I finished my residency right as the new duty hours were being instituted (80 hour work week, no overnight call after being on a day shift). I think that they have been profoundly detrimental to the medical education just in the short time that they have been implemented. Residents don't see nearly as many patients…

You keep trying to educate science, but it doesn't stay educated...

I think that the question of benefit to the patient is a moot one. She's dead. It is possible that just the move will make this fact more apparent, as the body will not have any ability to regulate its own temperature since the brain is not functioning. I have not yet heard the specifics of where she is being…

As far as how long someone can be kept in this state, it is essentially indefinite, barring the unforeseen. If the body is supported by ICU level care with turning, ventilator management, blood pressure management, electrolyte replacement, warming etc, you can theoretically keep people going for a long time, but it…

As a physician, I wish that the term "brain death" had never been coined. Without the use of advanced care, such as ventilators and vasopressors etc, there would be no differentiating death and brain death, as brain death implies a loss of brainstem function, which means no breathing, which means no oxygen, which…

There are only two good plays: Put the ball in the basket and South Pacific.

The one I am familiar with is a prescription cream called Calcipotriene.

Topical agents for scalp psoriasis are the mainstay of therapy in general with high potency steroids and vitamin D analogues being the primary choices. I'm guessing by the infrequency that you could use your steroid that it is a high potency steroid. If this is not working on its own, consider adding a Vitamin D…

I just saw your post about being allergic to codeine. If you do end up seeking medical attention and you want a non-narcotic cough suppressant, ask about Tessalon perles.

It depends on what you are already taking, if you're taking over-the-counter stuff already. Most of them already include tylenol, so you don't want to add more tylenol to that, but plain old ibuprofen can really relieve some of the muscle pains from coughing. Guaifenesin is essentially placebo, so don't waste time…

In some ways, the transition to medical school is an even more difficult one for relationships than the transition from high school to college. When I went through it, I don't believe I witnessed many relationships that did not involve already married couples survive the transition. I don't think that partners who…

I am in Pulmonary and Critical Care, though at the moment, I only see patients in the ICU setting. I did an internal medicine residency before going on to this career.

Congratulations on getting those spots. That is fantastic! I am going to have to give you my biases up front before getting to your questions. I used to work at Duke (I was a tech in a research lab) before I went to medical school and truly disliked the environment there (which is why I did not stay there for…

I'm faculty at a medical school in the US. While I deal more on the fellowship end of things rather than with medical students, I would advise you to keep it as simple and straightforward as possible. Outline your reasons for wanting to do this particular elective at a particular program. Focus on your strengths…

In addition to the fine ideas laid out here, before going to a physician or doing too much psychoanalysis, make sure that there aren't some obvious causes such as new medications (SSRIs or beta-blockers for instance) or too much alcohol (or other substance) in the setting of a new relationship.