Viewpoint
Perspectives
A Word From the President
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Leading in Challenging Times
by Darrell G. Kirch, MD, AAMC President and CEO
Supporting the Next Generation as the Physician Shortage Becomes Reality
by Darrell G. Kirch, MD, AAMC President and CEO
Viewpoints
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Right Before Match Day, I Changed Specialties
by Aaron Parzuchowski
For many medical students, finding the right specialty isn’t always straightforward. One student talks about what led him to change course at the last minute, and how his career has benefited in the long run.
Tuesday, May 01, 2018
Black and White: Are Racial Categories Too Narrow?
by David E. Hayes-Bautista, PhD
Current options for identifying race fail to provide an accurate picture of health data and disparities. More diverse voices can change that, argues one expert.
Across the country, hospitals have begun reexamining stroke protocols in the wake of groundbreaking research conducted at academic medical centers that’s upending prior notions about the time window for life-saving stroke treatment.
Two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine in early 2018 found that physicians have longer than previously thought after the onset of stroke to remove a brain clot and still yield significant health impacts. In fact, the two studies—known as DEFUSE 3 and DAWN—produced such compelling evidence that they were stopped early so control group members and the wider public could benefit.
In light of the research spearheaded by researchers at Stanford University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association released new guidelines on the early management of acute ischemic stroke in January 2018, expanding the eligibility for thrombectomy—mechanically removing a blood vessel clot—to up to 16 hours after stroke for some patients and up to 24 hours for others. Previously, the window of time from stroke onset was just six hours.
Academic Medicine in the News
Monday, June 11, 2018
Fellowship Tackles Diversity in Medicine
Eight medical students at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University were the first to complete fellowships through the Brown Advocates for Social Change and Equity fellowship program. The program, which began in 2017, consists of projects, workshops, and mentoring around issues of diversity and inclusion in medicine.
Monday, June 11, 2018
NICU Uses Volunteers to Calm Premature Babies
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Penn Medicine’s Chester County Hospital implemented a new volunteer newborn-cuddling program to help offset early trauma and potential developmental delays. The trained volunteers provide a supportive touch, both in-between and during medical procedures, to decrease the babies’ stress and help them create bonds.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Arthritis Drugs Potentially Safe for Pregnant Women
A new study led by a team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre found that pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that affects nearly 1% of the world’s adult population, may be able to take certain RA medications without increased health risks to their baby.
