“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 his namesake. In recent months, this syndrome has been in the global media spotlight as pediatricians discuss its similarity to the complications of covid-19 in children.” The October 16, 2020 issue of the British Medical Journal has a moving obituary of this humble, but iconic pediatrician. A pdf of the BMJ obituary is attached below.
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. When one considers Team Trump at Walter Read we see this on a granular level. Excerpts from Balint’s book: Chapter 7: The Collusion of AnonymityIn difficult cases, the general practitioner [PCP} does not, as a rule, carry the burden of responsibility alone. The appearance of consultants introduces a number of new factors in the doctor-patient relationship The term the collusion of anonymity refers to who is responsible for the patient … Continue reading
Reducing Health Disparities in Dermatology: The Free Clinic as a Model and What We Can Do
By Christine P. Lin* *Keywords: Free clinic, Health disparities, People of color, Skin cancer *The author has no conflicts of interest to report Nestled at the intersection of 34th Street and Boston Avenue, The Free Clinic at Lubbock Impact has diligently served over 5,300 uninsured patients in the past 10 years. Every Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 PM, our clinic offers free primary care services to the uninsured Lubbock and West Texas population ages 19 to 64 years old. Specialty nights such as Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Physical Therapy are also held every month. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC)-affiliated volunteer physicians, residents, medical students, nurses, pharmacists, social … Continue reading
Coconut Oil’s “Miraculous” Effects On Skin
By Adam Vo* Keywords: coconut oil, skin disease, personal experience, doctor-patient communication, eczema, moisturizer, skin care, dermatologist, skin, natural, doctor’s apostolic function Abstract This is a personal vignette of a student’s unusual encounter involving coconut oil, while shadowing the local dermatologist in Southern California. The narrator juxtaposes his childhood experiences as a dermatology patient with his adolescent experiences as a medical shadow. On a journey to discover the role of coconut oil in dermatological practice, the student learns about the various benefits of coconut oil, ranging from treatment for an array of skin disorders to a daily moisturizer. After an extensive literature review, the narrator’s appreciation for coconut oil increases, … 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 common skin disorders, such as warts and contact dermatitis. PubMed Psoriasis
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 increase in references since the first biologic, infliximab, was approved by the FDA in 1998. (Figure 1) This increase in scientific studies has coincided with a profusion of new therapies for psoriasis and may reflect the pharmaceutical industry’s interest in developing and promoting costly new treatments for this common chronic skin disorder. With this in mind, a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, “Trial of Roflumilast Cream … 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 one. Abnormal, soaked in formalin, and disconnected. Without the labeling on the jar there would be no way to ascertain the origin of this tissue. The face and story of this person it was taken from are unknown to me. “Every piece is a person,” Dr. Michelle Tarbox, associate professor of dermatology at Texas Tech University Health Science Center mentioned before going on to explain other important elements of the … Continue reading
SpringFest at PGI
by Ravi Shankar I struggled to keep my eyes open, my head straight and my attention focused on the task at hand. It was past two in the morning. I was fighting a losing battle at my friend’s apartment. The strong cups of coffee were not working. We were bringing out the next day’s edition of ‘Bullsheet’, the graffiti-style newsletter which was a PGI tradition during the institute arts festival. Taking on this added responsibility was tough but I enjoyed the creative freedom and the opportunity to look at the festival through a comical, non-serious eye. Most past literary and cultural secretaries had outsourced the task to others. We wrote … Continue reading
A Monument in Hiroshima
Ali Mahmoud1, BS, Shahzeb Hassan1, BA, Taha Osman Mohammed1, BS Leonard Hoenig2, MD Affiliations: 1. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 2. Private Practice, Pembroke Pines, Florida Corresponding Author: Leonard J. Hoenig, MD gooddocljh@gmail.com Conflicts of Interest Statement: There are NO conflicts of interest. Key Words: Hiroshima, Sankichi Toge, poetry ABSTRACT “A Monument in Hiroshima,” Japan (Figure) is dedicated to Sankichi Toge (1917-1953) a survivor of the atomic bomb blasts which occurred 75 years ago. Toge was a poet who became the voice of the atomic bomb survivors. This article presents highlights from Toge’s poetry that capture his vision of peace and a world free of nuclear … Continue reading
Coffee, Cutlets and the Culture of Healing
Dr. P. Ravi Shankar* Key words: India, Internship, Kerala, medical college, medical students, coffee I was disoriented in time, place and person. Events were unfolding at a rapid pace. The meeting with the Principal, the completion of admission formalities, the medical checkup in the classroom, and the allotment of rooms in the hostel. We had come back to the main square of the medical college. My father and his uncle were there with me. We decided to go to the college canteen which at that time was run by the Indian Coffee House. It was my first introduction to the venerable institution. The college canteen was a circular structure with … Continue reading
