DeepMind’s deep-learning system AlphaFold last week cracked one of biology’s critical challenges: predicting the shape of proteins. As background for the less chemically inclined, a protein is made from a chain of amino acids that folds itself up in a tangled mass. The nooks and crannies of the 3-dimensional structure determines what the protein does and how it ... Continue Reading about AlphaFold and the Future of Physicians
The Problem with Policing Doctors on Social Media
We’ve all seen physicians occasionally act out on Twitter but few of us like to recognize it. Because policing doctors on social media is tricky business. The AMA has called peer-to-peer policing our professional responsibility. But when you do you’re often the odd man out. I know because I’ve called out. And I’ve been called out. It goes like this: Some doctor ... Continue Reading about The Problem with Policing Doctors on Social Media
Medical Professionalism in an Age of Transparency
Is there a way we should look or behave as physicians? The question gets to the core of professionalism. It’s an important question since so many doctors feel they are being judged because of their appearance, dress or language - both IRL and online. We are who we are. I am who I am. This is the real us. We don’t live by someone else’s standard. While ... Continue Reading about Medical Professionalism in an Age of Transparency
Telemedicine Hype Cycle and the Future of Remote Care
A recent STATNews First Opinion piece suggested that we’re seeing the abandonment of telemedicine by physicians after a strong start in 2020. Data from Phreesia shows early adoption in March 2020 with a fall off in May - This pattern reflects the earliest phases of the telemedicine hype cycle. Distracted and disillusioned maybe. Abandoned, no. So what ... Continue Reading about Telemedicine Hype Cycle and the Future of Remote Care
Percussion – An Obsolete Physician Skill?
Not long ago the internet was captivated by the video clip of a physician using a wine glass to teach percussion. The display elicited a sense of nostalgia and long-lost wisdom. The clip put 20th and 21st century medicine into stark contrast. But when was the last time you used percussion to make a diagnosis? Predictably, every smartypants in the audience has ... Continue Reading about Percussion – An Obsolete Physician Skill?
How Doctors Learn About Social Media
Recently a contentious public exchange over the diagnosis and management of surgical condition lead a young physician to leave Twitter. For some, watching this doctor virtually vaporize was the equivalent of losing a colleague. This is because our social networks have become important sources of support, information, inspiration and fellowship. The situation raises ... Continue Reading about How Doctors Learn About Social Media