With the incredible breadth of medical professions consisting of nurses, primary care physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, and even measly little medical students like me, it’s easy to get lost in the differences between each component of the healthcare system. But there’s one unifying responsibility that we all honor – that of patient…
After finishing the infectious disease course in basic sciences, I learned one overbearing truth – when in doubt, it’s probably Staph. However, in the case of dental caries (tooth cavities), another very popular group of bacteria is the culprit – Strep! More specifically, S mutans.
Is Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) better at reducing the risk for stroke than Coumadin (warfarin) in patients with atrial fibrillation? For many years, Coumadin has been the oral anticoagulant of choice as prophylaxis against thrombus formation in conditions like atrial fibrillation; however, drug interactions with antibiotics, psychiatric drugs, and other drug…
Dr. David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Baylor Med, best-selling author, and thought-provoking speaker, gave several lectures during the neuro course spanning blocks 5 and 6. During his lectures, he provided several anecdotes which forced us to expand our minds to comprehend the mystery behind things like synesthesia. However, it wasn’t…
If you’ve not seen this letter by Dr. Roger Jones circulating over the Internet, here’s your chance to read one of the most poignant and accurate depictions of our health care system’s real problem – the culture crisis.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a liver infection which has been linked to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, is a potentially chronic condition if left untreated. Because of its extremely long latency period, patients who have recently contracted the virus can go decades without becoming symptomatic.
Its bugged me how many times I’ve received the “oh you’re in medical school because you’re supposed to be” sentiment over the past year.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a tricky bug. Our bodies use a barrage of immune mechanisms to combat bacteria, viruses and the like, but HIV-1 just happens to target one of the primary immune modulators – the CD4+ T cell. By eliminating this “helper” cell, the body’s overall…
During the Q & A portion of a med/tech presentation I gave yesterday, I was asked why I pursued medicine if information technology (IT) seems to account for most of my hobbies and interests.
One of my best friends who I’ve known since elementary just graduated from undergrad and is starting medical school this fall. Over the last four years, his experiences in college can be summed up nothing short of a nightmare. We’ve talked several times about the people he is surrounded by…