Fox News published a story in their “Love & Marriage” section online by Marissa Kristal entitled “How to Date a Med Student. Here are a few selected nuggets of wisdom (a link to the full article can be found below):

6. here will be weeks you’ll forget you even have a boyfriend—friends will ask how he is and you’ll say, “What? Who? Oh….right. He’s well…I think.”
3. Learn to hide your “ew, gross” reactions when they tell you all the stuff you never wanted to know about your bodily functions.
1. Don’t expect to see them. Ever.

Source: FoxNews.com

If you live in America and haven’t been a hermit for the past few months you will surely have heard about this whole healthcare debate. Here are some celebrities who are speaking out urging us to protect insurance companies (satire). The celebrities include Jon Hamm, Will Ferrel, and Olivia Wilde who have all joined to collaborate with Funny Or Die.

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On a side note, I had a lecture today where the lecturer said that he doesn’t believe there is an answer to our healthcare problems. Government’s solution is to try something we aren’t doing and see if it works. He noted that in the UK, there is also a healthcare debate with the National Health Service (NHS) and the British government is inviting American insurance companies to discuss ways to try something different (more like the American system) which will allow people to opt out of NHS coverage. Food for thought…

Article Link: MSNBC.com:Sleep-deprived docs told to drink 6 cups coffee

um… yeah.. very good example of patient care focused on patient safety… (Sarcasm. I hate that I have to put this, but I am paranoid that if I don’t, this Internet post is going to come back and bite me in the future.)

I thought US Resident Physicians had it bad with our 80 hour/week cap (which isn’t as strict as some would like). But 80 hours of work without rest? That’s just downright ridiculous!

Maybe the guys in charge down under think that their doctors are super-human…

Ok, ok… so they admit that there is a doctor shortage. And they need more doctors. I guess it’s a good thing for foreign graduates who have an interest in working there.

Personally I have thought about working there in Australia after I finish training here. But I would not want to have to do an Australian residency in addition to my US one…

Just saw this video on Facebook and I thought I’d share it here. Is there anything wrong with this model? Does her ankles look two weak? I know they try to be as slim as possible… but is her “wobbly-ness” a result of weak ankles (as a result of malnourishment) or just poor balance?

Source: Army doc, 74, ready to deploy to Afghanistan – Military- msnbc.com

Dr. John Burson

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I just read this story over at MSNBC. It seems pretty crazy. Seventy-four year old ENT surgeon is getting ready to ship off to Afghanistan for a deployment with the Army.

I wonder what I’ll be doing when I’m 74 — of course, that’s assuming I do live that long. It’s hard to say these days. I’m not trying to sound suicidal. I just mean that there are so many unknowns. Nobody can really know how long they are going to live for.

But this whole story got me wondering about the Military Medicine system. I’m just wondering: Don’t they have any younger doctors? Is the situation that bad?

I suppose this could just be because the guy really loves deploying. I mean, it sounds like he does have fun with the excitement. I just hope it isn’t because our military is so desperately thinned out by this ongoing war that we have to resort to sending senior citizens into war zones when they should be enjoying retirement.

Source: MSNBC.com: Young doctors graduate in Somalia

I just read this article on MSNBC (link above). It’s pretty crazy. And I thought medical school was hard for me. The article tells of 20 men and women who are the first medical school graduates in the country of Somalia in almost two decades.

The students literally risked their lives to attend medical school. One student recounts becoming trapped under crossfire almost seven times during his commutes to the university. Another two of their classmates were actually gunned down recently.

What a story of dedication. I don’t think I would have the will or the passion to attend medical school in those types of conditions.

I admire these people. I don’t know what motivated them. Maybe they all have a desire to help the thousands of Somalis that are in desperate need of healthcare. Maybe each person found their strength in different places. But they are now equipped to help fellow-countrymen in the war-torn country of Somalia.

I think I might need to come up with a platform… :/

Reference: MSNBC.com: Hip surgery in India? Insurance may pay

In the past few months I’ve been hearing about this medical tourism thing. It sounds really cool — maybe even exotic, doesn’t it? You go see the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, and stop by the local medical center for a tummy tuck, face lift, and skin peel. It gives the notion of someone coming back with that “vacation look” a whole new meaning.

If you read the article, the American medical experts warn that this isn’t the safest option. They feel that the United States is the place to receive some of the top healthcare in the world (in terms of quality, not price). And I’m inclined to believe them.

It’s rather sad that so many Americans are forced to seek healthcare outside our borders. It just illustrates how badly things have become.

Last year CNN ran an article written by Emily Breidbart, then a second year medical student. It’s an interesting read. At times I do feel that it is a struggle to protect my own idealism. But maybe she is doing a better job than I. Because I’ll admit, at times I find myself downright cynical — even comically cynical. But that’s another story. Anyways, in her article, Emily writes about how her curriculum, at times, seems to revolve around preventing lawsuits than the patient’s health.

Fortunately, this hasn’t been the case for me at my school during my first year. I think there has been the occasional mention of the litigious nature of the profession. And I think we (as students) have all heard plenty of stories about it. So it isn’t like we are ignoring malpractice. I’d say that they, and by they I mean the professors who teach us, choose to focus on the patient.

Who knows? Maybe one day Loma Linda’s curriculum will have to change. Maybe someday they will have to place the fear of litigation into the heart of every incoming first year. I hope not, though. Because a society in which doctors are afraid to treat patients is a society in trouble.

Oh, and check out Emily’s article “Med student struggles to preserve her idealism” over at CNN.com.

Related Posts: Dr. Phil, have you heard of… HIPAA?

Gabriel Bouys / AFP-Getty Images file

I really don’t want to turn this into a gossip column. And I definitely don’t want to turn this into a cebrinews site. But a couple weeks ago I did post about the medical debacle between Britney Spears and Dr. Phil.

I posted because it was, in my opinion, an example of very poor judgment on Dr. Phil’s part. You can read that post if you want. I’ve linked to it above.

Anyways, this post is just a little more medical news. A follow-up, I suppose.

In Dr. Phil’s non-professional (since he claims his visit was just as a friend and not a pscyhologist), Britney Spears needs serious mental help. At least that’s what he said before. Anyways, it appears she just might get the help she needs. Good for Brit.

Britney Spears has been placed under a 72-hour “mental health evaluation hold.” For complete details, click the picture above. It’ll take you to the news story.

Sorry for not summarizing. I’m stressed. Finals next week. And now, its back to the books!