What role do letter grades play in learning?
Can it be that letter grades are harmful to learning?
Sep 11, 2016•4 min
Second Opinion
An examination of medical ethics and the practitioners who define them. Sign up to receive the Second Opinion topics in newsletter form at kcrw.com/newsletters .
Episodes
Predicting dementia in people without symptoms
There is little data that predictions are accurate or necessary.
Sep 04, 2016•5 min
Medical ignorance around medical marijuana
Doctors need education to use this drug effectively.
Aug 28, 2016•5 min
Hospitalists: a new face you've never met before
Another change that moves you away from your doctor
Aug 21, 2016•4 min
Zika: A new player in a familiar story
The solution requires a united front.
Aug 14, 2016•5 min
Practice Guidelines: recipes for best practice
But when bias creeps in, we all lose .
Aug 07, 2016•4 min
Physician Suicide: A Canary in the Coal Mine
A problem that should concern us all.
Jul 31, 2016•5 min
Unrealistic Cancer Care
Without cure there is still care.
Jul 24, 2016•4 min
High Cost of Medical Education
It is not in society’s best interest.
Jul 17, 2016•5 min
Old Habits Die Hard
…which lead to lots of unnecessary tests.
Jul 08, 2016•4 min
To Operate or Not?
Even for the surgeon, this isn’t an easy decision.
Jul 03, 2016•5 min
Difficult Choices at 30,000 Feet
Weighing benefits of one patient against another...
Jun 26, 2016•4 min
Bias in Medicine
Access to therapy appointments differs by race and class.
Jun 19, 2016•5 min
Being Held as a Medical Hostage
After a motor vehicle accident it's the last thing you'd expect.
Jun 12, 2016•5 min
San Francisco's Latest Attempt to Reduce Obesity
But beverage manufacturers stand in the way.
Jun 05, 2016•5 min
Good News, a Drop in Opioid Prescriptions?
There are important unintended consequences.
May 29, 2016•4 min
High Rates of Medical Error Rates Are Probably Incorrect
Still, the problem is real and deserves attention…
May 22, 2016•4 min
Physician Suicide: A Canary in the Coal Mine
It's a problem that should concern us all.
May 15, 2016•5 min
Declining Teen Birth Rates
Women are making good choices about reproductive health.
May 08, 2016•4 min
Doctors' Right to Choose
If doctors choose, patients loose.
May 01, 2016•5 min
The Violent Brain
Is it the seed or the soil?
Apr 24, 2016•4 min
A Medical Who Done It
How did a group of people ended up with cow tuberculosis?
Apr 10, 2016•5 min
Gender in Elite Sports
What defines a female athlete other than lower pay?
Apr 03, 2016•5 min
Physical Pain Linked to Economic Pain
America's pain epidemic has its roots in social determinants.
Mar 27, 2016•4 min
The Heavy Cost of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising
It's no longer just drugs but now genetic testing.
Mar 20, 2016•5 min
The Extinction of a Vital Measure of Quality Control
How will we ever know without an autopsy?
Mar 13, 2016•4 min
The Role of Government in Health
Do we really want to raise the age when an adult can purchase cigarettes?
Mar 06, 2016•4 min
Futility and Doctors in Training
The impact of moral distress can be long lasting.
Feb 28, 2016•4 min
A Never Ending Fight over Doctors' Work Hours
A new study does not come close to providing any resolution.
Feb 21, 2016•5 min
It Can't Hurt to Look!
Over-testing people with diabetes.
Feb 14, 2016•4 min
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