A patient came to see me recently (all my stories start like this: “A patient walked into the room…,” akin to “A guy walked into a bar…”), and she was so embarrassed to be there. That’s not uncommon for me. What was unusua…
Category: Conditions
How we can safeguard patients without restricting telehealth access
The state of mental health care in the U.S. is dire, and with the telehealth prescription waivers projected to expire at the end of the year, it’s only going to get worse. If a temporary extension is granted, we can leverage technology and presen…
Ways that one can succeed in dermatology residency: words of wisdom from a program coordinator
With sixteen years of experience working with dermatology residents, my role as a program coordinator has evolved immensely. Within the auspices of graduate medical education (GME), I manage the dermatology residency program, projects, and program budg…
Abused and broken: her fight for survival in a behavioral health unit
It was that bewitching hour. 0300. Behavioral health unit/behavioral health intensive care unit. She was a small young woman. Her eyes appeared black as coal, as if her soul had been sucked out repeatedly. There were bruises around her eyes, black and …
The emotional toll doctors face: a book review
For over twenty years, I’ve had a recurring nightmare: I’m back in medical training, and my patient is crashing. To save them, I must enter my medical orders into the electronic health record (EHR). The only problem is, there are no open co…
PTSD: Why trauma’s impact is more complex than you think
According to the National Institutes of Health, the majority of individuals experience several traumatic events in their lifetimes, but do they all develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? If you question the general populace or the media, they w…
The urgent need for equity and accessibility in pediatric mental health care
Recently, I encountered a stark reminder of the challenges facing our mental health care system. A 16-year-old Black boy came to us at Boston Community Pediatrics (BCP) in a state of crisis, expressing suicidal thoughts and a deep sense of fear. As par…
Why rethinking cancer risk is critical to addressing rising cancer rates in young adults
I recently encountered a new patient, a seemingly healthy 25-year-old man who had just graduated from college and was working his first job. He was not a tobacco user and had no medical diagnoses, but shoulder and abdominal pain brought him to Mass Gen…
The dangerous impact of cognitive distortions on grieving
In the weeks after her mother died, Stacy’s mind was filled with thoughts about things she believed she’d done wrong and ways she’d let her mother down. “I shouldn’t have gotten so impatient with her”; “I shoul…
Toxic waste disaster: How Hughes Aircraft poisoned Tucson’s environment and people
An excerpt from Disabled Ecologies. The multicolored poisonous waste disposed of by Hughes Aircraft Company was never just TCE, the most infamous ingredient. It was always a toxic soup: dozens of volatile organic compounds and heavy metals, contaminant…
