High incidences of burnout, quiet quitting, suicide, workplace violence, excessive and relentless stress, and chronic staffing shortages reveal a huge need for resilience among health care workers. Resilience is a complex competency involving flexibili…
An excerpt from Mars Hospital: A Doctor’s Novel. “Patient’s ready. This one will be interesting,” Sally said with a smirk. “Mom brought her nineteen-year-old son in, and she says he’s the devil.” I rolled my ey…
“Fine lines” in medicine often refer to situations where decisions are not clear-cut and require careful judgment. Perhaps the most tenuous of lines is the one between “real” childhood illnesses and those caused by Munchausen sy…
Have you ever wondered why some people always seem to be in pain? Or why someone can receive a prescription for a minor procedure and immediately feel drawn to drug use? Scientists may have recently figured out one of the reasons for these behaviors, a…
In recent years, there has been an exponential growth in global awareness surrounding the subject of mental health. As it becomes increasingly evident that mental well-being is just as crucial as physical health, community interventions such as Mental …
October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people in the United States are physically abused by an intimate partner per minute. It is importa…
I much prefer to be called “doctor,” to be on the side listening and examining, and hopefully to help find a solution. Finding myself on the converse side; trying to explain my perspective and trying to find an explanation and solution to m…
The recent coverage of ECMO by the Wall Street Journal has shone a spotlight on a therapy that, despite its decades-long existence, remains relatively obscure and underutilized. While the article thoughtfully delved into the ethical considerations surr…
In 2009, the famed NPR radio series This American Life aired an episode that would forever change how we looked at college life. “#1 Party School” featured Penn State University and shed light on the rampant alcohol abuse in higher educatio…
An excerpt from 2060. Willis murmured, “Not again.” He approached his mother, who was lying in bed with an uneaten tray of food on the bedside table. A stream of drool collected on her gown as she slumped to the right. “Mom.” Wi…
