Nithyapriya Shankar is an incoming medical student at the University of Queensland-Ochsner School of Medicine. Nithyapriya graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Honors Biomedical Science. Nithyapriya's previous research experiences include cardiology, maternal-fetal medicine, neuroscience and neonatology. Currently, Nithyapriya is a research assistant in the neonatology department at Baylor College of Medicine/TCH and is assisting with research on the effects of oxygen exposure on premature neonate lung development.
Robotic surgery has allowed surgeons to perform complex procedures with improved precision, flexibility and control. The advent of robotic surgery began in 1985 when the Puma 560, developed by Victor Scheinman at Unimation, was used to perform neurosurgical biopsies.
Medical decision-making is a game of probabilities. Sapper Morton reminds us in Blade Runner 2049, “You newer models are happy scraping … because you’ve never seen a miracle.” In the real world, miracles do not exist.
With the rise of cheap and rapid gene sequencing techniques, personalized medicine has taken the spotlight in discussions about health care of the future. Personalized medicine describes the tailoring of medical treatment to fit the individual characteristics of each patient.
Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are increasingly becoming reliable pieces of technology, changing the lives of patients, particularly of patients who suffer from paralysis or similar conditions.
Do you remember the classic high school physics project where you were tasked with designing a contraption that would protect an uncooked egg from a high fall? At first, this task may have seemed daunting and maybe even impossible, but with a little inspiration, persistence and learning from several scrambled eggs, you likely achieved success.
“Telestroke,” a telemedicine approach to acute stroke care, is revolutionizing how we treat our country’s third leading cause of death. Leveraging modern communication technology and the combined experience of skilled neurologists, Telestroke aims to benefit patients in rural areas who are often at the highest risk of ischemic stroke but have the least access to treatment.
Humanity’s unnerving cruelty is perhaps only balanced by its kindness and innovation. We will see on which side of the scale CRISPR, a remarkable genome-editing tool and one of the most exciting scientific innovations of the 21st century, is going to land on, for land it certainly will.
We are a technology-obsessed society. Many of us most likely have experienced that disoriented feeling when accidentally leaving the house without our phone.
What did your past few months look like? Did your overflowing email inbox, the patient write-up you forgot to turn in, the lagging research project you started summer of your first year and those long nights cramming First Aid come to mind? If so, you’re in the right place.
Visits to Chicago usually include exploring attractions like the Willis Tower and Cloud Gate (“the Bean”). However, a lesser visited destination, The Hull House maybe the most important site for those of us in the medical field. A turn of the century settlement house, this museum is a reminder of how an integrated model of delivering social services and health care impacted the entire nation.
I was constantly sick as a child with ear infections, meaning I was in the doctor’s office all of the time. However, about the time I turned 3 years old, I got Bell’s palsy. My mom is a nurse and did not often overreact to medical issues, but she was obviously terrified of my drooping face and rushed me into the doctor’s office. Given my previous history of visits for my ear infections, the doctor was somewhat impatient. Assuming I was there for another ear infection, he walked into the room while looking at my chart, never looking up. As he was prattling on about how we were in the office far too often my mom looked at him and yelled, “Just look at her!” The moment he did, his jaw dropped and he rushed into action.
Reform. Disrupt. Innovate. These words are undeniably components of today’s medical vernacular and as medical students we are positioned in the middle of a dynamic health care landscape. The past few years have set forth a unique training phase for aspiring physicians. Medicine is evolving; not only from a legislative perspective, but also through a continually stronger relationship with technology that is driving human understanding into previously incomprehensible territory.
Contributing Writer
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Matthew is a first year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Minor in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
