So it's been a while since I've posted. Much has gone on in the world, Dwayne Wade turned out to be the real maverick, the Mets have been making the Wright moves, and there are some Tigers that need to be muzzled by the White Sox before things get out of hand.
I've also finished school, mash'Allah, and am counting down to July 1st when I get to trade in my short white coat for a long one. I imagine it will be a momentous occasion, held the evening before we start, with the red carpet rolled out in front of the entrance to the emergency room. As the lights glare and the cameras flash, I'll walk in and the hallway will be lined with hospital staff and papparazzi. The lights will be dimmed and then the soft, subtle music that is played when the Chicago Bulls enter the United Center will be piped in over the hospital PA system. Someone will say, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, announcing your new house interns!" And with that the audience will break out cheering and clapping. "Coming in at a little under six feet tall, the only brownie that won't melt in your hands, Uuuuuu-mar!" Of course, the crowd goes wild...
If only the long white coat imbued you with new superpowers, x-ray vision would be particularly useful, to match the great responsibility wearing it entails. Like a butterfly fluttering on the winds of change, one cannot help but feel trepidation and exhilaration, along with the great hope that God is guiding you to ever better things...
Friday, June 23, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Your Dangerous Drugstore
An interesting article by Dr. Marcia Angell in the New York Review of Books that I saw posted on World Health News. There is a lot of debate these days about how effective the FDA is in regulating the drug approval and monitoring process.
The concern centers around whether scientists at the FDA are impartial enough, especially given that many have financial relationships with the companies they oversee. Public opinion is turning against both the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry in the wake of recent high-profile recalls like Vioxx and Bextra.
While the consistent, and often impressive, profitability of the pharmaceutical industry certainly suggests that these companies are recovering more than the cost of R&D in the prices of the drugs and devices they manufacture, it is hard for me to come down on them for making money. What's wrong with making a profit?
On the other hand, we do need to care for those unable to afford treatment. I think we can go a long way towards accomplishing this if we reform how the government purchases drugs from the industry. Medicare, for instance, cannot use its purchasing power to bargain for lower rates like other countries do. This type of practice runs counter to free market price setting and artificially inflates prices.
If Medicare were free to bargain for better prices, then we would see drugs costs more in line with what other countries pay. While this may cut down on the amount of profit pharmaceutical companies receive, I'd find it hard to believe that it would make them unprofitable.
Of course, the industry has one of the most powerful lobbies in the country and likely has no intention of sending their golden goose to slaughter. As long as they can market directly to patients and maintain the current Medicare payment system, their corner offices with views are not likely in any danger.
In our zeal to reform the industry, however, we must be careful not to stifle it. The pharmaceutical industry remains a vital source of funding for research studies and the consequent medical breakthroughs. A balance between the profit motive and public health needs must be struck in a way that rewards innovation while not sacrificing the health of those most in need.
The concern centers around whether scientists at the FDA are impartial enough, especially given that many have financial relationships with the companies they oversee. Public opinion is turning against both the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry in the wake of recent high-profile recalls like Vioxx and Bextra.
While the consistent, and often impressive, profitability of the pharmaceutical industry certainly suggests that these companies are recovering more than the cost of R&D in the prices of the drugs and devices they manufacture, it is hard for me to come down on them for making money. What's wrong with making a profit?
On the other hand, we do need to care for those unable to afford treatment. I think we can go a long way towards accomplishing this if we reform how the government purchases drugs from the industry. Medicare, for instance, cannot use its purchasing power to bargain for lower rates like other countries do. This type of practice runs counter to free market price setting and artificially inflates prices.
If Medicare were free to bargain for better prices, then we would see drugs costs more in line with what other countries pay. While this may cut down on the amount of profit pharmaceutical companies receive, I'd find it hard to believe that it would make them unprofitable.
Of course, the industry has one of the most powerful lobbies in the country and likely has no intention of sending their golden goose to slaughter. As long as they can market directly to patients and maintain the current Medicare payment system, their corner offices with views are not likely in any danger.
In our zeal to reform the industry, however, we must be careful not to stifle it. The pharmaceutical industry remains a vital source of funding for research studies and the consequent medical breakthroughs. A balance between the profit motive and public health needs must be struck in a way that rewards innovation while not sacrificing the health of those most in need.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Throw Down
Today Ahmed challenged by brothers and me to a game of basketball in an email that defiantly stated: Bring it!
