In one of my favorite movies, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the original crew of the Enterprise has traveled through time, back to the, to them ancient, city of San Francisco circa the 1980s. It’s all about Earth whales and alien cetaceans being…
Category: Conditions
Debunking the top myths about schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that is commonly misunderstood. A lack of understanding about the disease can cause people to draw inaccurate conclusions based on stereotypical portrayals in movies or television. Unfortunately, movie characte…
It’s time for more genomics education in nursing
Genetic testing is now the standard of care for common diseases such as cancer and heart disease, predicting risk and enabling earlier and more effective patient care. It’s an exciting revolution in patient care that has far-reaching potential an…
Why we shouldn’t trust sleep-deprived doctors: a wake-up call
I wouldn’t trust my Uber driver to drive me after they’ve been awake for over 24 hours. Why would I trust my doctor? Since starting medical school and hearing about the dreadful 24-hour shifts, I’ve constantly wondered why they are st…
Unveiling the unseen: the hidden costs of health care-associated infections
Many aspects of health care-associated infections are unseen. The bacteria that cause infections like C. difficile or catheter-associated urinary tract infections are invisible to the naked eye. Beyond the financial burdens of additional treatment and …
The adverse labor and delivery experiences faced by Black women
Women of color, particularly Black women, encounter distinct challenges during pregnancy and childbirth. This results in disproportionately adverse outcomes such as invasive treatments, infant mortality, severe complications, and even death experienced…
Black maternal mortality crisis: Preventable deaths demand action
The racial and ethnic divide within health care remains largely unaddressed. One aspect I wish to highlight is the impact of mortality rates after childbirth, particularly among African American women. They face the highest mortality rates postpartum, …
Black maternal mortality crisis: Preventable deaths demand action
The racial and ethnic divide within health care remains largely unaddressed. One aspect I wish to highlight is the impact of mortality rates after childbirth, particularly among African American women. They face the highest mortality rates postpartum, …
The many losses of a long psychiatry career
At the beginning of a career – sometimes when viewed through rose-colored glasses not yet spoiled by reality – you hope to be able to lose loss to stay away. Somehow you feel like if you just try hard enough – practice psychiatry in the best way …
Understanding autoimmune flares: triggers, symptoms, and treatment options
Just when you think your autoimmune disease(s) are calming down and you feel better, a dramatic worsening of disease signs and symptoms can happen without warning. They are unpredictable and disruptive, and can cause a disturbing influence in your ever…
