I’m going to make a departure from the usual Brain Blogger content today to discuss an event that has arisen in my personal life which I wanted to share.

When I was in college, there was a student on campus who had leukemia, and the campus held a drive asking students to donate some blood to be tested as a possible match. Figuring it was the right thing to do, I went and volunteered. The techs drew a few vials of blood, and that was the end of it. Not surprisingly, that student didn’t end up finding a match on campus, and I completely forgot about the whole event. Read more →

It is that time of the year again when medical students start appearing on the wards. If you are a third year student you are now likely starting your clinical rotations. If you are a fourth year student you are probably embarking on away rotations to the specialty of your choice. Every physician has fond memories of being a medical student — the torture from residents and attendings, the constant pimping, the feeling of being a useless fly on the wall, the awkwardness of trying to fit in. Read more →

Ok, Ok, before you scream, “This title is nuts, the economic crisis has me spending more time worrying than ever!” let’s think about the positive impact this economic downturn could have on psychosocial health. With the mortgage industry going bust, climbing gas prices, and cost of food at an all time high, Americans are being forced to hunker down and get back to the basics, which mean we spend more time with our families. Read more →

Nepal… Where on earth is that country? Mt Everest — the tallest mountain in the world. Mix them up and we have a country with a tag of one of the poorest in the world, an economy ravaged by a decade long war and a healthcare system that has done anything but to uplift the health standards.

Headache! I hear that complaint every time I sit down in my clinic to see a patient. Has headache become a national disease all of a sudden or is it manifesting in its fullest form now that the country is finally going through a transition? Read more →

If we as Americans do one thing well, it’s gaining weight. NIH data shows that two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and one-third are obese. Of course we have all heard the usual “lack of diet and exercise” mantra about weight gain. Data certainly backs up our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, such as the fact that the average United States household now spends roughly 8 hours a day with the television on. That being said, what if there was more to the story?

The United States is falling victim to a systematic elimination of the neighborhood. Shopping is occurring more and more at large retail chains (i.e. Walmart, Home Depot, Costco) which require tremendous real estate. Therefore city planners are favoring the creation of sprawling commercial centers where numerous such chains can be built in close proximity to one another, and allow for one-stop shopping. Read more →

I’ve been looking into violent deaths lately. And now I understand a few things.  Mostly, I understand what we don’t know about violent death in the United States. For instance, consider one of the most horrific kinds of violent death — mass shootings in public places like malls and offices and schools.

How often does this happen somewhere in the United States?

Nobody knows. Read more →