Contributing Writer
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Ryan is a Class of 2020 MD/PhD student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He graduated in May 2012 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BS in molecular biology. He enjoys thinking and writing about health care policy, and is also an avid tennis player, instructor, coach, umpire, and fan.
You’re working at a pediatric primary care clinic and enter the room of a five-year-old boy and his mother for a routine physical. You ask about the child’s general health the past year, his diet, exercise, among other things. Then you start to ask questions relating to the patient’s safety, such as his use of seat belts and helmets, and you start to ask about guns in the home. But then, alarms start to go off …
“You know, the globus pallidus.” My coaxing words ripened in the air between us. Josh admitted it sounded familiar, but couldn’t quite remember the time or the place. This concerned me, because my friend was a highly accomplished emergency physician, yet he wrinkled his nose at “globus pallidus” like it was a piece of decomposing fruit. “It’s in the brain,” I said helpfully. He smiled, “That’s probably why it sounds familiar.” A few hours before, …
One of the most contentious issues in the debate on medical cannabis concerns the effect of medical cannabis on the brain. Understanding the harms of medical cannabis in relation to the harms produced by conditions which may be ameliorated by its use is vital to understanding its viability as a treatment. For example, the side effect of mild short term memory loss may be vastly outweighed by the boon of its anti-emetic and anti-nausea properties for a cancer patient. …
Between the costly flights to interviews, the awkward nights spent sleeping on a host student’s futon, and the anxiety-filled hours doing what felt like selling myself to admissions committees, I reminded myself that eventually this would all lead me to the bedside, where I would be able to help real patients. I was lucky that I had a supportive network of people who were encouraging; however, with health care having become such a politicized and even toxic …
Any threat to the celebrated individualism of American citizens is usually met with fierce debate — be the enemy mandatory health coverage or a ban on 64-ounce sugary soft drinks. What happens, then, when the results of these individual choices conflicts with the limitations of reality? Obesity was categorized as a disease by the American Medical Association only one year ago but in many ways it defies such neat classification. In the AMA’s own statement …
Does cannabis work as a treatment for some symptoms or conditions? Yes. Has research been conducted to prove that? Yes, more than many people think. High-quality scientific evidence (in the United States and abroad) has been conducted on medical cannabis, showing its efficacy for varying symptoms and conditions, such as neuropathic pain and symptoms of multiple sclerosis, such as spasticity and sleep disturbance. Double-blinded placebo controlled studies and observational studies (including many case studies) have …
By recognizing the important distinction between for-profit hospitals and non-profits, a medical student can better define his/her own beliefs on how care should be administered and made available to patients. My investigation into the difference between these types of hospitals has surprised me in many ways. It also helped me address my own concerns about whether a profit should be made on providing health care. The conversations I had with Michael Halter, a CEO at …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Contributing Writer Emeritus
Baylor College of Medicine
Rachel is a Class of 2015 medical student at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
