Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are developing a cancer vaccine again the deadly brain cancer, glioblastoma.
Category: Doctors & Hospitals
Modern Medicine’s Messy Origins
When did the age of modern medicine begin? It’s hard to put your finger on but medical advancements did not occur all at once. Furthermore, what is meant by modern medicine? One fairly common definition that I would use is the point at which medicine stood a better chance of helping patients than harming them.
Tuesday Links
- America’s public hospitals are privatizing.
- The Economist: Now is a bad time to have a heart attack. Hospitals around the world are having trouble meeting the demand.
- Wokeness comes to medical schools: Instead of thinking, “How can my patients protect themselves against health problems?” the AAMC asks medical students to think, “What kind of public collective action is necessary to confront health inequity across identifiable populations?”
- US cancer death rate is down by a third.
- Having a friend is healthier than having a life partner; it’s even as important as diet and sleep. (WaPo)
- Lottery winner gets $1.35B prize. The bulk of the prize money comes from below-average-income ticker buyers, of course, even though this lottery was created by liberal lawmakers in a liberal state. All of the critics who routinely remind us of the evils of inequality are saying …. hum … not much of anything.
A Few Ideas to Boost Physician Residency Slots
The United States is experiencing a physician shortage that is even more dire in rural areas. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that today there is a shortage of from 44,000 doctors to perhaps as high as 67,000 physicians. By 2034 the shortage is expected to range from 37,800 physicians to as much as 124,000 physicians. The supply of physicians is a function of those entering the profession, those in the profession, minus those retiring or slowing down. Keep in mind the youngest physicians entering the field are usually 30 years old or more. Thus, there is only a 30-year window for them to establish a practice before reaching retirement age. A significant proportion of licensed physicians (45%) are over age 55. Many are part of the Baby Boomer generation who will be retiring soon and become patients themselves rather than treating patients.