Medical
5 unusual headaches: Signs to watch for and what to do
Headaches come in lots of varieties, and some are easily recognizable. A migraine classically causes throbbing, pounding pain that lasts for hours — sometimes even days — on one side of the head. A tension headache usually feels like a tight band squeezing around your noggin. And a sinus headache shows up as pressure on…
Read MoreLessons from endurance racing for combatting pandemic fatigue
A recent conversation with a nurse evoked a metaphor for the COVID-19 pandemic. The floor on which she worked had just had several patients die from COVID-19 in rapid succession. One particularly sad case involved a man saying his final goodbye to his mother, both infected with COVID-19, through a video call because they couldn’t…
Read MoreHow to help your child succeed at applying to medical school
An excerpt from Raising Doctors: The Med School Admissions Success Guide for Parents of Future Physicians. Let’s look at how you as a parent can help your child succeed at applying to medical school. Legitimacy and verifiability matter Applying to medical school, I learned what types of activities, accomplishments, and qualifications were valued and what…
Read MoreSamuel Shem, MD on how can we put the connection back into medicine [PODCAST]
“There is a frenzy of trying to use technology to re-establish the healing human connection in the doctor-patient interaction. These efforts range from advanced transcription of voice-to-record, scribes who do the data recording during a patient encounter, and so on. The IT department at NYU Grossman Medical School, where I teach, worked with the dominant…
Read MoreWhy trust is the bedrock of public health policy
I was at my gym last night (yes, it’s finally open). Billy Joel’s ballad about trust was the metronome to my squats. Though vaccinated, I was wearing my mask. Knowing the latest evidence about vaccines, my mask was only for the optics of those mostly maskless around me. I overheard the couple next to me…
Read MorePeer support during the era of COVID-19
Burnout has been an issue for those in health care long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the increased stress and anxiety we face now have caused a host of new problems. The current environment health care professionals (HCPs) find themselves in has brought issues of physical and emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and moral injury, not…
Read MoreIs crying good for you?
It’s safe to say that 2020 gave us more than enough to cry about. Yet even prior to last year, it seems that we were crying fairly often. Researchers note that, on average, American women cry 3.5 times each month, while American men cry about 1.9 times each month. These figures may take some of…
Read MoreA neurosurgeon explains why visualization works
Brain science explains why visualization improves performance in the real world, helps make better decisions, and minimizes errors. Before performing surgery, let’s say for a herniated disc, I stand in front of a white porcelain sink. Antiseptic bubbles cover my hands and drip from my forearms. The surgery takes place in my mind, playing like…
Read MoreHow financial independence evolution shaped the end of my medical career
When I read The Broke Diaries, it was like reading my financial autobiography in medical school. I remember negotiating with the dry-cleaner to split my bill so that I could only pay for one dress and pick the rest up later. Looking forward to making some furniture craft for my apartment on Spring break while the…
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