The roll-out of the COVID vaccine, which started in the U.S. recently, brought hope to millions of Americans reeling under the protracted coronavirus pandemic. The phrase “this is the beginning of the end” was used repeatedly by interviewed…
Category: Conditions
With cancer, you often get some prep time
Some poignant moments with patients take me by surprise. I have had hundreds (thousands?) of difficult discussions with patients. They are all difficult and unique, but sometimes they unexpectedly and without good explanation, catch me off guard. I s…
COVID vaccine resistance in underrepresented communities
Despite advances in the science of diabetes, including a huge armory of new drugs, over 34.2 million people still suffer. More than 88 million adults are at risk for diabetes, disproportionately affecting Black and brown communities. Individuals with d…
The 12 days of COVID
On the first day of COVID my hospital administrator gave to me, A pep talk and some shoddy PPE. On the second day of COVID my hospital administrator gave to me, Two nitrile gloves, And a pep talk and some shoddy PPE. On the third day of COVID my hospit…
I am a physician who tested positive for COVID-19. My main symptom is anger.
As cases exploded across the country, I watched with horror as I saw people go on with their daily lives as if hundreds of thousands of people were not dying, as if millions were not infected, as if our health care system was not collapsing. I watched …
The COVID vaccine selfie: The caption matters as much as the picture
COVID-19 has forever changed science. There have been many positives. The virus has forced us to question long-held notions in immunology, virology, and critical care, improving our ability to battle disease. There have been brilliant expressions of cr…
6 things people should know about the COVID-19 vaccines
Two COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA so far, and many health care workers and first responders are already receiving the vaccine. As the general public waits their turn, there are many …
A very COVID Christmas
As I was running into the grocery store, I couldn’t help but take a moment to look at the light, the candy cane border, and the bell ringers stationed in front of the door. For a moment, I felt like I was in some dystopian Hallmark movie. I loo…
Health care is making progress on the “social” in the biopsychosocial model
In his seminal 1977 Science magazine article, “The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine,” Dr. George Engel outlined the biomedical model’s limitations and proposed a new model, which he termed the biopsychosocial …
What this physician says to vaccine-doubters
Can you tell the difference between an “anti-vaxxer” and a “vaccine-doubter”? An anti-vaxxer will outright deny and reject vaccines and may be quite rigid in their views. In contrast, a vaccine-doubter understands the importance of vaccines but has man…
