An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey. The German Baron Karl Friedrich Von Munchausen (1720-1797) was famous for his tall tales. Returning from the war, he described himself riding on a cannonball and even reaching the moon. …
Category: Conditions
COVID-19 stands on the shoulders of giants
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to assimilate the global transformation that has taken place in just a few short months. As we each struggle to make sense of this life-altering event, it might help to reflect on pandemics’…
Dear families: We are strong, but we are tired
After 33 years as an ICU RN, I had finally decided I couldn’t do this anymore. It was my last nightshift. The last shift convinced me I had made the right decision. The CNA and I went door to door to turn each ICU patient that was not capable of turnin…
The potential for violence against health care workers during COVID-19
Recently, the FBI foiled an attempt to kidnap the governor of Michigan. The entire story reads like a Tom Clancy novel: a group of disgruntled strangers meets and organizes through chat rooms online. They conduct tactical training in the woods, do su…
The myth of object permanence
I remember the sound of pure joy and laughter when playing peek-a-boo with my daughter. She would look at me with her big blue eyes and giggle loudly. One of the reasons this game is interesting to children is the psychological concept of object perm…
The coronavirus football double standard
It is Thanksgiving and, while many are counting their blessings, others are mourning the loss of family time, routine, turkey, big family gatherings, and football. The Baltimore Ravens had to cancel their game today because of too many positive COVID…
What you need to know about cold and flu season in the time of COVID-19
The cold and flu season looks very different this year with the COVID-19 pandemic. When a person has a fever, sore throat, aches, and chills, they need to consider when to self isolate, when to be tested for COVID-19, when to be assessed in person and …
A society that values evidence is more resilient in the face of health crises
In a world of unprecedented access to information and incredible connectedness, everyone is an expert. Public health has been one of the many victims of this phenomenon, yet it is the single most important strategy for managing the global crisis we are…
Normalizing infertility conversations in the workplace
I am a medical doctor—a hospitalist working in an environment with many talented professionals. We share our knowledge and our approach to medicine with one another in ways that profoundly affect our patients and other personnel in the hospital. At ou…
I am a critical care physician. These are the patients in the ICU.
I am a critical care physician. I am at the frontlines of this pandemic, in a state of “war” against an unseen enemy that has brought unimaginable destruction in its path. I arrive at work at 7 a.m. for my shift. I am in a state of hypervig…
