Second Opinion

An Incubator: The Rights of a Brain-Dead Woman 22.06.2025 4:54 ↓

Should a state have the authority to override a woman’s wishes regarding her body—not for her benefit, but for someone else’s?

The Dying Art of Learning from the Dead 15.06.2025 4:59 ↓

It’s often hard to let go of traditions, but it's time to rethink the role of anatomy dissections.

Toilets Prevent Disease—If You Can Find One 08.06.2025 4:59 ↓

Unhoused people lack safe bathroom access—an issue of public health, safety, and basic dignity we can no longer ignore.

The Persistent Dark Legacy of Eugenics 01.06.2025 5:30 ↓

For more than a century, there has been a nefarious fascination with engineering society in ways that disadvantage the most vulnerable.

Biden Followed Doctors' Orders – and still got cancer 25.05.2025 5:29 ↓

Evidence-based recommendations from groups like the US Preventive Services Task Force are only as effective as the screening tools currently available.

Unprofessional Behaviors: Catching Bad Habits Early 18.05.2025 4:57 ↓

Medical schools must address unprofessional behavior early, as student misconduct often predicts future disciplinary issues and patient harm.

That Message to Your Doctor Might Come With a Price Tag 11.05.2025 4:46 ↓

Digital communications are playing a larger role in health care, but transparency and equity are being forgotten.

Life, Death, and the Cost of Being a Surrogate 04.05.2025 4:59 ↓

Being a surrogate decision-maker for someone at the end of life isn’t easy, but there are steps you can take to ease the burden. 

Science, Safety, and the Return of Measles 27.04.2025 4:59 ↓

Let's examine the evidence and clarify what we really know about measles and why it's important.

Trust, Talk, and the MRI That Wasn't Needed 20.04.2025 4:59 ↓

Requesting a test or procedure from a clinician can raise tricky issues

The Dangers of a Broken Heart 13.04.2025 4:56 ↓

Takotsubo Syndrome provides strong evidence for the link between mind and heart

Regret in Medicine: The Hidden Burden Doctors Bear 06.04.2025 4:53 ↓

Even when things go right, the outcome may not be what was expected.  

One Health, One World, One Essential Partner: USAID 30.03.2025 4:59 ↓

Anthrax – an example of how the US Government has worked to stop the spread of disease

The impact of USAID funding cuts in Uganda 23.03.2025 5:00 ↓

Without warning, and with no time to develop alternative approaches, funding just stopped.  People are dying.

Disparities in “Assisted Aid in Dying” 16.03.2025 4:55 ↓

Data suggests that barriers may exist with adults being aware of this option for care at the end of life.

Vladimir’s Choice – a fable from Eastern Europe 09.03.2025 4:54 ↓

We often make choices that are short-sighted and seem to serve our own interests rather than the interests of all

Significant cuts to Medicaid (MediCal) will have a negative impact on us all. 23.02.2025 4:59 ↓

As Congress debates cuts to Medicaid (the health insurance program for the poor and disabled) in order to deliver a tax cut to the wealthy, it risks a cascade of negative effects on our entire health care system.

The US pushes the world backward 16.02.2025 5:00 ↓

USAID is a powerhouse of humanitarianism and global security

Will I benefit from that drug? 09.02.2025 4:50 ↓

Statistics can be intimidating.  But before you decide to begin a treatment you should ask what the expected benefit will be to you.

Do doctors keep up to date with their medical knowledge? 02.02.2025 4:51 ↓

It’s hard to tell, but we have no way to know for sure. 

Will AI replace clinicians? 26.01.2025 4:59 ↓

AI is increasingly being used to collect and process clinical information. Whether this is a good thing depends on who you ask.

When is a disease not a disease? 19.01.2025 5:00 ↓

When one in three people have an abnormal lab test, does it become a disease?

How Medical Data Bases Lead to Better Individual Treatment 12.01.2025 5:00 ↓

By collecting health data across large populations of people, we can identify patterns that help us all.

Thinking of taking one of the new GLP-1 weight-loss drugs? 05.01.2025 4:38 ↓

Unfortunately, I can offer no strong advice.  The drugs seem to be effective, but, like with any new drug, we just don’t have all the answers.

Listening to music in Refugee Camps 29.12.2024 4:38 ↓

Music has benefits that relate hope and social connections