Author's posts
70 and thriving: How I discovered my encore career
In the midst of moving and changing my residential address, and at 70 years of age, I finally figured out my encore career: building Bankers Boxes. Perhaps my skills will transfer to folding pizza boxes. This is as good a time as any to use humor, i.e….
Generation Z and implications for medical education
Many Baby Boomers have been quick to point out that 2024 is not 1968. When students occupied buildings at Columbia University 56 years ago, at least their objectives were clear – to put an end to the Vietnam War. Do students today who have camped out a…
Why patient stories matter in medical decision-making
An excerpt from Narrative Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling through Essays. I work for an organization that manages the medical and mental health needs of children and adults who are severely and persistently ill. Typical diagnoses in the …
The impact of war trauma, the challenge of objectivity, and the power of therapy and storytelling in healing
Trauma in the form of war is one of the worst forms of trauma to endure. How do people remain objective about events and the involved nations when they have been directly or indirectly affected by war? For example, how are Holocaust survivors and their…
The greatest story you never tell: It’s yours
Adapted from Narrative Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling through Essays, on the occasion of Passover. “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is a phrase often used to refer to stories that have had a significant impact on humanity and …
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…
