Meditation in Medicine

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Author: Puja Gopal, MD
University of Illinois College of Medicine

This post was peer reviewed.
Click to learn more.

Recently when watching the evening news, I came across an interesting segment focusing on how teaching meditation in middle and high schools in San Francisco has led to many positive measurable changes. School officials have noted better attendance, better academic performance, and at least a 75 percent decrease in suspensions over a period of four years.

Meditation and relaxation techniques have garnered a lot of attention lately and have become the focus of much research. A brief literature overview on the potential impact meditation can have, especially in the field of emergency medicine, follows below. For emergency physicians, who operate in high-stress environments; attend to multiple tasks, often simultaneously; and must manage 'the busy pit', overall wellness becomes especially important. Wellness is reflected in one's even mindedness and control during high stress situations such as coding patients; one’s focus and concentration during shifts of high volume; and one’s resiliency, especially after bad outcomes. Stress reduction techniques are thus essential to maintain wellness and happiness and avoid burn-out.

The Open Door

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Author: Lauren Lamparter – Medical Student Council President

Originally published: Common Sense
September/October 2020

One of the reasons I am drawn to and pursuing a career in emergency medicine is its open-door policy — all are welcome, regardless of their ability to pay, the color of their skin, their legal status, or their sexual orientation. The emergency department (ED) is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to serve those in need, no matter their ailment or chief complaint. It is a place where there should be no discrimination based on race, religion, insurance status, or gender. All are welcome and will be taken care of with the priority of receiving the best care we can possibly give. I aspire to be an emergency medicine physician so I too can be a champion of health for all; someone who can set aside my implicit biases and provide for a fellow human who is in need of help. 

Human Trafficking: A Review for Health Care Providers

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Authors: Nicole E. McAmis; Angela C. Mirabella; Elizabeth M. McCarthy; Cara A. Cama, MBA; and Frank H. Netter, MD 
Originally published: Common Sense
September/October 2020

Background
The U.S. Department of State defines human trafficking in The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 as:

• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or
• The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.¹

When Do Things in Medicine Start to Become Common Knowledge?

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Author: Shaughnelene D. Smith, BSc (Hons); Eddie K. Maybury, BSc

Originally published: Common Sense

September/October 2020

Several weeks ago, I finished my first year of medical school and began the arborous drive from Kansas City, Missouri, to California for a summer research position. When I was just six minutes away from my destination, my car of 21 years decided to break down. It is important to note that I am studying in the United States as an international student from Canada, and despite growing up as a neighbor from the north, much of the U.S. and its various systems are foreign to me.

As midnight approached and the smoke started billowing out of the front bonnet, I found myself pulling off to the side of the road in a city unfamiliar to myself. I quickly took all the essential paperwork from my vehicle – F1-student visa, passport, insurance papers – and found a rock a safe distance away, where I proceeded to call my parents and quickly realized how clueless I was in navigating what to do next.

“Zooming” into a New Era of Clinical Education

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Author: Alexandria Gregory, MD 

Originally published: Common Sense
September/October 2020

If your residency is like most programs, your pre-COVID didactics likely consisted of several hours of in-person conference once a week. That common, traditional way of learning has been turned upside down with the need for social distancing, and most programs have transitioned to virtual conferences. As the reality of COVID persists, it is important to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of virtual learning. Furthermore, in planning for a post-COVID era, it will be beneficial to determine whether virtual learning remains a valid, effective teaching technique despite being able to meet in-person.

To understand how virtual learning affects curriculum design, it is important to start by breaking down what, in general, emergency medicine residency curriculum looks like. Most programs include the following in some fashion: 

• Core Topics
• Small-Group Sessions/Problem-Based learning
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)/Radiology Interpretation
• Morbidity and Mortality/Case Presentations
• Journal Club
• Ultrasound
• Grand Rounds
• Simulation/Procedure Lab
• Oral Board Review
• Asynchronous Learning