National Latino Physician Day (NLPD) was established on October 1, 2022, as a day to celebrate Latino physicians in the United States, who represent 6% of the physician workforce. A strategic aim of NLPD is to simultaneously recognize the critical shortage of Latino physicians when compared to the U.S. population (19%), while sharing evidence-based data showcasing this disparity in Latino physician representation and its potential impact on worsening health care …
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In 2002 pro baseball manager Billy Beane accomplished the impossible. He took the Oakland Athletics, a low-budget team comprised of unknown baseball players to the playoffs. The story’s magic is that he was able to compete with the Goliaths of the baseball world – the New York Yankees – with only a fraction of the budget. The idea is simple – draft players who are statistically successful in their respective …
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As Americans, we rarely question the authenticity or relevance of our constitution. Although segments are hotly debated, and parts are amended over time, the document stands as a light of legal and ethical truism. The foundation of our country and its revolutionary ideals served a purpose – to escape the grip and tyranny of the British empire. Before our independence was won, however, America had some soul searching to do. …
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The room is half-lit from the sunset. Crowding around the bed, in almost saint-like postures, is the family of our patient who is in her last moments of life.
I do my best to console the family, a light touch on the shoulder, and honest stare. Then, there’s the inevitable moment, the palliative extubation. Our patient, gasping for air, head turned to her side, the room in a quiet somber.
The moment …
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The recent Boeing 737 airline crashes have left a scar on the American (and worldwide) psyche regarding air travel. Boeing, an iconic brand, prestigious in history and talent, neglected to update and formally educate pilots regarding an essential software update which ultimately contributed to two fatal crashes, killing 346 people in total.
Recent audio between an American Airlines pilot and Boeing’s leadership offers some insight — and lessons — into this …
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Let’s conduct an experiment. Ask a baby boomer, say someone over the age of 60, about the landing on the moon in 1969. You can count on an emphatic response with people recounting the memorable moment when the moment was televised. The reverence, admiration and utmost respect for the NASA’s scientists and astronauts is practically palpable. NASA, considered the pinnacle of scientific innovation at the time, practically glowed with a …
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There’s a lot of fear and anxiety about the job market with recent medical school graduates. The 2008 crisis almost collapsed the housing market and many of our large banks, prized institutions, and beacons of financial stability, dissolved overnight. If you combine these events with the financial burden of student loans that many graduates have, it’s easy to see why many medical students are somewhat skeptical of the job market.
In …
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As a doctor ready to finish my residency in anesthesiology, most people would assume I am thrilled to be at the finish line of this long, challenging and grueling process. While I am happy to move on and begin practicing on my own, I am also somewhat terrified of what lies ahead. It’s not caring for patients …
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Life as a resident doctor can bring some of the most memorable patients encounters of our career. After all, this is the time in our training when we are the most naïve, vulnerable and most importantly impressionable. There is a certain patient scenario, however, which has changed the way I view one the most important experiences a patient can have: labor.
Let me explain.
I get paged for an epidural. Once I …
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