British surgeon James Young Simpson summed up a 19th-century patient’s chances of survival in one pithy and pitiful statement: “A man laid on the operating table in one of our surgical hospitals is exposed to more chance of death than was the English soldier on the field of Waterloo.” And he was right. Until the…
Last spring, doctors’ offices across the country were eerily quiet. Almost overnight, patients stopped coming in as COVID-19, and the fear that the novel coronavirus begat, spread through communities across the country. Healthcare providers quickly adapted. “We were able to pivot to using telemedicine as another mode in terms of connecting with patients,” recalls physician…
One of the most difficult challenges of a demanding profession, especially one that requires long hours of intense concentration, is being able to leave work behind after a shift. However, downtime is crucial to better managing stress and avoiding burnout. Creating a time of transition, when you get home and before diving into any of…
Because of his status as a healthcare worker, Steven Arsht, an orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, was the first in his family to get a COVID-19 vaccine. As he moved forward in line in January, he found himself thinking of his brother-in-law, Louis Sarrel, who died of the disease…
Spring is around the corner, and with warmer temperatures many physicians are eyeing new training regimens. Before you hit the pavement or get on that bike, it’s best to build a good strength base first. Not only does a stronger body help maximize the value of your new program, it also aids in avoiding the…
Life for medical professionals is stressful during the best of times. This past year — yes, it has been almost one year since the COVID-19 pandemic began — has been exponentially more so. Despite the extra demands placed on everyone, finding time to wind down, relax and recharge and maintaining a healthy, thoughtful approach to…
On a Zoom call last March, Katie Hisert, a pulmonologist, assistant professor and researcher at National Jewish Health in Denver, realized that she was on the verge of a panic attack. She and her critical care colleagues were discussing what they would do should they run out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients. Afterward, Hisert immediately…
Like so many holidays and special occasions over the past 11 months, this year’s Valentine’s Day will be different than those pre-pandemic. But that doesn’t mean the holiday that observes love has to be neglected, especially for those working the front lines for so long. Though it’s often celebrated by dining out at a special…
When Harvard Medical School switched to remote learning last March, Silvia Huerta Lopez went back to her family in New Jersey. She had quarantined for two weeks before leaving Boston, to avoid potentially bringing the novel coronavirus home. But her entire family was already sick and coughing — months later they all tested positive for…
For months, I knew the vaccines were coming. I thought I was ready. Turns out, I wasn’t. First came the images of doctors and nurses getting their vaccinations. Then the shot of former Vice President Pence, with the sleeves of his gray button-down shirt rolled up for a gloved caregiver to inoculate him. Three days…
Social media can be a toxic jungle for many people, but new research shows that it’s especially bad for women physicians. They are twice as likely as male doctors to be sexually harassed on the internet and are often subject to other online abuse, including personal attacks, coordinated harassment and barrages of negative reviews. Doxing…
In the week leading up to a trip to Mount Rainier last summer, Tara Garland, an emergency medicine physician and avid outdoorswoman, got the same question from three different colleagues: “What do you carry in your first-aid wilderness kit?” It wasn’t the first time Garland, who carries a kit for both herself and others, had…
For me, there’s one simple truth in life: Music makes life better. Whether it’s music to chill, energize, get your feet moving or your hips shaking or to help you focus, as a lifelong musician, it is impossible — and scary, actually — to imagine life without music. I listen to music while pretty much…
In the early 1800s, women’s access to meaningful healthcare was grim, with many dying from diseases curable re. Because, for the most part, they weren’t allowed to attend medical schools, female physicians were unheard of, and women often avoided male doctors. Some didn’t want to be examined by men, and others were afraid that a…
In the pandemic year of 2020, applications to medical schools in the United States surged by an average of 18%, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. At a few med schools, applications were up by 20%, 30% and more. Observers were quick to anoint this trend as the pandemic effect or, more precisely,…
When COVID-19 vaccines became available for physicians in December 2020, Howard Green, a Florida dermatologist in his early 60s, waited to hear about his vaccination appointment from a Tenet Healthcare hospital he’s affiliated with. But the call never came. Green wasn’t placed on the high-priority list, despite performing Mohs surgeries, which involve removing microscopic skin…
Whether it’s cooking for my family when I’m with them, or for myself, there are evenings I find not having either the energy or the ingredients to make a meal that involves too much prep and requires a lot of time. One thing I usually have in my fridge is kimchi, a spicy Korean dish…
In the spring of 1957, American microbiologist Maurice Hilleman read an article in The New York Times that left him greatly alarmed. “It said that there were all these children taken into dispensaries in Hong Kong, twenty thousand people lined up,” he said, describing the hospital scene in China in an interview years later. “My…
One thing I learned as a single dad raising twin daughters, while working full-time as a marketing executive, was that dinnertime meals had to be quick, healthy and come with lunch-ready leftovers. And the easiest, best way I found to make those meals was making use of a carbon steel wok. While you can certainly…
Last year was “brutal, exhilarating, terrifying, awesome, and ultimately grueling” for Jonathan Golob, assistant professor of infectious disease at the University of Michigan. Around Easter, he volunteered to be part of a team handling surge capacity for the hospital’s respiratory intensive care cases, as doctors were still learning how to care for patients and effectively…
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