Morbidity & Mortality Conference, a post mortem

When things go wrong in medicine, as they invariably do, we try to figure out what went wrong, and why.  We try to learn if there’s anything we could have done better and what we should do next time. It used to be, in the days of the Giants, that the physician responsible for the patient … Continue reading

My post on Bronchial Thermoplasty is up on KevinMD today

My post on Bronchial Thermoplasty, a new treatment for asthma, and evidence in medicine is up at KevinMD.com today. http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/04/bronchial-thermoplasty-asthma-widely.html

One Practice A Week

“There’s only one soccer practice a week,” he said, “Seven to eight pm on Mondays, and then the game is on Saturday…  It’s not bad.” I had trouble fathoming it. But what time do you eat dinner? 8pm. Do you come home and cook afterwards? Cook before or during – parents don’t have to stay for … Continue reading

Girl Mayor

Matthew (age 3): “It has to be the mayor.” Me: “The mayor?” Sam (age 5): “Yeah, you know, the guy in charge of everyone in the city.” Me: “You know, women can be mayors too.” Sam: “Yeah, but they’re usually guys.” I keep having some iteration of this conversation with my young sons – women … Continue reading

Why Some Women Love the Ban Bossy Campaign

Sheryl Sandberg’s campaign to “Ban Bossy” when talking about girls, so that they’re less likely to be discouraged from being leaders, has generated some serious backlash.  Some have objected to the campaign by schooling us on the differences between being bossy and being a leader. Indeed, these words are not synonymous in the dictionary.  Some, especially … Continue reading

A New Therapy for Asthma

I first met Carol* (name and identifying details have been changed) when she came to my clinic after a severe asthma attack had sent her to the Intensive Care Unit.  After a few days, she had been extubated and had acquired a new diagnosis, asthma.  When she saw me in clinic, she felt better than … Continue reading

To Ban Bossy Or Not?

Better that 500 bossy girls go free, than that one leader girl be discouraged.  Or something like that.  Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook who urged us to Lean In, is now teaming up with others urging us not to call girls “bossy” in her “Ban Bossy” Campaign.  To a certain extent, the sentiment makes … Continue reading

The Best Rejections

“You have gotten the best rejections this week,” my friend says. True that. Editor 1 not only wrote back, but thanked me for submitting and said my piece is “very well written,” but, alas it was “not quite right.”  Editor 1 then suggested another major outlet for which it would be a “good match.”  [Said … Continue reading

“Are you getting your period?”

“I get annoyed with [my husband] when I overreact to something and he retorts: ‘are you getting your period?’” my friend says. Just imagine what it would be like if we treated men the same way. “You’re only mad because you have blood dripping from your penis.  Not because of what I did.” “You always … Continue reading

Dr. Robert C. Moellering, Jr.

On February 24, 2014 Dr. Robert C. Moellering, Jr. passed away.  And then the class emails and Facebook comments flew.  We couldn’t believe it.  We were all saddened.  We had such great memories of him.  We knew him so well.  And he us!  Every one of us.  Dr. Moellering was the physician-in-chief and chair of … Continue reading