As knowledge progresses, new words enter specialized areas of language (e.g., science, healthcare, IT, etc.) and may gradually -- over time -- become assimilated into the common vocabulary of the "man or woman in the street". Past examples of such changes in language include words like "vaccine" and "transplant" in medicine; "asteroid" and "satellite" in …
On education, religion, knowledge, and vaccination
The following information can easily be found on the web site of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) here in the US: Vaccination against measles first became available in 1963. Prior to the availability of measles vaccination, some 3 to 4 million people here in the US contracted measles each year. About 500,000 of those …
Continue reading "On education, religion, knowledge, and vaccination"
The language of cancer care and “survivorship”
Every year it raises its head again ... the way we often use militaristic and emotional language to describe the experience of dealing with cancer ... not just as patients and caregivers but as researchers and physicians too. This time the message comes from my friend Howard Wolinsky, a Chicago-based journalist who writes regularly on …
Continue reading "The language of cancer care and “survivorship”"
Ex Archa gains services of experienced medical advisor
We are pleased to be able to announce that James ("Jim") Christodoulou, MD, has accepted the opportunity to assist Ex Archa as a medical advisor to the firm. Dr. Christodoulou is a board-certified cardiologist, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. His brief bio is …
Continue reading "Ex Archa gains services of experienced medical advisor"
Did you see “60 Minutes” last night?
If you didn't, you may still not be aware of something that could initiate another major transformation in the world of American medicine. Apparently, last August, to a roomful of shocked students who had just been accepted as medical students (and many of their parents), New York University School of Medicine announced that, as of …
What “strategic ideation” is and isn’t
Having ideas is easy. Having ideas that have impact and change lives is hard. Putting such ideas into practice -- if you can have the right ideas -- is harder still. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Ideation is defined as "the capacity for or the act of forming or entertaining ideas". Strategy is defined in …
The fine art of treading a fine line
So, as many probably suspected, we now know that FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will be heading back to work at the American Enterprise Institute when he steps down from his current position at 5:00 p.m. today. In his 2+ years at the FDA, Dr. Gottlieb accomplished some remarkable -- and some utterly unexpected -- things. …