“When we hear skepticism, our first instinct may be to end the conversation. After all, why spend our time trying to convince someone who has made up their mind? Our second instinct may be to counter the person’s position without pausing to hear …
Category: Infectious disease
A Christian physician’s message to Christian vaccine skeptics
I think it is remarkably irresponsible to have a balm and refuse to use it. I think it is remarkably irresponsible to have a salve and refuse to apply it. I think it is remarkably irresponsible to have a cure and refuse to accept it. And you’d th…
The unvaccinated and a history of cynicism
The vitriol that characterizes discussions about vaccines, masking, and school policies has been deeply disturbing. I am a physician who is concerned about COVID. At first, I thought that everyone would want to be vaccinated. I thought that the pandemi…
Could a pause in screenings increase missed cancer diagnoses?
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. in 2020, most hospitals and physician’s offices paused elective and preventive care services to focus on treating large numbers of COVID patients, preserving medical supplies and bed space in hospitals, and …
The unvaccinated are not difficult patients
We’re getting into trouble. With headlines like “Why I am angry” and “Burnout rates at an all-time high,” physicians need to take a moment and breath. Unvaccinated people are presenting as very difficult patients that physicians dread. In his landmark …
Who needs scientists? It’s not like we listen to them anyway. [PODCAST]
“I am a proud science-trained medical doctor and concerned mother. I am not going to remain silent when the biggest tragedies are yet to hit earth yet. Like seriously, I do not want to become like the dinosaurs. History wasn’t too kind to them. J…
COVID-19 vaccines: the state of the art
Effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines appeared in record time, with 68% of Italians, 60% of Americans, and 32% of all human beings already having at least one dose. Most of the 138 candidates quit by Phase 2; the German mRNA vaccine CureVac went through an ent…
Giving ourselves grace as physicians
“We must give others the dignity of their own path.” – Judith Orloff, MD As the Delta variant surges, few words can underscore what we as a physician community are grappling with. We struggle to make sense of humanity around us. As physicians, we trust…
As we wait for the joy to return to medicine
We liked science and wanted to help people. “I’ll help people,” we said, “I’ll be a doctor. I’ll do no harm and try my best.” We studied and studied and were terrified on our first months on the wards. Finally,…
How do we explain the unexplainable? Are there words for the things we’ve experienced?
I’m usually good with words. The last year and a half of being a “front line nurse” has left me struggling to find the words. The frustration, anger, trauma, and sadness have so muddied my mind that I find it hard to sort through all of the complexitie…
