Opinions

Arielle Gerard (7 Posts)

Contributing Writer and in-Training Staff Member

Albany Medical College

Arielle is currently a Class of 2017 MD candidate at Albany Medical College, and received her BA in Psychology from UCLA. She has a passion for advocacy and quality of life improvement in various fields, and is completing a Distinction in Advocacy in support of federal reclassification of cannabis, which will allow for an increase in cannabinoid research in the United States and may lead to increased safe access to whole-plant cannabis for patients who could potentially benefit from its use.

Bias in the Media: Medical Cannabis and the Myth of Amotivational Syndrome

Published by Arielle Gerard

How much influence does the media have on your views of medical treatments? This article continues coverage of the myth of amotivational syndrome in relation to medical cannabis, this time from the perspective of bias in the media. As mentioned in previous articles of this series, it is important for future physicians to be aware of the facts and falsities about this treatment option. As medical cannabis gains both medical and public acceptance, blooming and …

How Health Care Policy Shapes Health Care Practice

Published by Manasa Mouli

The patient is a 45-year-old man. When I enter the room with the resident, he is sitting on the edge of the exam table, wearing a poorly-constructed hospital gown. When I introduce myself, he struggles to keep on the paper garment while extending his hand towards mine. He is a pleasant man, overall, except for a lot of physical discomfort evident in his facial expressions. The resident asks the patient about his symptoms. She asks …

Breaking the Barriers to Mental Health Diagnoses

Published by Jennifer Evan

As second year winds down and I approach the ultimate exam of medical school, Step 1 of the USMLE, I have spent a lot of time in reflection, and on one stark dichotomy in particular. The vast majority of medicine that we studied has been physical; we study the art of physical diagnosis in order to best assess our patients’ pains and murmurs and abrasions, leading to verifiable diagnoses. In addition, we have objective blood work showing …

Germany: A Model for What Health Care Should Be?

Published by Ghady Rahhal

It’s fairly safe to say that the debate surrounding health care in the United States is long from over. During President Barack Obama’s first term, he fought to implement a new health care system that is projected to shave hundreds of billions off medical costs over the first decade. Once President Obama’s second term comes to an end, many Republican candidates have sworn to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) if elected into office. Why …

Call for Medical Education on Student Self-Reflection

Published by Emily Wu

I was recently granted one of those rare, quiet Sunday afternoons we experience in medical school, and decided to spend it reading short stories. The story I picked up was “I Want to Live!” by Thom Jones. The story focuses on a cancer-ridden woman, Mrs. Wilson, reaching a meaningful place in her life amidst the throes of death. As I read the journey of Mrs. Wilson, my eyes flooded as my emotions finally caught up with me. The story …

Medical Cannabis and the Myth of Amotivational Syndrome

Published by Arielle Gerard

Understanding the various opposing arguments to medical cannabis is important for future physicians and medical professionals. In the next few years, cannabis will likely become more widely accepted as an established medical treatment, and it is important to understand issues surrounding its use. Here, I outline one point of contention in the medical cannabis debate to increase understanding of medical cannabis and its relationship to patients. Long-term and sustained reduction of motivation, or increases in …

Flipped Classroom: When it Fails and Why

Published by Jordan Perchik

Recently, the university I attend switched from the traditional didactic format to a “flipped classroom.” A flipped classroom shifts class time away from a lecture format to a more discussion based, allowing exchange between students and professor, as well among students. Ideally, the flipped classroom format allows students to come to lecture with a broad knowledge of the subject at hand, and during the lecture hour, the professor helps to hone this knowledge and contextualize …

Halbig v. Sebelius: The Case that Threatens that ACA’s Survival You Probably Haven’t Heard About

Published by Rachel Solnick

As an income-less medical student, I would be one of the now 7.1 million people who have signed up for Obamacare for this year. Except I live in Texas, one of nearly half of all states that elected to not expand Medicaid. At the same time, I don’t have enough of an income to qualify for federal subsidies, making insurance from the Marketplace unaffordable. As such, the individual mandate — the part of the law that …

Medical Tourism: The Ethics of the Exploitation of a Vulnerable Patient Population for Financial Gain

Published by Ronald Sahyouni

In times of medical ailment, individuals desperately seek medical attention — in particular, a cure or treatment to alleviate their illness. In these times of need, patients turn towards physicians for a diagnosis and effective treatment plan, relying on the latest technologies and therapeutic modalities to jumpstart a return to a normal lifestyle. However, what happens when there is no treatment, no cure and no therapy? When modern medicine no longer has anything to offer, patients …

Slating for Sarah

Published by Kate Joyce

Perhaps you watched the Oscars last month. Maybe you rooted for the technically stunning “Gravity,” or the raw, true-to-life “Twelve Years a Slave,” or since we’re science-inclined medical nerds, “Dallas Buyer’s Club,” the film based (loosely) on an HIV-positive patient’s real-life plight to medication access during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. I freelance as a production assistant and set medic. One film I worked on was up for Best Picture, so I dutifully watched, …

Match Magic: Why the NRMP Match Needs to Disappear

Published by Amy Ho

Becoming a doctor takes time, but those outside of medicine do not always realize how convoluted the process can be. Central to the perversion is the National Resident Matching Program (or “the Match”). After college and the two years of classroom-based training in medical school, students are ushered into clinical training through third year core rotations in predetermined specialties. In the spring of their third year, students must decide on their career specialty, often without …

Poor Communication in Multidisciplinary Teams Harms Patient Safety: An Experience on the Wards

Published by Emily Wu

Location: Surgery inpatient floor Time: 6:00 a.m. Surgery morning rounds began: “Ms. A, your MRI shows you have colorectal cancer, so we plan to take you to the OR for surgery tomorrow. Alright, see you later,” said my surgery attending, who rushed out of Ms. A’s room right after he abruptly dropped this shocking news. Inside the room, Ms. A, a fragile, bony 75-year-old lady, was laying on her bed with her eyes full of …

Emily Wu (2 Posts)

Contributing Writer Emeritus

Baylor College of Medicine

I am a Class of 2015 medical student at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. My planned future specialty is child and adolescent psychiatry. I enjoy reading literature, photography and traveling.