You know what’s really stressful, and not so very good for the mental health? Medical school. From the Times: It’s been clear for several years now that while aspiring doctors may start medical school as happy and as healthy as… Continue Reading
I am a big fan of Slate‘s Dear Prudence advice column. Emily Yoffe generally dispenses level-headed, no-nonsense advice that doesn’t condescend to her readers. There is a dearth of common sense in American popular culture, and it’s nice to see… Continue Reading
In the high and far-off times, I used to go to the movies a lot. Yea, at the peak of my movie-going salad days I had seen almost all of the nominees for the major Oscars (Best Picture, Director, Screenplay… Continue Reading
I’ve seen it said in discussions of race or gender bias that there is a feeling common to black people or women in the workplace that they must exceed the performances of their white male colleagues in order to feel… Continue Reading
Andrew Sullivan needs a get-a-grip friend. You know the kind. These are the friends we all need who tell us that we should dump the horrible person we’re dating, or that yes our ass really does look fat in those… Continue Reading
Oh, goodie. Goodie, goodie gumdrops. The Golden Globe nominations are out, which means Awards Season is upon us. As I believe I have mentioned from time to time, I am a sucker for awards shows. Or rather, awards shows for… Continue Reading
The other day, Kim asked me if I’d ever consider prescribing a placebo. I replied that I would not, as I would consider doing so unethical. In a lovely piece of symmetry, I came across an article on that very… Continue Reading
When I was in medical school, a friend of mine gave me the use of a pager. He had some kind of business arrangement that provided him with pager service, and he was somehow able to hook me up with… Continue Reading
One of my recurring bugbears is the steadily-blurring line between patients and customers. The expectation for customers at the end of a transaction is that they be satisfied, and everyone knows the axiom about them always being right. A patient,… Continue Reading
The Secretary of Health and Human Services has decided to keep Plan B, the emergency contraceptive pill, prescription-only for adolescents under the age of 17. Her reasons: In her own statement, Ms. Sebelius said, “After careful consideration of the F.D.A.… Continue Reading