Thursday, October 30, 2008

Medical Student Burnout

This NY Times article is written by Pauline W. Chen, MD, Harvard College grad and author of Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality. It's a stark reminder perhaps to think hard and weigh your options before embarking on the medical path. But even if you pursue medicine for all the right reasons and with enthusiasm, medical school is just a very, very challenging experience for most students.

The medical culture is not one that can be characterized as actively encouraging students to admit vulnerability and ask for help. But it's so important to do so.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Cuts in Funding for Cambridge Health Alliance

With all the budget problems for the federal and state governments (mostly notably California), it may not be a surprise that there are anticipated deep funding cuts coming for the Cambridge Health Alliance. This healthcare network runs many of Boston's community health clinics in underserved communities.