November 22nd, 2010 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Dr. Edwin Leap, Future Physicians, General Medicine, Government-run Healthcare, Healthcare reform, Impediments To Patient Care, KevinMD, Medical Students, New Doctors, New Medical Residents, New Species of Physician, New U.S. Healthcare System, Physician Extinction, Pre-Med Students, Rules For Doctors
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Here’s my [recent] commentary at KevinMD. Let me know what you think. What kind of physicians DO we want for the future?
I was talking with a pre-med student recently. He had completed his very first medical school interview and was, understandably, excited. But he told me the interviewer had asked him what he thought would be the outcome of the current healthcare reform measures.
I laughed to myself. After 17 years in practice, even I don’t know the outcome, though I have my suspicions. It seemed a loaded, almost unfair question. After miring students in biology, physics, chemistry and every known application-padding activity, after expecting volunteerism and activism, I’m not sure why they would expect this young man to have any earthly idea about the reform measures from his current position in the medical biosphere.
But I wondered, since I’m not a medical educator, was there a right answer? And I wondered even more, what do we want in our future physicians? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
November 18th, 2010 by Linda Burke-Galloway, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research, True Stories
Tags: Biological Clock, Birth-Related Complications, Blood Clot, Cardiomyopathy, Donor Eggs, Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway, Enlarged Heart From Pregnancy, Fetal Health, Heart Disease, Hemorrhage, High Blood Pressure, High Risk Pregnancy, Hypertension, In Vitro Fertilization, IVF, Maternal Health, Maternal-Fetal Specialist, Neonatal Health, OB/GYN, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Older Pregnant Woman, Pregnancy After Age 45, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Pregnancy-Related Deaths, Pregnancy-Related Infection, Premature Baby, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Outcomes, Stroke, Women's Health
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As more older women attempt to beat the biological clock and conceive, they are at greater risk for developing birth-related complications. For women over 45, there is less than a 1 percent chance of getting pregnant using their own eggs. Successful pregnancy for women over 45 is nearly always the result of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and the use of an egg donor.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University reviewed birth records from 2000 to 2008, specifically looking at the records of 177 women who gave birth at the age of 45 and beyond. The majority of the women had IVF and received donor eggs, and 80 percent of the babies were delivered via cesarean section (C-section).
Despite their celebrity, Kelly Presley (age 47), Celine Dion (age 42), and Mariah Carey (age 40), are older pregnant women who are at risk. The premature birth of Celine Dion’s twin sons did not surprise me at all. Women over 35, and especially those over 45 with underlying medical problems, should be treated prior to becoming pregnant. I cannot emphasize this enough. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway*
November 18th, 2010 by David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D. in Better Health Network, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research, True Stories
Tags: CAM, Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Dana Ullman, Dr. David Gorski, Fibromyalgia, Homeopathy, Huffington Post, Medical Quackery, Pseudomedicine, SBM, Science Based Medicine, Woo
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Over the weekend, my wife and I happened to be in the pharmacy section of our local Target store. We happened to be looking for one of our favorite cold remedies, because both of us have been suffering from rather annoying colds, which have plagued both of us for the last week or two.
As we perused the Cold and Flu section of the pharmacy, we were struck at how much shelf space was taken up by Airborne (which was “invented by a schoolteacher.“) Nearly three years ago Airborne had to settle a case brought against it alleging false advertising to the tune of $23 million. Despite that, Airborne is still being sold, and there are even a whole bunch of knock-off products copying it.
Then, as we continued to look for our favored cold remedy, we noted that, sitting right next to the extensive shelf space devoted to the various flavors and types of Airborne supplements, I saw Boiron’s homeopathic remedy for colds containing oscillococcinum, which is derived from duck liver and heart and diluted to 200C (a 10400-fold dilution). Yes, I was a bit depressed after that. Now I know what my skeptical friends in the U.K. go through every time they walk into a Boots pharmacy.
Still, even though homeopathy is not as popular in the U.S. as it is in the U.K. and the rest of Europe, it’s obviously making some inroads if it’s being sold in Target. Steve Novella made a point at a panel at TAM8 in July to point out that it’s also being sold in Walmart, but since I rarely, if ever, shop at Walmart, I hadn’t noticed, although I had noticed various dubious concoctions being sold at Walgreens and CVS, two large pharmacy chains here in the U.S. Its relative popularity in different parts of the world aside, ever since I learned what homeopathy is and what its precepts are, I’ve always been fascinated how it can possibly be taken seriously. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
November 17th, 2010 by DrRob in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
Tags: Being A Doctor, Caring For Yourself, Diet and Exercise, Do As I Say Not As I Do, Doctor As A Patient, Doctor's Appointment For A Doctor, Doctor's Health, Doctor's Personal Life, Doctor's Story, Dr. Rob Lamberts, Eating Healthy, Family Practice, General Medicine, Healthy Lifestyle, Lack Of Exercise, Musings of a Distractible Mind, Obesity, Overweight, Primary Care, Self-Care, Taking Care of Yourself, Weight Gain
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I did a little “self care” earlier this week. I did it by not caring for myself. I went to the doctor.
I was sitting in the waiting area for my appointment and saw the mother of one of my patients. “Why are you here?” she asked. “I have a doctor’s appointment,” I replied. She got a curious look on her face, asking: “Don’t you doctors just take care of yourselves? I thought that was what doctors did.”
We do take care of ourselves. In fact, we do it far more often than we should. Being your own doctor allows for a lot of denial. When you spend your day advocating healthy lifestyles after you had trouble finding pants that would fit in the morning, denial is necessary. “Do as I say, not as I do.”
I realize that this is hypocrisy — that is why I was at the doctor on Monday. My patients have noticed my expanding waistline, commenting on it more than I would wish. Certainly my pants get in the way of denial as well, not forgiving the fact that I have been under a whole lot of stress. Pants don’t accept excuses.
So I found myself in the unfamiliar experience of being the patient. Instead of closing my mind and emotions to my own body, I had to frankly assess what I was doing to it. Standing on the scale was as frank of an assessment as I would ever want. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
November 17th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Benefits of Volunteering, Dr. Toni Brayer, Emotional Well-Being, Everything Health, Family Practice, Fighting Poverty And Disease, General Medicine, Generous Behavior, Giving To Others, Helping Others, Kiva, Lending Money To Those In Need, Mental Health, Microcredit, Microloan, Primary Care, Volunteerism, Volunteers
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Research has shown that giving to others can lead to a healthier, happier, and longer life. Generous behavior reduces depression and risk of suicide in adolescents. Volunteerism on the part of older adults significantly reduces mortality. Giving to others enables people to forgive themselves for mistakes — a key element in well-being.
One way to have a lot of fun on the Internet and get a health boost while doing so is to log on to a cool site called Kiva. For as little as $25.00, ordinary people like you and me can be part of the worldwide microloan (or microcredit) community. Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
