“What’s the deal with your people?” As a baffled second-year resident, I looked up through my scrub mask at the Caucasian female attending with whom I was operating. I had an idea about what she was referring to as I overheard her complain about a labo…
Category: OB/GYN
The Ellen Show broadcasts potentially harmful information about ovarian cancer screening
Ethical OB/GYNs everywhere sighed heavily when they realized from the action on their Facebook and Twitter feeds that the Ellen Show broadcasted incorrect and potentially harmful information about ovarian cancer screening to almost 4 million people. Mi…
On labor and delivery, there is an “I” in team
I’ve had this idea brewing for a while. It’s taken a while for it to form shape, to work its way from a random niggling thought in my head to something I can articulate with the passion and determination it inspires in me. On labor and delivery: There is an “I” in team. Yes, I […]
Flu vaccination in pregnant women reduces risk of hospitalization
Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in the United States. Influenza also tops the list of the burden of disease and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) according to a Eurosurveillance article. The flu is more likely to cause severe illness and harm pregnant women as compared to women who are not pregnant. Changes in the immune […]
Going to the gynecologist isn’t just about Pap smears
Some days, work frustrates me. Yes, we all have our frustrations. Maybe the traffic is slow, and you get to work late. Maybe you spill your coffee on your work clothes as you walk into your office. Maybe someone calls in sick, and you are short of help at work. But my frustration has to […]
How physicians’ grit is being taken advantage of
A vivid memory stands out from my career. Driving home from the hospital at 3 a.m., I reflected upon my most recent patient’s middle of the night delivery. It wasn’t an easy delivery, as they often aren’t. However, in the end, we had a healthy mom and baby and the family couldn’t have been happier […]
My future as both a mother and a physician
My parents were married at the College of Physicians. They picked a location that was not tied to either of their family’s religions but still sated a ceremonial need. A justice of the peace filled the role of a rabbi or priest, and they got married under the only doctrine they both held sacred: the […]
10 financial tips for physician maternity leave
Let’s be real here. Women make babies. Women also kick butt working. Sometimes women need to make babies while kicking butt working. So, you know, the human race can survive … no big deal. But, all too often, families are unfairly burdened by our dismal maternity support system. Bleary-eyed and bloody, new mamas emerge from […]
Perils of a postpartum pediatrician
During my first pregnancy, I frequently dreamt of my baby. I couldn’t remember the details of facial features or hair color, but I always knew that I was going to have a girl. Three years passed after Claire was born, two more heartbeats were identified and then lost somewhere deep within my abdomen. On two […]
3 ways we’ve failed woman who breastfeed
I have two hours until I’m due to breastfeed my seventh-month-old baby again, so I’ll make this quick: Breastfeeding is really hard for many and our environment and current policy context makes it even harder. The month of August has been declared “National Breastfeeding Month” by the United States Breastfeeding Committee — an organization committed […]
