Originally posted October 14, 2010. A little weekend repost. –PalMD When I lived in Northern California, I would often hear stories about people scouring the back country for psychedelic toads. In popular imagination, these toad wranglers would then gather around bonfires and with great ceremony and earnestness, they would lick hapless bufoids until they (the [...]
All posts in category Medicine
Should I lick this?
Posted by PalMD on February 10, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/02/10/should-i-lick-this/
Death smells like vanilla
She lay in bed, her breathing erratic; she would breathe in deep and fast, then exhale slowly, as if she’d just hit her first cigarette of the day. In place of a cigarette was a tube, about a quarter of an inch wide. It was stained brown, and every few minutes a bucket attached to [...]
Posted by PalMD on February 9, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/02/09/death-smells-like-vanilla/
Are you a 99214 with 250.02, 401.1, and 272.2?
Yeah, it’s a recycled post. So sue me. –PalMd When I see a patient at the office, I spend time developing trust, forming a therapeutic alliance, thinking through their physical complaints, examining them, and applying the best evidence to formulating a plan for maintaining their health. It’s a lot of fun. Less fun is the [...]
Posted by PalMD on February 1, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/02/01/are_you_a_99214_with_25002_401/
Lie to me
Once upon a time we used to let drug reps feed us, bring us tchotchkes, and generally use our time. The staff liked the free food, and our patients liked the free drug samples. But we didn’t like how it made us feel. The pharmaceutical companies have stopped giving out pens and such, and we [...]
Posted by PalMD on January 30, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/01/30/lie-to-me/
Clusters
Lot’s of young people from the Detroit area move to Chicago, and I was one of them. As a medical resident I worked with a fellow Michigander, an attending physician I’d known when we were younger. One day he called me. Did I know this woman from home? -Of course, sort of, why? -Because she’s [...]
Posted by PalMD on January 29, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/01/29/clusters/
And everything that creepeth upon the Earth
Not all hallucinations are disturbing, but most probably are. They can be categorized by which sense is involved or by cause. Schizophrenics often experience auditory hallucinations, hearing voices that are not actually present. Many people can experience olfactory hallucinations, usually smelling foul odors that no one else can detect. These are often caused by specific problems [...]
Posted by PalMD on January 26, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/01/26/and-everything-that-creepeth-upon-the-earth/
Think like a doctor, Part III
In Part I we discussed the history of medicine as a science. In Part II we addressed the role of compassion. This is the third part of the series. In 1994, I first put my hands on a human cadaver. When we first received it, the head and hands were wrapped. The rumor was that [...]
Posted by PalMD on January 16, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/01/16/think-like-a-doctor-part-iii/
Think Like a Doctor, Part II
In Part I we discussed the history of medicine as a science. This is Part II in a series. It is during a surgery rotation when a medical student perhaps feels least competent. Not only is there an enormous amount of book learning, there are the physical skills that take years to develop. Most of [...]
Posted by PalMD on January 15, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/01/15/think-like-a-doctor-part-ii/
Think like a doctor, Part I
For nearly five years, I’ve been writing about medicine. One of the questions I hear the most is, “when it comes to my health, who do I believe?” Anyone who’s read my writing knows I’m critical of so-called alternative medical practices. I’m also critical of the abuse of mainstream medical practices. I’ve had years of [...]
Posted by PalMD on January 14, 2012
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2012/01/14/think-like-a-doctor-part-i/
Another crack at medical cranks
I was having lunch with a medical student a number of years ago and asked him about his previous experiences in primary care. He hesitated for a moment, but having gotten to know me, he knew he could be honest. “The last guy I was with saw mostly Medicaid patients, and mostly just wrote prescriptions [...]
Posted by PalMD on December 31, 2011
http://whitecoatunderground.com/2011/12/31/another-crack-at-medical-cranks/
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