Category Archives: Medical Education

American Public Health in the Trump Era – It Wasn’t Just Trump

All of our problems, certainly as regards health, do not lie at the feet of the Great Orange Liar. Continue reading

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Quora Query: Will Trump Turn Out To be the Best Thing That Happened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?

[From 2016, slightly modified]: No. We are in for a rather wild ride, and I don’t mean that in the most pleasant or interesting way. The Trump administration – or should I say anti-administration since Trump has appointed government haters … Continue reading

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Quora Query: Does it Really Happen That Doctors Let Their Patients Die Because the Patient’s Family Can Not Provide Money for the Treatment?

[From 2014, Slightly Updated]: While there is much wrong with the American Health System, one of the things that is right is that patients are generally not allowed to die because of inadequate finances; at least not precisely in that … Continue reading

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Quora Query: What do People Think About the Law in Texas and 31 Other US States that Forces a Pregnant, Brain-Dead Woman, with No Hope of Recovery, to Have Her Functions Supported Against the Written Wishes of the Person Whose Body it is?

[From 2014, slightly modified] NOTE: This answer is long [TL:DR warning] This is an important issue, reminding me of the Terry Schiavo case of some years ago in Florida, on which I also opined along with my colleague Roger Blackburn. … Continue reading

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Quora Query: What Would the Patient Experience Be Like if You Designed a New Hospital?

[From 2013, slightly updated] Great question. I have spent my adult life in these places – hospitals – and I both love them (they feel like…..home) and hate them (so, so far from home). Were I to design a new … Continue reading

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Quora Query: What Would a Typical Day be in My Life as an Anesthesiologist?

[From 2013, slightly updated] A couple of things first. Medicine is the coolest job on the face of the earth, and every specialty has its own “coolness”. One of the questions you should ask is: “Do I want to be … Continue reading

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Quora Query: What is One Thing That you Regret Learning in Medical School?

It isn’t what I regret learning; it is what I regret not learning. 1. That death is cruel, fickle, and unjust; 2. That families often have no idea of medical limitations; 3. That physicians are often afraid to address points … Continue reading

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Quora Query: What Does “Critical but Grave” Condition Mean?

Great query. I am going to give you a really poor answer, frankly because there aren’t any good ones. The entire way that we in the intensive care unit (ICU) classify a sick person’s condition is almost totally subjective. So, … Continue reading

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Quora Query: As a Doctor, What’s the Most Shocking Thing to Transpire While Delivering a Baby?

Shocking? SHOCKING?? On the one hand, as I am not an Obstetrician, I don’t have many stories about assisting women in the delivery of their children. On the other hand, however, there was a time – when I was a … Continue reading

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Quora Query: What are Some Odd Jobs You Had Before Medical School?

Well, they weren’t exactly “odd jobs”, and most of them weren’t paid, either. I was a student at Grossmont Junior College in El Cajon, CA, and then UC San Diego at a time when we in California had – essentially … Continue reading

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