COI: Alive and Thriving at the NEJM by David J. Elpern, M.D. Abstract: As a reader of the New England Journal of Medicine for more than 50 years, I have observed its growing entanglements with the pharmaceutical industry. This analysis … Continue reading
Category Archives: Elpern, David J.
Tomisaku Kawasaki – Obituary
“Not many physicians have a disease named after them. Tomisaku (“Tomi”) Kawasaki, who has died in June 2020 at the age of 95, was one of the few. Kawasaki disease, a rare inflammatory autoimmune disorder found in young children, is … Continue reading
All The President’s Doctors
All the President’s Doctors: Walter Read and the Collusion of Anonymityby A.R. Pito Even today, Michael Balint’s seminal book, “The Doctor, His Patient and the Illness” is essential to understanding how patients are managed and treated by physicians and caregivers. … Continue reading
Tracking Dermatological Articles in PubMed 1980- 2019
The past 20 years has seen progress in treating some skin disorders, in particular psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. PubMed shows a big increase in the number of articles published on atopic dermatitis and psoriasis in contrast to those on other … Continue reading
Marketing Pharmaceutical Science for Prestige and Profit
Marketing Pharmaceutical Science for Prestige and Profit PREPRINT By David J Elpern, M.D. As a dermatologist, I have observed the profusion of research articles on psoriasis over the past two decades. A graph of these from PubMed illustrates the five-fold … Continue reading
Every Specimen is a Person
*Keywords: Dermatopathology, skin specimens, physician burnout, emotional intelligence, detachment, empathy. *The author has no conflicts of interest to report. Preparing Dermatopathology Specimens in Proper Context by Travis Dowdle* As a specimen grosser, I am frequently greeted by samples like this … Continue reading
American Mohs: A Critical Review
PREPRINTAmerican Mohs: A Critical ReviewArticle Type: ReviewAuthors: Brett M. Will1, MS; David J. Elpern2, MD; Roy Grekin3, MD; Douglas W. Johnson4, MD Affiliations: 1Medical Student, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC; 2Practicing Clinical Dermatologist, Williamstown, Massachusetts; 3Department of Dermatology, … Continue reading
American Mohs: A Critical Review
Authors: Brett M. Will1, David J. Elpern2 MD; Roy Grekin3, MD; Douglas W. Johnson4, MD Affiliations: 1 Medical Student, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC; 2Practicing Clinical Dermatologist, Williamstown, Massachusetts; 3Department of Dermatology, Clinical Professor, University of California San … Continue reading
American Mohs: A Critical Review
Over 80 years ago, Fred Mohs, then a medical student, conceived of a novel approach to remove difficult-to-treat nonmelanoma skin cancers. The procedure, called Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS), has been refined over the ensuing years and now large numbers of … Continue reading
Music and Medicine: Bach Partitas on the Covid Ward
by David Elpern For almost a decade, I have used music when performing biopsies and excisions in my office. I got the idea from my friend Tim Lee, an ophthalmologist on Kauai. That led to a study published in 2014.1 … Continue reading