The Heart in Acromegaly

September 1, 2010

By Ari Pollack, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

 The onset of acromegaly is subtle, and its progression is usually very slow. In fact, the usual interval from the onset of symptoms until diagnosis is about twelve years.[1] The manifestations of acromegaly result from excessive secretion…

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Posted in Cardiology, Class Act

Do I have a Concussion?

July 21, 2010

By Radhika Sundararajan, M.D., Ph.D

Faculty Peer Reviewed  

A healthy 18 year-old female presents to Urgent Care after slipping and falling this morning in the bathroom and hitting her head on the tile floor. She denies any loss of consciousness, vomiting, or…

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Posted in Class Act

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis: High on the Differential for Intractable Vomiting

July 15, 2010

By Sarah A. Buckley & Nicholas M. Mark

Faculty Peer Reviewed

An 18-year-old male presents complaining of crampy abdominal pain, nausea, and intractable vomiting for the past year. The symptoms are episodic, lasting several weeks and remitting for weeks to months. The…

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Posted in Class Act

Marijuana and Multiple Sclerosis- Half-Baked? The Evidence Behind Cannabinoid Use for the Treatment of Pain and Spasticity in MS Patients

June 3, 2010

By Maura RZ Madou, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

When the New Jersey legislature approved a measure to legalize the use of marijuana for patients with chronic illnesses early this year, multiple sclerosis (MS) patient Charles Kwiatkowski, of Hazlet, N.J., rhetorically asked the…

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Posted in Class Act, Neuro

Oral Contraceptive Pills: Is It Really Safe to Eliminate Your Period?

May 21, 2010

By Rachel Edlin, MD  

Faculty peer reviewed

A 29-year-old female patient with a history of iron deficiency anemia and heavy menstrual periods comes into the clinic for a regular visit. She is tired of iron supplementation and its associated constipation. As she…

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Posted in Class Act, Clinical Questions

Revisiting the USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines: Ethics, and Patient Responsibilities

May 6, 2010

David Shabtai

Faculty Peer Reviewed

 In a bold move, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently changed their breast cancer screening guidelines – recommending beginning screening at age 50 and even then only every other year until age 75. Bold, because the…

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Posted in Class Act, Ethics, Heme/Onc

Motivational Interviewing: Can You Really Change Behaviors?

April 27, 2010

Emily Stamell

Faculty peer reviewed

As a well-trained fourth year medical student, I inquire about smoking habits as part of almost all my patient encounters. Yet, I do not recall properly counseling a patient on smoking cessation aside from the one liner…

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Posted in Class Act, Clinical Questions, Psychiatry

How Do You Advise the Balding Patient?

January 13, 2010

savalasSagar Mungekar

Faculty Peer Reviewed

The incidence of male pattern hair loss can reach almost 100% in some ethnic groups.1, 2 While treatment of the condition is usually deferred to dermatologists, it is often the primary care physician (PCP) who is first…

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Posted in Class Act, Dermatology, Endocrine

What is the Role of Drug Therapy in Treating Obesity?

November 19, 2009

800px-feet_on_scaleArlene Chung

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Despite the high prevalence of obesity1 and its associated morbidity2 and mortality 3,4, it represents one of the most difficult chronic conditions to treat. Barriers include a metabolically toxic environment, a history of ill-fated weight-loss regimens, and a general…

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Posted in Class Act, Clinical Questions, Endocrine

It’s Lyme Season: How Should You Manage the Tick-bitten Patient?

October 14, 2009

ticJoshua Allen-Dicker

Faculty peer reviewed

A healthy 42-year old patient presents to your office after a day of hiking with his family in Upstate New York. This morning in the shower he found a “big black tick” on his right leg. He…

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Posted in Class Act, ID

Sleep, Memory, and Medical Students

October 2, 2009

sleepMegan Mulligan

Faculty peer reviewed by Dr. David Rapoport

The role of sleep in memory formation is an intriguing topic that has garnered widespread interest among researchers in recent years. The subject has seen a doubling in the number of publications every…

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Posted in Class Act

The Forgotten Influenza of 1918: When a Strong Immune System Becomes a Weakness

September 23, 2009

influenza19181Emily Breidbart

Faculty peer reviewed

As the threat of the swine flu surfaced in early 2009, doctors and the media referenced the influenza of 1918. Also known as the Spanish flu, this pandemic spread to nearly every part of the world and…

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Posted in Class Act, ID