Medical

Do you remember what you dreamed of becoming as an adult? I do, and I recall my father telling me I could be anything I wanted to be. My dreams were shattered as soon as I stepped into a prison and I am still trying to pick up the pieces of my self-worth. “Wait, you’re…

The flurry of recent articles on the adverse effects of climate change on health are almost as overwhelming as the climate crisis itself. Just this past year, over 300 medical students came together to found Medical Students for a Sustainable Future (MS4SF), an international coalition that recognizes climate change as the greatest health emergency of…

Editor’s note: First in a series on the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and responses aimed at improving health equity. By now we’ve read headlines like these all too often: “Communities of Color Devastated by COVID-19.” Way back in March, available data started to show that vulnerable, minority communities were experiencing much higher…

The following article is satire. According to several very old studies, interventional patient-centered bipedal locomotion (sometimes informally referred to as walking) might be an important part of good hospital care. Programs focusing on this treatment are reportedly under consideration by administrators at some facilities. “As we look to streamline interoperability and optimize outcomes metrics, we’re…

I’m not outspoken about much, but will not, can not, hold back my battle cry about masks. Would I feel so adamant if I didn’t possess a crisp death certificate with, “CORONAVIRUS 2019” in an envelope inside the file cabinet beside me? Maybe, maybe not. The envelope came sealed with a sticker embossed with the…

“Will the unfavorable regulatory environment permit telehealth to flourish? Perforce we’re beginning to see a relaxation of restrictions that have hitherto obstructed progress.  Recently, federal officials approved interstate licensing, thereby prompting greater telehealth conversion, utilization, and expansion. Medicare’s 1135 Waiver is also encouraging, and, in as much as it serves the same ends, the Drug…

This article is adapted from Called to Care: A Medical Provider’s Guide for Humanizing Healthcare. Imagine getting a call that your child has injured himself during football practice. Although you are up against a work deadline, you have to find an available doctor, leave work early, pick up your son, battle traffic, hunt for a…

For a bunch of folks striving to stomp out malignant processes in our patients, we sure tolerate a fair amount of destructive behavior among training programs. I’ll be the first to say I’m not the most delicate flower in the garden. Before pursuing medicine, I was a college athlete. I’m no stranger to long hours,…

During a typically busy Saturday evening shift in the emergency department (ED), I am summoned to the trauma room for a “tie-down,” an agitated patient needing restraints. I find the entrance choked with police officers and push my way through to see the patient.  Once there, I see a large, young appearing Black man lying…