious time from work, endures emotional personal and family distress and is unable to fully…

The one thing doctors want to avoid like the plague is a lawsuit — a medical malpractice lawsuit.

To be sued means the doctor loses precious time from work, endures emotional personal and family distress and is unable to fully invest oneself in providing the very best medical care possible. It is a dark cloud that hovers over the majority of physicians at least once in their lives. Some medical specialties, …

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10 reasons why doctors get sued

Medical Education

What this medical student learned as a legal extern

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

August 9, 2019Aug 9, 2019

As a law student, I recently was a legal extern at a hospital this summer. It’s a crazy thought because when I started medical school back in Fall 2015, my bus would pass through the pick-up/drop off zone at the hospital every single day at 7:43 a.m. I always saw physicians with their long white coats and coffees in hand walking through the automatic sliding doors. I too saw patients …

Medical Education

A story about building rapport with your patient

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

August 1, 2019Aug 1, 2019

“I feel like I am going to die … I was in a major car accident last week because of blurry vision that came out of nowhere.” Becky was one of thirty or so patients I saw at the family…

“I feel like I am going to die … I was in a major car accident last week because of blurry vision that came out of nowhere.”

Becky was one of thirty or so patients I saw at the family medicine practice on a hot day in Houston. She came in because of worsening headaches for the last six months.

“Can you describe your headaches for me?”

“Well, they cover my entire head. …

Medical Education

A father and grandfather: A patient’s life lived in full

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

June 8, 2019Jun 8, 2019

“You were a Secret Service agent, Mr. Smith?” “I was indeed. For Presidents Ford and Carter.” “That’s incredible. What were they like?” “Well, President Carter would get up at 2:00 am and ask us if we’d like to go on…

“You were a Secret Service agent, Mr. Smith?”

“I was indeed. For Presidents Ford and Carter.”

“That’s incredible. What were they like?”

“Well, President Carter would get up at 2:00 am and ask us if we’d like to go on a walk. Since most of the staff worked nights, I walked with him. We would walk for hours and talk shop. Carter is the most interesting man I’ve ever met and had the …

Medical Education

A student finds his passion for medicine

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

May 29, 2019May 29, 2019

3:30 a.m. - Wake up. 4:00 a.m. - Leave apartment. 4:15 a.m. - Arrive at hospital. 4:20 a.m. - Print out the patient list. 4:20 - 5:25 a.m. - Split the list of 50 patients with your partner, go to…

3:30 a.m. – Wake up.

4:00 a.m. – Leave apartment.

4:15 a.m. – Arrive at hospital.

4:20 a.m. – Print out the patient list.

4:20 – 5:25 a.m. – Split the list of 50 patients with your partner, go to a computer and write down for every patient their 24-hr vital signs, any reported fevers and what was done, what post-op day it is, what day of antibiotics and indications, discharge criteria, etc.

5:29 a.m. …

Conditions and Diseases

A patient’s tale of type 2 diabetes

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019

Samuel was an English gentleman hailing from London. Close to 10 percent of the U.S. population, over 30 million people, lives with diabetes. Five years ago, Samuel was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Taking lisinopril and glipizide, he also goes on hour-long walks every morning at 6:30 a.m. to keep his A1c at his comfort number of 5.5. It has not always been this way for Samuel as he was …

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A patient’s tale of type 2 diabetes

Medical Education

A medical student’s first patient presentation

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

May 18, 2019May 18, 2019

In medical school, you’re not taught how to give stellar patient presentations. Yes, you’re shown the traditional order of things: “Give an effective one-liner first, then tell the HPI [history of present illness] but only give pertinent info, etc.” Just exactly how to deliver the punch that impresses your attending is an art. And it’s an art that takes some time to perfect.

My very first time presenting a patient was …

Medical Education

13 tips every pre-med student should know

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

April 2, 2019Apr 2, 2019

If you're reading this, you may have a son, a daughter, a family friend, or know of someone who is in college and considering medical school. As a medical student mentor, I share words of advice to my alma mater's…

If you’re reading this, you may have a son, a daughter, a family friend, or know of someone who is in college and considering medical school. As a medical student mentor, I share words of advice to my alma mater’s American Medical Student Association chapter and thought I would share them here.

1. When preparing for the MCAT, take a diagnostic test at the beginning of your study period, one in …

Medical Education

Remembering Dr. Denton A. Cooley

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

March 28, 2019Mar 28, 2019

Back in the 70s, Dr. Denton A. Cooley would do eight or so heart operations a day often on babies and children with heart defects. One day, he operated on four babies. Three of them died. It was around eight o’clock at night, and as Dr. Cooley walked down the hall with his team, he said, “Today was a bad day, but …

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Remembering Dr. Denton A. Cooley

Health Technology

Carefully consider every aspect of the integration of AI into health care

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

March 23, 2019Mar 23, 2019

AI, artificial intelligence, is all the rage right now in medical news media. And this has many practicing physicians, even medical students, concerned. Will AI make diagnose heavy specialties such as dermatology and radiology obsolete? Can AI give rise to…

I believe that there is a right to be worried. We do not have any …

Medical Education

The story of an attending’s empathy

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

March 16, 2019Mar 16, 2019

"Hey, you're a med student. Right?" "Yes, I am. Do you need me to scrub in?" "That would be wonderful, yes! Everyone is either out on vacation or is sick. It's just me and the resident." "OK, I'll be back…

“Hey, you’re a med student. Right?”

“Yes, I am. Do you need me to scrub in?”

“That would be wonderful, yes! Everyone is either out on vacation or is sick. It’s just me and the resident.”

“OK, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I was on my OB/GYN rotation, and once a week I follow one of the surgeons. It was 7:20 a.m., and a patient was coming in for an unplanned, stat …

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The story of an attending’s empathy

Conditions and Diseases

Communication in the hospital setting from a medical student perspective

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

March 11, 2019Mar 11, 2019

When it comes to communication in the hospital setting, I have seen many iterations. My favorite version was at the VA on the inpatient medicine unit. Every morning, we all met in the medicine team room to discuss patients on the floor. The team’s social worker, nurses, residents, students, and the attending ran down the list to identify individual patient goals, what’s needed for safe and effective discharges home, and …

Medical Education

How self-awareness helps with patient interaction

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

March 7, 2019Mar 7, 2019

What is self-awareness? A quick Google search says that it is “conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires.” In other words, my worldview is different than yours. Hypothetically, I am a Republican, and you are a Democrat.…

What is self-awareness? A quick Google search says that it is “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires.” In other words, my worldview is different than yours. Hypothetically, I am a Republican, and you are a Democrat. You don’t believe in vaccinations, but I do. I believe in universal health care, but you disagree with my stance. You believe in stricter gun laws, and I don’t. That …