A recent study in JAMA (JAMA.2008;300(10):1154-1164) found that fewer medical students are interested in internal medicine, the kind of primary care that deals only with adults. It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s an interesting phenomenon. My institution is an anomaly in that the majority of students choose to do primary care, but nationwide, primary care […]

I have mostly tried to ignore televised convention (Democrat and Republican) coverage, instead choosing to read about it the next day.  However, I did catch some news coverage on the Republican convention and I couldn’t help but be irritated by the number of old white men with smug, self-righteous smiles plastered on their faces. Standing […]

Reading through latest TIME magazine issue, there was a short but fairly enticing article entitled ‘The Moment – Day One: Back to School‘ that reminds readers that most primary and secondary schools across America are about to or already are in session.  It also reminds readers that both main candidates in the upcoming elections are […]

This past Friday we learned that John McCain had selected Alaska governor Sarah Palin to be his VP for the Republican ticket. Gee, that’s just peachy. It was particularly noteworthy that Palin just had a baby this year with Down’s Syndrome rather than aborting it. Over the weekend, there was blog speculation that the baby […]

Way to steal the spotlight from Obama! I was shocked this morning when greeted with the news that McCain had announced his VP pick – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. I had already heard about Palin in the news when she gave birth to her youngest child, Trig, who was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome.  It was impressive […]

When I ask people why they don’t care to recycle or why they nonchalantly chuck coffee cups out their car windows, the most common response is one of apathy. “I don’t care. Why should I?” Sometimes they do it to spite me and my “kind.” There’s something tragically wrong with this picture: we Americans are […]

As this year’s cohort of medical school applicants works on their secondary applications and gets ready for upcoming interviews, I thought I would post and debunk some undesirable reasons to want to be a doctor, some funny, some serious.  I probably don’t need to say this, but it really is important to know why you […]

In June 2008 I warned UCI’s Earth System Science department that if they didn’t stop their blind pursuit of global warming scare tactics, they would soon be thoroughly embarassed. Apparently these onward marching pilgrims just can’t help themselves as the cult of global warming continues to survive. In a new report released this week by […]

Having visited Beijing last year for the first time since sixth grade, I was stunned at how quickly the city grew upwards. Skyscrapers competed with luxury hotels for the attention of businessmen and tourists alike, making Beijing feel less like the capital of a socialist superpower and more like a Chinese New York City where […]

I find it amusing that we consider our cars to be extensions of ourselves on the road.  However, I don’t find it as amusing when other drivers become hyper-aggressive when “protected” by their metal casing. I will confess, I have been prone to letting my thoughts (and my hand gestures) slip out of control on a […]