OB/GYN
From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury
December 20, 2012, started like any other day as an OB/GYN when I was called to do a precipitous delivery. I immediately saw that the baby’s heart rate was dangerously low, and I knew I had to act quickly. Several nurses helped me maintain the patient’s position to get a vacuum on the baby’s crowning head. While placing the vacuum, the patient kicked me in my brachial plexus, and my …
The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters
As an OB/GYN, I know that medication abortion is safe, commonly used, and effective. Women’s rights, family building, and abortion are recognized in many international human rights documents. The United Nations’ 1966 Human Rights Treaty states that all people have a right to the highest attainable standard of health. The ability for someone to choose when and if they want to have a child is the basis of the Reproductive Justice framework and is paramount …
Fool women twice? Drug makers revive menopause as a “disease.”
In the words of the late soccer great Pelé spoofed on Saturday Night Live, women’s health has been “very, very good” for drug makers. In 2002, 61 million prescriptions were written for women in the U.S. for hormones to treat the so-called “disease” of menopause (which was once treated with electroshock therapy—yes, ECT).
Until the government-sponsored Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) found in 2002 that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) …
Uncovering the overwhelming impact of the advanced maternal age patient on nursing
Imagine you have a busy full-time job. You get married at age 31. You and your new partner travel to Italy, Ireland, and Hawaii before settling with the kids. You both make pretty good money, so you buy a house. Of course, it needs furniture. And you have to have the new I-phone that just came out. You’re finally ready to get pregnant, but after two years, it hasn’t happened. …
A human’s a human, no matter how small
Theodore Geisel, known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, wrote hundreds of children’s stories that continue to shape young children’s development to this day. Dr. Seuss was a lifelong Democrat and favored many of FDR’s New Deal policies. However, an NPR article notes his widow mentioned that she did not like it when his characters were used to push particular political points of view. The book …
Addressing disparities in gynecological care for women with physical disabilities
I recently read a story in which a woman named H. Lee, who has muscular dystrophy, details a decade-long struggle to receive adequate cervical cancer screening. Providers have been unable to find her cervix due to the curvature of her spine, examined her in her wheelchair because there were no height-adjustable examination tables, and outright turned her away for “liability reasons.”
By the time she finds an accessible provider, she …
From studying to baby kicks: Navigating motherhood in medical school
It’s 1:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I’m sitting comfortably, propped up by four pillows with my feet on a medicine ball in front of the sofa. I laugh with complete delight as I stare at my belly and see the spunky kicks of my daughter, dancing inside my womb to the beat of her own music. The joy I feel is indescribable. But then, I look around. A UWorld …
The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act
Nebraska has taken another step towards effectively banning abortion and criminalizing the practice of medicine. I want to try to clarify that this bill is not supported by the medical community. It does not seek to improve the lives of Nebraskans. In truth, this bill is not what it seems, and I hope you will take a minute with me to turn down the emotional noise from both sides and …
What does an ENT doctor know about childbirth?
An excerpt from Fifty Years a Doctor: The Journey of Sickness and Health, Four Plagues and the Pandemic.
I went to medical school for four years.
I was a medical intern for one year and a surgical resident for one year. And finally, an otolaryngology resident for three years.
My medical license permits …
Why Black women are dying during pregnancy and what we can do about it
“Dr. Forna, I’m not going to die this pregnancy, am I?”
“No, ma’am. You’re not going to die this pregnancy. Not on my watch! We are going to do everything we can to keep you safe.”
I’ve had this conversation with pregnant women many times in my over 20-year career as an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN). Still, they have become more frequent in the last few years as more stories of Black women dying …
Say “no” to APNO and say “yes” to breastfeeding medicine
It is common to get some nipple discomfort at the start of breastfeeding. Babies and moms are learning how to do this new skill, and sometimes they just don’t get it right, and nipple damage can occur. If caught and adjusted early, this can clear up quickly, but in the meantime, women can have cracks, bleeding, and extreme sensitivity to their nipples.
