When I was in my residency training, from 1990 to 1993, we were in the nascent phase of the "pain is a vital sign" madness. We were told, over and over, that we should treat pain aggressively and should not be afraid to give narcotics to patients in pain.
Illicit use of the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine continues to spread across the United States. The drug, which is increasingly mixed with fentanyl, often fails to respond to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone and can cause severe necrotic lesions.
Last year, medical students in the U.S. graduated with an average debt of $206,924, though students at some schools incur more than $280,000, according to the latest data.
Most physicians oppose the way standardized relative value units (RVUs) are used to determine performance and compensation, according to the 2024 Physicians and RVUs Report. About 6 in 10 survey respondents were unhappy with how RVUs affected them financially, while 7 in 10 said RVUs were poor measures of productivity.
As I led small group sessions during our medical school’s recent orientation, I was struck by the nervous excitement and hope radiating from our new first-year students. Their enthusiasm was palpable yet tinged with apprehension about the challenging journey ahead.
Martinez Majors Sr. of Alexandria, Va., 65, had no idea his kidneys were failing. Then, three years ago, a severe case of edema landed him in the hospital.
It’s no secret that leading a healthy life requires getting consistent and sufficient exercise, but globally, many adults are lacking in this department. Nearly a third of the global adult population, or about 1.8 billion people, did not hit their recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
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