Category: Public Health & Policy

Should drug use be decriminalized?

During the final presidential debate, Joe Biden said that “no one should be going to jail for a drug problem, they should be going to rehabilitation,” effectively suggesting that substance use be decriminalized in the US. The war on drugs Since Preside…

Examining the duty of physician officials in the government [PODCAST]

“The duty of physician officials in the government exceeds that of other officials. As physicians, they have a unique moral obligation to do more than protect the constitution from enemies, foreign and domestic. They have a duty to be unambiguous…

COVID-19 amplifies health disparities [PODCAST]

“The daily email update on COVID-19 affecting our hospital system is a glaring reflection of the health disparities amongst those in marginalized groups. The farther south you go, generally in San Diego, the higher the number of socioeconomically…

Recognize the Trump that lies within each of us and try to heal him

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is w…

We have a duty to denounce violence before and after the election

Uncertainty is the word that comes to mind when describing the United States’ current state of affairs. There is uncertainty about the presidential election and the country’s future direction, economic struggles for many Americans, race/gen…

May we all find the peace we search for

It has been a year of change and constants. Shortly after a new year was ushered in, we heard of a virus that was sweeping across China and Europe. We saw the devastation that this virus brought to humanity, people gasping for air in ICUs, no known or …

I will not stand here and mourn a world that could have been

When it has already happened, it feels inevitable. A girl appearing late one night, quiet from trauma, the crossed arms and loud voices of police breaking the relative calm of the early morning ER. After the shift, ordering breakfast at the deli counte…

Election anxiety? Here’s a guide to practicing medicine in Canada.

Oh, Canada! Every presidential election cycle, my colleagues joke that if the election result is not to their liking, they will move to Canada. On election night 2016, “move to Canada” trended on Google, and the Canadian immigration website crashed. Th…

Interstate licensure for telehealth can fuel medical practice growth

When it comes to using telehealth to treat patients out of state, most physicians are mindful about licensure issues. But some are not aware that if you don’t have a license to practice medicine in a given state, it isn’t just malpractice: It’s a crimi…

Think deeply about ways you can use your power as a physician to make change

I’d cried all the tears I owned, so when I heard about hospital administrators serving pancakes, I walked down to the cafeteria hungry for comfort. A dear friend served me and asked if I was OK. She knew I wasn’t. She couldn’t stop to eat pancakes with…