As a primary care internist, I spend a lot of time focusing on preventative health. There are all sorts of screening tests—mammograms, colonoscopies, PSA tests—but none of these actually “prevent” disease. They are designed to find disease at an early stage, allowing treatment that, ideally, avoids the more aggressive forms of the disease. The only... »
“Angelina Gomez,” the medical assistant hollers out to the crowded waiting room. As always, I cringe when I hear this. It sounds so harsh, so cattle-like. I know that the assistant is actually a gentle and caring person, and I understand that he uses a loud voice so that he can be heard over... »
On Nov 22, 2009, Danielle Ofri read from her book “Singular Intimacies,” as part of a day-long symposium on science and art. The event was sponsored by Macaulay Honor’s College at CUNY, and featured speakers about music, film, literature, medicine and science. Macualay College gave complimentary copies of Danielle’s book to attendees. »
Every illness is unique, and every person faces illness in his or her own way. Anna Deveare Smith, in her one-woman show “Let Me Down Easy,” slips into the persona of twenty-one individuals who have faced an aspect of illness or death. In ninety minutes, Deveare Smith takes the audience on an existential scavenger... »
