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  We define ourselves in many ways. People select titles such a “fighter”, “contrarian”, and “creator” and use these terms to define themselves. Dependent identities such as these have the concerning feature of being highly laudable, unspeakably evil, or anywhere in between depending on external factors. In many contexts to be a fighter is aContinue reading “S2.3 Relatively Defining”

Science is a system, a methodology, that is used to approach empiric truth. It is a construct by which we ask questions, search for answers, and attempt to construct working theories of the world and universe around us. Nothing more, nothing less. Perhaps the most important part of being a scientist is curiosity, having anContinue reading “S2.2 Welcoming the Sceptic, Inviting the Questions”

Welcome to Season 2 of the Blog! After the first season we took a break to recalibrate, reimagine, and reorganize. Now we are back and enthusiastic for the start of Season II. Over the next 50 weeks we look forward to exploring medicine, leadership, motivation, and struggle as well as a handful of other topics.Continue reading “S2.Intro: Welcome to Season II”

We have been worried about a global pandemic, something akin to the Spanish flu of 1918, for some time. Whether SARS or Ebola or the new coronavirus, there are always possible pandemics lurking on the horizon. We have dodged the bullet on avian bird flu and swine flu, although that may have had as muchContinue reading “S2.1 Pandemic, the new normal”

  The family of a patient who was unresponsive after a major bleed in the brain posted a card on the clear glass door to her hospital room. “God is in control” It struck me how many different ways this could be read. A question thrown out to the universe, a shout into the void.Continue reading ““God is in control””

In a debate, constructing a straw man argument provides a neat way of constructing a foe from your own imagination who is easily and conveniently destroyed. For better or worse technology has allowed us a neat way of avoiding the trouble of gathering the straw and propping up a straw man ourselves. Instead of carefullyContinue reading “A New Straw Man”

Intentionally or unintentionally we, as a society, have begun to equate the importance of someone with how busy they appear to be. What this has inadvertently led to is an atmosphere where people feel that they must constantly appear to be busy even when they are not doing something necessary, enjoyable, or productive. How manyContinue reading “To Appear Busy”

Fast forward 20 years into the future and we will be able to answer research questions that it took me 4 years of work to figure out in a matter of days or even hours. In 20 years many of the treatments and principles that we use in the clinic today will be replaced byContinue reading “With the Best We Have”

Hindsight is 20/20. One of my memories of first grade was on the playground in the line for tetherball. A disagreement arose centered around the ambiguous guidelines we were calling the “rules” for playground tetherball. With tears welling up in his eyes at the perceived unfairness of the situation, one of the popular kids disinvitedContinue reading “Consider what it will be like to be gone”

  Starting things are difficult. Whether it is living in a new city, starting a new job, going to a new school, or standing at the beginning of anything for which you do not have a good routine, the start is rough. When I run, the first three miles are always painful. When I startContinue reading “Never Quit on the First Day”