The field of weight-loss pills is strewn with lemons. Why do both doctors and patients pretend that it's lemonade, when it's anything but! »
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Slow Medicine
I can't tell you exactly when it happened, but sometime in the past two decades, the "practice of medicine" was insidiously morphed into the "delivery of health care." If you aren't sure of the difference between the two, then "God's Hotel" is the book... »
Doctors Have Feelings Too
Doctors should be aware of emotions that may lead them to be less than honest with patients or reluctant to admit errors. »
Who Deserves a Heart Transplant?
In Israel, a New Approach to Organ Donation by Danielle Ofri New York Times One of the most agonizing spots in medicine is the “transplant list.” When I’ve referred... »
Doctors’ Suicide
What happens it's the doctor who commits suicide? Sadly, physicians--as a group--have a higher suicide rate than other professionals. Here's the story of one doctor and the effects of... »
Music Teachers for Doctors?
What if every doctor learned from a music teacher? Could a "coach" bring back the intellectual vibrancy from medical-school days for one doctor, the way a music teacher inspires... »
A Sampler of Danielle’s writing
Want to sample Danielle's writing? Check out videos, podcasts, and of course, the written word of Danielle's most memorable stories. »
Danielle’s Top Ten Articles for Discussion
Need a short, provocative essay to prompt discussion with your students, staff, or book group members? Here are Danielle Ofri’s Top Ten articles for discussion (okay, maybe it’s 12).... »
Americans by Choice
"Enlightened citizenship is the everlasting strength of our democracy." Inspiration from Andrew Carnegie. »
Filling the Ritalin Rx
Most physicians think little about prescriptions after they hand them off to their patients. But patients can face shame and humiliation when filling a prescription. »
The Provider Will See You Now
When did doctors become “providers”? The term has a deliberate sterility to it that wrings out any sense of humanity, and connotes a widgetlike framework for that which is... »
Recertifying Doctors
In 1990, seeking to keep pace with the rapid advances in medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine initiated the “recertification process.” Now, doctors must take an exam every... »
Doing Nothing Can Be The Best Medicine
So much of medicine is about “doing something,” but in some cases doing nothing may be the best course of action. »
The BLR Turns Ten!
"...a journal of uncommon literary quality." Now ready for its second decade! Come join the celebration on October 30th. Read the latest review of the BLR. »
Pharma in the Jungle
How to make pharmaceutical R&D worthy of James Bond-like drama? It's not easy, but Ann Patchett gamely tries. »
