Author's posts
Dealing with discouragement: strategies for aspiring medical students
Do you remember times when your dreams, hopes, and aspirations were crushed by teachers and other authority figures? We’ve all encountered such times. These experiences shape our character in negative ways and can lead to devastating psychologica…
Common pitfalls underlying cause-and-effect relationships
In the realm of medicine, cause-and-effect relationships are those where a specific cause, such as a disease, condition, or treatment, directly leads to a specific outcome or effect. An example of this is the established fact that smoking causes lung c…
Princess and the pauper: Both deserve health privacy
The sad news of Princess Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis is a sound reminder of the sanctity of a person’s health status and their right to privacy. I wasn’t sure which adjective I should use to describe Kate’s diagnosis – …
Get over toxic situations by leaving them
“Get Over It” is a 1994 album track that marked the Eagles’ reunion after a 14-year hiatus. The tune reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written by band members Don Henley and Glenn Frey (1948-2016). Henley …
The fifth vital sign
An excerpt from Narrative Medicine: The Fifth Vital Sign. “If you don’t take a temperature, you can’t find a fever.” — Samuel Shem, The House of God I enrolled in a creative writing course at a local university to better underst…
Psychiatry in 1984 vs. now: Has progress come at a cost?
This essay is part satire. The trouble is, I don’t know which part. As far as I know, time travel is fodder for science fiction thrillers and movies. It doesn’t actually exist on Earth. However, I can time travel in my mind, and I do it fre…
How narrative medicine empowers neurodivergent patients
It’s been said that the challenges neurodiverse people face are the ones that neurotypical people view as easy, and vice versa. It speaks to the hard-wired diversity of cognitive styles and perspectives among different individuals. Neurotypical p…
Autism spectrum disorder and medicine: strengths, challenges, and stories
Dr. Shaun Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore) stars in ABC’s The Good Doctor, a television drama that centers around an autistic surgeon whose job at the hospital was frequently threatened and would be lost if it were not for the practical and em…
Exploring neurodivergence: a specialist psychiatrist’s journey
I read about a psychiatrist whose interests are in medical ethics and the improvement of medical care for youth coping with the complexities related to neurodivergence and significant mental health conditions. Additionally, she specializes in work with…
Should you fire back after a stealth firing?
Stealth firing is a term used to describe the cold, unexpected firing of employees by their managers and/or individuals from human resources (HR) departments – sometimes without the manager’s awareness and even after years of loyalty for some. Th…