Such innocent exuberance is something I've come to expect from AJ, but I had a feeling he was not all sugar and spice when he included the following image in the email:
Indeed, this picture was worth a thousand words. AJ was putting the world on notice that he was Jordan to the Shakur Brothers Reece Gaines. In fact, he felt so bad for us, he was even giving us an autographed jersey before the game, like a pre-emptive parting gift for people who come to game shows and win nothing.
Imran, perpetually clueless, responded to this email with, "LOL. Dorkistani." The true nature of the insult had clearly flown way over his rather large head. He thought AJ was merely being cute, in a yuppie Lincoln Park sort of way.
But I knew better. Having been schooled during my formative periods on the South Side of Chicago, I knew a throw down when I saw one. AJ was calling us out, and it was time for us to respond. So I did, not visually, but lyrically, in the only way a South Sider knows how:
You tell me to bring it,
You, who play so half bit,
Watch my defense rip
as your shots slip
Mine fall down like rain
Proclaiming my righteous reign
Peace out,
Shakfoo
To this lyrical onslaught, even AJ had to submit, saying only:
Dang! Kamikaze Ninja Wu-Tang Shaolin Rajpoothi Jigga Wigga Ill-Will up in 'dis.
What else can one say? Unfortunately, the game tonight was cancelled, but soon enough we shall see how this battle of wits plays out on the court...
Such innocent exuberance is something I've come to expect from AJ, but I had a feeling he was not all sugar and spice when he included the following image in the email:
Indeed, this picture was worth a thousand words. AJ was putting the world on notice that he was Jordan to the Shakur Brothers Reece Gaines. In fact, he felt so bad for us, he was even giving us an autographed jersey before the game, like a pre-emptive parting gift for people who come to game shows and win nothing. Imran, perpetually clueless, responded to this email with, "LOL. Dorkistani." The true nature of the insult had clearly flown way over his rather large head. He thought AJ was merely being cute, in a yuppie Lincoln Park sort of way.
But I knew better. Having been schooled during my formative periods on the South Side of Chicago, I knew a throw down when I saw one. AJ was calling us out, and it was time for us to respond. So I did, not visually, but lyrically, in the only way a South Sider knows how:
You tell me to bring it,
You, who play so half bit,
Watch my defense rip
as your shots slip
Mine fall down like rain
Proclaiming my righteous reign
Peace out,
Shakfoo
To this lyrical onslaught, even AJ had to submit, saying only:
Dang! Kamikaze Ninja Wu-Tang Shaolin Rajpoothi Jigga Wigga Ill-Will up in 'dis.
What else can one say? Unfortunately, the game tonight was cancelled, but soon enough we shall see how this battle of wits plays out on the court...
Friday, May 19, 2006
Mentally Unfit, Forced to Fight
A fascinating investigative news story by the Hartford Courant, which was posted in the latest issue of Harvard's World Health News. Here is an excerpt:
These practices, which have received little public scrutiny and in some cases violate the military's own policies, have helped to fuel an increase in the suicide rate among troops serving in Iraq, which reached an all-time high in 2005 when 22 soldiers killed themselves -- accounting for nearly one in five of all Army non-combat deaths.
The Courant's investigation found that at least 11 service members who committed suicide in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 were kept on duty despite exhibiting signs of significant psychological distress. In at least seven of the cases, superiors were aware of the problems, military investigative records and interviews with families indicate.
World Health News also posted a link to a story by ABC News, based on the Courant's investigation.
The Courant reports that the Army is satisfied with efforts it launched two years ago to improve mental health among troops, and that they expect some "variation" in suicide rates among troops.
Hardly a comforting voice of support for our troops. Those who do seek help likely do so with much stigma and belittling of their condition, problems even civilians face in coping with mental illness. Yet our troops can ill afford the impact of mental illness in a place where uncertainty is palpable and the line between life and death is so thin...
In related news, HBO is set to launch a documentary called "Baghdad ER" which, according to Lieutenant-General Kevin Kiley (Army Surgeon General), shows, "the ravages and anguish of war." The military, initially supportive of the show, is now distancing itself from it -- one wonders if it is not doing the same with respect to the mental health of its soldiers...
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