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 …
Category: Conditions
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…
COVID: Perspective brings growth
“Quarantine for 14 days. Quarantine for 10 days. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Watch for breathing difficulties. Call me with any questions.” These are the phrases I’ve said over and over for months. Now they are the recurrent thoughts in my own mind a…
Why male circumcision should be delayed
In Finland, lawmakers recently voted to make an existing ban on female genital mutilation more explicit by outlining punishments for such manipulation under the Finnish criminal law. This bill’s passage was widely applauded as it furthers the glo…
A record number of guns were sold in 2020: Should we be concerned?
Amidst the abundance of coverage of the 2020 presidential election mixed with an evolving pandemic, here is a news story you may have missed: it’s 2020 and guns are more popular than ever in the U.S. According to data from Small Arms Analytics to date,…
The FDA should consider vitamin D as a pharmaceutical agent for COVID
While the current COVID pandemic has created serious health challenges, there has been a dramatic increase in research examining the effects of vitamins on COVID infections. Many studies report the positive effects of vitamin D in boosting our immune s…
A heartfelt thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine trial volunteers
We officially now have the vaccine and have begun to immunize the frontline workers at our hospital with the COVID-19 vaccine. And since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine emergency use authorization and…
A cozy COVID Christmas: Finding hope and joy in darkness
We recently passed the third Sunday of Advent. In my faith tradition, that is a day we focus on joy. I write today about the joys of having a “cozy COVID Christmas” and how we can celebrate our respective holidays while minimizing the risk to our loved…
There needs to be a better approach to victims of sexual violence
I am a nurse who has worked at a rural hospital. My husband is a board-certified family medicine doctor. In the fall of 2020, I was raped by my massage therapist. I know that everyone has an opinion of what they would do in that situation, and I was pr…
A letter to Black America for those who do not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine
I am a Black female physician who entered medicine with the hopes to serve her community. I am “Black and Proud,” in the words of James Brown. I love all of my patients, regardless of their race or ethnicity, but I am not afraid to admit that Black Liv…
