by James Foong In the summer of my third year as a medical student from Malaysia, I had the opportunity to shadow Dr Paul Esaki, a primary care physician who practices in Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii. I arrived in Kauai late at night tired after a few hours of flying (but many hours of waiting after a last minute flight change). Dr Esaki picked me up in a weathered 4×4 truck (I was expecting a conservative sedan for some reason). Right off the bat, there was warm hospitality and he gave me a lively talking commentary of the island while on route to the beach house where I was to stay. … Continue reading
My Goals in Medicine
by James W. Foong I was asked to present this topic to a group of physicians and researchers at a medical conference in West Vancouver, British Columbia. What can I offer them that they do not already know? I felt that my talk could seem very self-centered, arrogant even. Such were my insecurities but out of sheer necessity, I began organizing my thoughts in an orderly manner for the presentation. What I realized was that the very reason we’re in this field gets lost amidst our hectic lives and the daily struggles that make us lose sight of our goals. Every once in a while, we may need a reminder … Continue reading
Skin Wars
by Mr. B. In 2014, I won an insidious lottery: contracting Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris (PRP), a rare skin disease that one in 400,000 people get. After accepting this horrific verdict, I discovered I had a major choice. Do I take high-risk drugs in hope for a cure, after assuming a drug had initially caused my PRP? During the challenge of being alone in my struggle, I fortuitously discovered a special dermatologist. Dr. K respected my concerns about a conventional physician-patient relationship, and he followed my lead in selecting my treatment. The communication and trust we developed led to a slow, minimal treatment that after one year resulted in remission without … Continue reading
The Dao of the Red Man
by Dr. K. In September of 2014, I saw Mr. B., a 68 years old man, with a wide-spread dermatitis that turned out to be pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP). He was miserable with generalized red skin, scaling and painfully thickened palms and soles. My essay, “The Dao of the Red Man” describes our long and complicated therapeutic journey. Mr. B. relates his personal PRP struggle in “Skin Wars.” The interested reader will learn much from reading and comparing both Mr. B. and my narratives. They speak to PRP, the physician-patient dyad, and shared-decision making. The Dao of the Red Man Skin Wars – Mr. B Also see: Skin Wars by … Continue reading
Skin Infections in Wrestlers by Kory Johnson
Mr. Johnson is a third year undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University. During his student days at Punahou School on Oahu and JHU he has been a scholar and a wrestler. He has first hand experience of the manifold skin infections wrestlers are subject to. This presentation covers the common disorders he has encountered. Pdf of Kory’s Talk: Korys wrestling talk Presented at Hot Spots in Dermatology, August 21, 2015
Retirement Comes: A Poem by Shay Bintliff, M.D.
Retirement comes, bringing destinations indeterminate. New fields New hills New roads, Leading I know not where. But go I must. Strange new sensations lurk in my heart. Change is upon me! This fiery feeling, a relentless flame, To move on To discover anew To touch the worlds I’ve never known. Is it even too late? In my gut there is a deep emptiness, Not for nourishment, But for the life I so loved and cherished. There is a heavy wave of Loneliness Bewilderment Sweeping over me, consuming me. Where now is my sense of purpose? For some reason, we can not get alignment right on this site. See Pdf for … Continue reading
Melanoma’s Many Changing Faces
Presented at Hot Spots in Dermatology, Turtle Bay, Kahuku, Hawaii August 22, 2015 Shane Y Morita and Svetomir N Markovic Molecular targets in melanoma: time for ‘ethnic personalization’ Expert Rev. Anticancer Ther. 12(5), 601–608 (2012) Abstract: Worldwide, the incidence of melanoma continues to rise. Although not the most common cutaneous malignancy, it is the most lethal. Until recently, while other oncologic patients benefited from the nuances of targeted therapy, those afflicted with melanoma lacked that option. In 2011, the US FDA approved an oral agent that targets the BRAF oncogene. As this information is promising, it is essential that other populations (in addition to Caucasians) are examined, in order to … Continue reading
Dermatology on Mars
PDF of presentation: Dermatology_on_Mars “If any man could arrive at the exterior limit [deepest space],… he would see a world beyond; and if the nature of man could sustain the sight, he would acknowledge that this other world was the place of true heaven and the true light and the true earth.” Socrates, 400 B.C. “I believe the time has arrived for medical investigation of the problems of manned rocket flight, for it will not be the engineering problems but rather the limits of the human frame that will make the final decision as to whether manned space flight will eventually become a reality” … Continue reading
What Every Physician Should Know About Macular Degeneration
by Malcolm Ing The speaker will present facts concerning the challenge of treating macular degeneration. He will discuss the diagnosis of the two main types, dry and wet. Current treatment will be described. The causes and risk factors will be outlined. Strategies to minimize risk factors for this potentially devastating eye disease will be presented. PDF: What the General MD Should Know About Macular Degeneration
The CHNA Provisions of ACA (Obama Care)
Dr. Bal’s Presentation: The CHNA Provisions of ACA (Obama Care) “Our zip code is a better predictor of health outcomes than our genetic code”. The CHNA Provisions of the ACA
