Amidst the height of the COVID pandemic in New York City, I turned to Netflix to find morsels of yesterday, which seemed so distant then. During this time, I discovered Mindy Kaling’s creation, Never Have I Ever. The show tries to tell the story of a p…
I evaluated the patient in one of our designated exam rooms for persons under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19, fully doffed in personal protective equipment (PPE): an uncomfortable, resonant face shield over my surgical mask, looking like Big Bird in…
When the president of the United States contracts a dangerous disease, the story is big news. When the same disease has taken the lives of 200,000 people and the same president has been under fire for grossly mishandling the response, the tale takes on…
The United Nations designated 2016 to 2025 the “Decade of Action on Nutrition” in recognition of the growing importance of food and diet as it relates to all aspects of human health. We’re almost halfway through, and we’re not making the progress we ne…
New York City has the largest public school system in the country. More than a million students, and tens of thousands of teachers, administrators, and support staff. If you read the papers, the biggest issue is how to organize teaching. The debate is…
I am a psychiatrist. My field has been marred with human rights violations and treatments that though well-meaning, did not yield the results that were intended. I have always been at the watch and helm of speaking out when I see gaps and places where …
December 15, 2018. My coworker is moving to California. She’s a statistician for a group of pulmonary and critical care physicians at our New York City hospital, and I’m a statistician who’s trying not to do too many things wrong, only three months int…
As stores, restaurants, airlines and offices try to lure clients back, this is what they need to do to earn my business: Make me feel safe — no, make me be as safe as possible. As I’ve begun to explore old haunts, some are doing a fabulous job. Others …
As more and more human lives get sadly sucked into this viral rabbit hole, devoured by this haughty virus, in a physically and socially distanced world, the internet seems more than a soul connection, and one cannot ignore the human cacophony around. H…
Physicians love to feel in control. We thrive in environments where we feel we can predict the outcome. Do well in medical school and on boards—you will get into a residency. Take the statin—it will improve your cholesterol. Do the screening colonoscop…
