Apr 2024
16 Apr
Five initial thoughts on the Cass Review
U.K. pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass just released a systematic review, finding there to be ‘a lack of high-quality research’ that puberty blockers can help young people with gender dysphoria.
Mar 2024
26 Mar
My 10 takeaways as a (former) med student advisor
CaRMS season is upon us again and I find myself reflecting on my days as a med student and as a mentor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.
19 Mar
When to call up a colleague rather than calling them out
One of my patients—a trans man—told me he left urgent care because of how embarrassing an interaction with the doctor there became. Luckily, his subsequent trip to the ER and laparoscopic appendectomy went well.
Feb 2024
15 Feb
Loneliness is killing us
Loneliness is now compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day in terms of its impact on mortality.
06 Feb
What we actually need to do to care for trans youth properly in Alberta and beyond
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took it upon herslef to prescribe new rules for the complex world of caring for transgender and gender diverse youth in Alberta. The trouble is, she’s not a doctor.
Jan 2024
31 Jan
Myths we doctors tell ourselves
These bits of well-worn, so-called wisdom are notions I just can't bring myself to believe.
19 Jan
Dr. I.M. Canuck—the perfect Canadian MD?
Dr. Ted Jablonski constructs a 'super' Canadian doctors from the skills each province exemplifies most strongly.
05 Jan
The ‘more or less’ model of not-New-Year’s resolutions for busy MDs
Patients ask us for advice. They demand ‘medical clearance’ to embark on elaborate plans of self-flagellation. They tell us what they are going to do, whether we agree or not.
Dec 2023
20 Dec
If Santa made a clinic visit...
Speculating on the potential health woes of this North Pole legend.
08 Dec
The bookends of a medical career
Reflecting: A doctor’s journey from initiation to culmination
04 Dec
The war between NP and FP?
Our premier in Alberta loves to throw out (crazy) ideas and watch the response—many of them considered highly contentious, polarizing, and their legitimate implementation improbable. But she puts them out there nonetheless and gets tongues wagging.
Nov 2023
22 Nov
Connections: A medical art and specialty
The New York Times has a new puzzle that I, like many, am obsessed with—and it's exactly like being an MD.
07 Nov
Breaking bad: When a prescription drug goes wrong
My patient looks at me like I am an insolent child. ‘They’ve been banned, they’re dangerous.’
Oct 2023
05 Oct
Dispelling the persistent and perpetual myths of the petulant prostate
I am not sure what the male equivalent of Pandora’s box is, but I plan to kick it wide open!
Sep 2023
20 Sep
Challenges of the worst— and ‘best’ patients
MD-patient relationships: a cautionary tale of the bell-shaped curve.
08 Sep
What can we learn? The push and pull of sex in cancer survivors
Let's look at what we can learn from two very different patient cases.
Aug 2023
25 Aug
The medical management of trans youth in Canada, 2023
In June, the Pediatric Society of Canada published “An affirming approach to caring for transgender and gender-diverse youth.” Now we finally have a position paper to discuss.
18 Aug
Eponymous tattoos—inking some historical fiction
While the naming of eponymous diseases has become controversial and mostly fallen out of favour, tattoos have had an exponential resurgence in popularity. So, why not marry the two?
09 Aug
Sometimes we all need an Elsa
You can call it failure to thrive if you like, but amid the swirling, constant negativity, we need people who can remind us how and why we should thrive in the first place.
July 2023
28 Jul
Can a folk festival inform the practice of medicine? 3 simple thoughts
A muddy, smokey and fun music festival is all very well, but what can such an experience teach us about our profession?
06 Jul
Prescribing sex hormones: A pragmatic primer for 2023
What family docs should know about tackling these prescriptions for patients with menopause, testosterone deficiency and more.
June 2023
16 Jun
Pride Month movie recommendations for Canadian MDs
As a straight, cis physician, I've spent a lot of time learning how to better care for my LGBTQ+ patients. And learning more about queer culture overall is part of that—so here are a few film recommendations I've learned from over the years.
May 2023
16 May
Woke MD?
I'm glad to know that I am not the only one confused as to the real versus implied meaning of this controversial word and all the pent-up emotion swirling around it.
09 May
The end of the ‘old clinician’ era?
Every medical school has one. The name that everyone knows. The smiling face that is always just around the corner.
01 May
The Alberta advantage
A number of unmatched residency spots are in Alberta. But how can that be when we have it all? Wanna brush up on your fracture or STI management? We have the Calgary Stampede. Love managing sunburn and heat stroke?
Apr 2023
17 Apr
When we present medical facts to patients, why don’t they listen?
A climate scientist might have a few answers for us.
06 Apr
Unmatched: The perils of primary care in 2023
The highest number of unmatched family medicine slots. Let’s break it down.
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