Is it time to trash the stethoscope? The age of ultrasound

stethoscopeIs the physical exam a relic of the past, because our tools are relics of a prior era?

It is important to do and teach a thorough physical exam. I cautioned against the overreliance on diagnostic testing in lieu of a physical exam, which can be initially burdensome and prolonged. But perhaps our difficulty with the physical exam is not the exam itself, but the tools that we have at our disposal to perform an exam, rather than the exam itself.

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By |2018-01-30T01:59:00-08:00Mar 15, 2013|Medical Education, Ultrasound|

Lytics for sub-massive PE: Ready for primetime?

PulmonaryembolismThere was recently a great study published in the American Journal of Cardiology (2012) by Sharifi et al1, questioning whether we should be considering tPA in patients other than those patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE)? You know the big “Saddle Embolus” we all fear? Well it turns out this is only about 5% of all PEs.

Should we be considering tPA in patients with sub-massive PEs?

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By |2019-09-10T13:37:21-07:00Mar 13, 2013|Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Tox & Medications|

Trick of the Trade: Ambient noise and creative cognition

Screen Shot 2013-03-11 at 12.27.13 PM

For many of us in academia and medical education, we accomplish a tremendous amount of work outside of the workplace. This can be in our home office, on the public transit system, or in the library.

Interestingly, creative cognition occurs best with a moderate amount of ambient noise (not too much and not too little), according to a 2012 article from Journal of Consumer Research.

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By |2019-02-19T18:04:59-08:00Mar 12, 2013|Tricks of the Trade|

Need your input! PV cards becoming an app

It’s all about luck, opportunity, and timing.

I will be releasing the blog’s first ever Paucis Verbis (PV) native app this year. After a few years of brainstorming and lots of reader inquiries about an app, we were approached by two different app-building companies in the same week. I’m incredibly humbled to be approached by organizations, who can see the potential of these pocket cards (which started as actual index cards while I was in residency). It is an incredibly exciting time to be in the world of education and social media!

I need your help with step 1.

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By |2017-03-05T14:14:30-08:00Mar 12, 2013|ALiEM Cards, Social Media & Tech|
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