Author's posts
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…
Just how personal should personal statements be on medical school applications?
I read an essay advocating the disclosure of personal trauma on medical school applications as a means of overcoming stigma and taboo often associated with rape and other forms of trauma. The authors lamented that a culture of silence persists in medic…
My journey of missed journaling opportunities in the world of medicine
An excerpt from Medicine on Fire: A Narrative Travelogue. I regret not keeping a diary or journal to write about patient encounters and interactions with peers, residents and attendings, not to mention the sundry characters connected to the academic he…
Medical residency closures: Is nothing sacred anymore?
Closing a residency program can significantly disrupt a physician’s training. In 2019, the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia forced 570 residents to find new placements. First-year residents discovered a week before they st…
How can physicians become world-class leaders?
Following a Congressional hearing into antisemitic harassment on the campuses of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania, there were several changes in leadership at Penn. Jonathan A. Epstein, MD, was named interim dean at Penn’s Perelma…
Down with diversity in 2024?
Since the December 5, 2023, Congressional hearing into antisemitic harassment at Penn, Harvard, and MIT, I was shocked to learn how universities, large and small, public and private, have been hijacked by extreme right-wing leaders connected directly o…
