Should I freeze my eggs?

To freeze or not to freeze… that is a popular question among modern, reproductive age women. Media coverage of egg freezing in an effort to defer childbearing is everywhere. A simple google search clues us in on our society's fascination with this technology. But who is using oocyte cryopreservation and should you learn more about it. 

Hyper-Hypo-and-anechoicity: a guide!

I'm back in the blog game. Here is a nice piece from our ultrasonographers about ultrasound findings. Simple and straightforward. This is helpful for both practicing physicians and trainees. A refresher of sorts after the jump

Reflections of Presidential Elections Past

This is not intended to be a endorsement riddled post...so look elsewhere if that is what you were looking for. While being bombarded with all sorts of political adds from all sorts of media venues, I have spent the better half of the last several days reflecting on my memories of presidential elections past. The internet allows all voices to have a platform which expands the sources of information.

I was introduced to politics at a young age. When I was 4 or 5, my sisters asked me about what I thought of Ronald Reagan. Fortunately any proof of my response is gone forever (thankfully they couldn't record it on a phone and upload to YouTube)...unless of course that casette tape is lingering somewhere at my parents house!  

Eitherway, as we wrap up another election cycle (thankfully), I wanted to reflect my favorite memories from elections past.

My $0.02: The ART of Conference Chit Chat

Milestone: this is my first blog entry using my i pad. I got a keyboard and decided to give it a whirl. This works really well! Without further adieu...

I have been going to medical conferences regularly for the last 3 years. They are great venues for learning about our field and networking. In an effort to provide an observational take on networking at a conference (without sounding haughty) there are several things that, I think really work well for "meaningful" networking. Hit the jump for examples

What MNF fiasco tells us about character

I have been interviewing medical students and resident physicians for positions at my institution for a couple of years now. One thing I always like to look for in applicants is GRIT! When you get knocked down how do you respond? The MNF officiating fiasco (and how folks respond to officials in general) can open a door into one's personality.

Lost in translation: What the presenter's response really means at Grand Rounds

In the heat of an election we are constantly bombarded with "spin." But "spin" along with "evasion" are everywhere and anyone who has been to a scientific meeting, a grand rounds, or just a simple town hall Q&A has probably witnessed such tactics at play between presenter and audience. We are so accustomed to it though that we don't really think twice because we have learned to translate certain responses. In sports, for example, the post game press conference is where a player or coach serves up certain cliches for the media. New England Patriots Head Coach, Bill Belichick is notorious for this.

I was recently inspired by a sports talk show segment and a conversation I had with some peers about what is really meant by certain presenter responses. Sometimes people try to evade questions when they don't know or want to hide something. Thats fine. We have all done it too and for a variety of reasons: don't know answer, don't want to disclose specific information, protect 3rd parties, etc.

As a result, I have decided to translate such presenter responses from my experience as both audience member and presenter. This is meant purely for entertainment purposes. Note: 

Most of these are actual responses and some are actual TYPES of responses. Also the "TRANSLATIONS" are from the presenter's perspective

Onward after the jump

Paging Dr. Manners STAT to L & D: A guide for physicians and medical students

This blog has achieved 600 hits in a just over a week. In order to keep that momentum going, we are firing up another Dr. Manners post. It has quickly become apparent that there is a humorless void regarding residency, particularly in OBGYN, that we hope to fill.

Last week, we reviewed the decorum that can maximize the working/learning/teaching environment in the operating room. And just the other day, our guide to signout/handoff styles got some attention, so it got us thinking about doing a Dr. Manners guide for Labor and Delivery, possibly one of the most exciting and much-anticipated rotations in medical school. OBGYN rotations are usually spoofed magnificently at medical school class skits, but we digress.

I can remember being introduced to the concept of professionalism as a medical student and it quickly became apparent that it was becoming more and more of an issue because "how-one-should-act" on the wards was up to the examples set by the team the student was on.

Professionalism should not be taught to medical students/residents like a parent talking down to a child because lectures on professionalism quickly become "how-to-behave" lectures that quickly turn people off.

The purpose of Dr Manners is to provide a new paradigm, using humor and our collective real life experiences as medical student, resident and fellow to teach professionalism.

This week we break down what Blueprints OBGYN (mehh), First Aid OBGYN (not bad, decent for step 2/3), and CaseFiles Obstetrics and Gynecology (my favorite) fail to give advice on: professionalism (aka how-to-avoid-awkward-moments) on Labor and Delivery.

Please note that this is for Physicians of all levels too: residents, fellows, attendings, staff MDs, etc...and while the examples given below may be relevant for academic settings, just like the OR post, anyone who works on labor and delivery will appreciate the advice given here. Hit the jump for the guide on handling yourself on Labor and Delivery.