All-purpose nipple ointment – otherwise known as APNO – …
Infertility: Navigating the challenges of IVF and the importance of self-advocacy
I have undergone numerous IVF cycles. It is a heart-wrenching experience. Infertility is a pain that is difficult to describe unless personally experienced. I have never truly known heartbreak until the failure of IVF embryo transfers. Three preimplantation genetically tested normal embryos failed to implant, and knowing my three perfect embabies (embryos that were transferred but not implanted) will not be in my arms still hurt my heart. It took …
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Women should be allowed to exercise autonomy with regard to their bodies and their medical care
When I walked into the ultrasound room, I immediately noticed the patient’s red-rimmed eyes and cloud of mussed-up brown hair. My eyes tracked the defeated curve of her back and its stark contrast to the sterile environment of the obstetrics and gynecology exam room, with its muted grey and blue tones. A forty-year-old woman, she had used in-vitro fertilization to become pregnant because she wanted her toddler son to have …
Cervical health awareness month: Unveiling inequities in cervical cancer outcomes
According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is among the most preventable and treatable gynecological cancers. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and longitudinal screening are highly effective modes of prevention and detection, respectively. While statistics on the efficacy of vaccination and screening are promising, the realities surrounding cervical cancer outcomes are anything but. A closer look at the diagnosis and mortality rates paints quite a bleak picture.
The United States’ …
Saving mothers: How technology can aid in the fight against preventable maternal deaths
Maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the United States are among the highest in the developed world—impacting roughly 50,000 women each year and taking the lives of 700 mothers annually. Three in five of these deaths are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. HHS) announced $350 million in awards to …
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Balancing motherhood and medical school: tips from those who’ve done it
I was in my first year of medical school when I discovered I was pregnant. This was not a planned pregnancy, as no one would intentionally plan to have a baby during medical school, as it is extremely difficult to manage both. However, there I was, and to my surprise, I was happy about it. I had previously thought that I was infertile after trying to get pregnant for five …
Protecting reproductive rights: the importance of abortion training for medical trainees
As I was walking between classes as a pre-medical undergraduate student in 2018, I saw that the Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment was distributing hats that read “PROTECT ROE v. WADE.” I picked one up and stepped into my classroom, only to be greeted by a classmate who said, “Protect Roe v. Wade? Why would it need protection?”
Fast-forward four years, I sat in my bedroom, selfishly thankful that I had …
Childlessness: Your patients and colleagues may be grieving silently
There is an all-too-common pain that many hide. It affects emotional well-being. It affects self-image. It affects health.
Now that the new year is upon us, advertisements for “new year, new you” aren’t far behind. That can spur people to make health care appointments that they’ve been putting off. This is a good time to address this pain that so many carry silently.
This silent pain results from infertility, pregnancy loss, being …
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How a positive staff helped an uncertain hospital stay [PODCAST]
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“Hospitals and health systems should bolster the skills of care teams through education to improve patient outcomes by minimizing variations in obstetric care and being equipped to prevent, identify, and address any possible maternal emergency. Our obstetrics …
Past Week
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Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
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How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
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Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
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Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed
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From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
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How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
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Past 6 Months
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How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
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The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
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Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
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How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
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How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
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How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
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Recent Posts
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ADHD isn’t one-size-fits-all: Why nuance in diagnosis matters
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Funding physician wellness: a guide to getting programs approved [PODCAST]
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Why physicians find negotiating challenging—and what they can do to negotiate better
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Past Week
-
Doctors don’t need yoga, they need time to smoke
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
Flatline: Our nation is dying, and we’re ignoring the signs
-
Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed
-
From the other side of the table: a plea for empathy
-
How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
How trade wars could destroy the U.S. health care system
-
The hidden bias young female physicians face every day
-
Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough
-
How hospitals are quietly taking control of physicians
-
How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel
-
How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
-
Recent Posts
-
ADHD isn’t one-size-fits-all: Why nuance in diagnosis matters
-
Why chasing validation is destroying physicians’ sense of self
-
Funding physician wellness: a guide to getting programs approved [PODCAST]
-
How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients
-
Why physicians find negotiating challenging—and what they can do to negotiate better
-
A tribute to Kobe Bryant: inspiration beyond the game
-
