Sam Neill’s Rare Lymphoma
Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill was recently interviewed by The Guardian in advance of the release of his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You? Originally planned as a glimpse into his career, his life as a celebrity, and his farm in New Zealand, the book takes a dark turn in chapter 1: “The thing is, […]
Michael Wang on the Reversible BTK Inhibitor for Previously Treated MCL
The FDA recently granted accelerated approval to pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca), a reversible Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) after at least two prior lines of systemic therapy, including a BTK inhibitor. In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Michael Wang, MD, of the University of Texas MD […]
Opinion | Should I Debate the Fringe?
Recently, I was asked to debate some people who I would categorize as “COVID misinformation celebrities” in a rather large public forum online. This is a classic dilemma for someone like me. I treat real patients. I do real research. I am faculty at a real (and prestigious) medical school. Should I engage and debunk […]
Welcome to Hell: Brittney Griner and the Russian Prison System
Brittney Griner, a WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, recently returned home after what she described as a 10-month-long “battle at every turn,” referring to her experience in the Russian prison system. Even though she was deemed well enough to return home to Arizona after spending a week at a medical facility and military […]
Opinion | Shouldn’t Doctors Be Paid for Responding to Health Portal Messages?
The Cleveland Clinic recently announced they will begin charging patients a fee for online correspondence with physicians through their online portal. Such fees are perhaps a necessary response to the ever-growing volume of portal messages, through which patients seek advice outside of the traditional structure of a billable visit. As a busy clinical cardiologist, my […]
Need Mental Health Help But You Aren’t In Crisis? Try A ‘Warmline’
You’ve probably heard about the suicide hotline, which recently switched to just 988 as its number. You can use the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you’re distressed, tempted to hurt yourself or experiencing any mental health crisis. For some people, this resource can be incredibly helpful — or even lifesaving. But what about those […]
Opinion | Isn’t It a Seller’s Market for Healthcare Professionals?
I recently had the opportunity to catch up with a physician colleague who reports that she left her position at one facility due to workplace strife and dissatisfaction, and took another position as a temporary step to maintain financial stability while evaluating when and where to go next. However, shortly after her move, her new […]
Opinion | Don’t Let Vindictiveness Creep Into Medicine Like It Has in Politics
The callous and inhumane dislocation of migrants recently perpetrated by governors of the states of Florida and Texas reminded me of an equally disdainful and appalling tactic utilized by healthcare workers since the 1960s: “Greyhound therapy.” Greyhound therapy refers to attempts by healthcare workers and administrators to remove undesirable patients from emergency rooms, hospitals, and […]
Opinion | Should Health Professionals Teetotal?
I recently published the article “Avoid ‘Shots in the Dark’ to Maintain Pristine Professional Boundaries” in Psychiatric Times to demonstrate how drinking alcohol in public may lead well-meaning licensed health professionals onto the slippery slope of boundary violations and costly career jeopardy. Across the U.S., millions of doctors, nurses, and other licensed health professionals are […]
Deadly Bacteria in U.S. Soil Not Tied to Lab Leak, Aromatherapy
The melioidosis-causing bacteria recently detected in U.S. soil samples is not likely related to a 2014 “lab leak” in Louisiana, nor to a recent outbreak sparked by an aromatherapy product, experts said. Genetic sequencing indicated the strain of Burkholderia pseudomallei detected in southern Mississippi is from the Western hemisphere, similar to isolates found in the […]