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 …
“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 …
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 – …
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 …
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 …
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’ …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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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“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 …
I remember feeling like I was on an island, and any time I separated from her and put her down, I frantically looked around for her, daydreaming she was lost at sea.
When I was pregnant, everything was contained and controlled. Her womb gymnastics, even at night, were welcome interruptions to my sleep.
It was my first time breastfeeding, and even though I was a pediatrician, getting her to get a good …
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An excerpt from Fifty Years a Doctor: The Journey of Sickness and Health, Four Plagues and the Pandemic.
President Kennedy’s assassination
One cold winter morning, all the medical students had to leave the warmth of the medical school to get to Kings County Hospital across the street for “rounding” with attendings.
We didn’t …
It does not behoove us to mince words in a politically charged climate. To productively discuss any controversial topic, we must first define terms and get past the jargon and doublespeak that commonly muddles conversations on serious issues. The Oxford Dictionary defines euphemism as “a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.” We often use euphemisms …
It’s a public health win that on October 19th, an FDA Advisory Committee voted 14-1 to remove Makena, a drug intended to prevent preterm birth, from the market. The FDA usually follows the advice of its advisory committee, and the briefing documents it supplied the committee make it clear that the agency wants the drug off the market. As well it should. Makena doesn’t work.
After a preliminary trial showed that …
October 27th is the 30th anniversary of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). Congress enacted this law to safeguard nationwide access to quality mammography to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. With this Act, the federal government accredits, inspects, and certifies mammography facilities and standardizes mammography equipment, quality assurance, recordkeeping, and communication of results.
What’s missing from the …
I drive through my leafy suburb, awash in beautiful foliage. It’s peak color, with vermillion juxtaposed with citrine and crimson. And I see the reality of our ugly world peeking in every so often. Proposition 3 signs are casually sprinkled on lawns, intersections, and billboards; they’re in harsh black and white, implying the proposition is too confusing or too extreme. And the issue it represents is a clear-cut dichotomy.
We are …
The field of pediatrics has always been known for advocating and caring for the most forgotten and disadvantaged in our communities. The American Academy of Pediatrics was founded at a time when children were seen as lesser members of society.
Through the efforts of this organization and tens of thousands of dedicated pediatricians, we have changed the narrative. Several examples include:
1. Care of abused and neglected children. One of the first …
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