Medical
The Intern: an excerpt from a novel
An excerpt from The Intern. Room 12 was at the west end of the pediatrics ward and to the right, at the far side of an alcove few patients ever entered—and none left. Maggie paused at the corner, reaching into the recess where the nurses stowed the food cart, and tucked away a couple packages…
Read MoreHow microaggressions contribute to impostor syndrome
I accepted my job as chair of the department of pathology at the University of Arkansas before I turned 40, though I didn’t start until after my birthday. I don’t know if I was the youngest chair in the country, but I think I was the only one with a car seat and a spare…
Read MoreAn open letter to graduating medical students
I see you. Studying. Reading the updated guidelines for patients with COVID-19, reviewing differentials, and management algorithms for common chief complaints during this time of restricted direct patient contact. Embracing online boot camps. Completing residency paperwork. Thank you for preparing. Relaxing. Trying out a new yoga video. Watching Netflix by the hour. Reading a new…
Read MoreCOVID-19 and the MCAT: What should premedical students do?
As many of the spring MCAT dates have been canceled due to the onset of COVID-19, pre-med students across the country will be faced with daunting decisions on when to test and how to prepare for arguably the most definitive examination of their careers thus far. Students’ strategies surrounding the MCAT can affect anything from…
Read MoreAs the pandemic drags on, when can we get back to work?
Along with widespread illness and death, the COVID-19 pandemic is also causing massive economic disruption. Stay-at-home measures and business shutdowns have prevented millions of people from working. In just four weeks, between mid-March and mid-April, 22 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits. These numbers are bound to spiral higher. Given all the hardships — and…
Read MoreThe Hippocratic Oath versus my oath as a mother
I recited the Hippocratic Oath many years ago as I donned my new white coat and made a commitment to serve humanity through the practice of medicine. That zeal to help others continued through a vigorous residency and fellowship. As life was put on hold to pursue that dream of becoming a doctor, the brakes…
Read MorePandemic lessons: Social justice is not disposable medical school curriculum
With the public health emergency of COVID-19, there has been a renewed call to improve emergency preparedness among physicians. Varied proposals have arisen for how to improve medical education in anticipation of future disasters. While many of these proposals are reasonable, a problematic train of thought has also emerged: seeking to improve pandemic education at the…
Read MoreStruggling with attention and organization as you age? It could be ADHD, not dementia
As we get older, occasional forgetfulness may become more worrisome. Is this the start of dementia, or are we just stressed? Has the loss of structure due to retirement led to this change? Or could we be suffering from another illness, maybe the same illness as our son or granddaughter, who also struggle with attention…
Read MoreWhat happens to health care workers after the coronavirus?
Webster’s Dictionary defines trauma as a “disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe emotional stress.” An article in MarketWatch describes the reality of a doctor after being on the frontlines in Wuhan for two months: Li is mentally and psychologically at a loss for what to do next. He can’t sleep or eat, he…
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