Enclothed Cognition

Cup a joe, nectar of the gods, whatever name you use to affectionately refer to your lovingly brewed cup of caffeine, coffee is what makes the world (and especially healthcare!) go round. The relationship between coffee and the medical profession today is stronger than ever as healthcare professionals are taking on many more shifts, much longer hours, and a far heavier workload burden. Here are 10 facts about coffee that you probably didn't know.

One of the biggest culprits of patient frustration can be found in the waiting room of a hospital or private practice. All too often a patient shows up at their scheduled appointment only to wait for extended periods of time, helpless until their name is finally called.

Technology often progresses and evolves so quickly that its hard to keep up. Situations we might never have thought possible now are, as we push ourselves deeper into the vast frontier of space, expanding the scope of healthcare to beyond just Earth's orbit. 

On Tuesday night Lamar Odom, an NBA player and ex-member of the Kardashian clan, was discovered in a brothel unconscious with herbal Viagra and other recreational drugs found in his system. He remains on life support, leading many people to question the safety of herbal drug alternatives.

On a rural island off the coast of Nicaragua, the landscape seems picturesque at first, with children bicycling along dirt roads that encircle vast fields of sugarcane. Until you start to notice how few men there are on the Nicaraguan island, you might not guess that "La Isla de las Viudas" is one of the many areas in Central America whose population has been devastated over the past two decades by a mysterious kidney disease. This regional epidemic lies at the intersection of a social injustice and a public health crisis, where “Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown origin” (CKDu) has become more deadly than HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and leukemia combined.

Its not yet November, but lets take some time to be thankful for how far the medical industry has progressed. Medical knowledge improves and evolves every day, hospitals are (usually) extremely sanitary environments, and medical instruments must be tested and approved for safety. 

While there is no question that physician burnout is on the rise, different studies report different rates of the phenomenon. These deviations arise due to the different criteria used to determine burnout. 

This weekend thousands of anesthesiologists will flock to San Diego to hear lectures from featured speakers, attend educational lectures, and rub shoulders with industry leaders at the 2015 Anesthesiology Annual Meeting. To celebrate the coming together of anesthesiologists from around the world, lets take a look back on the development of anesthesia, an absolutely essential component of effective patient care.

With Halloween less than a week away, we've compiled a list of ten of the most demented and evil doctors in history. In positions of power these medical "professionals" were able to take advantage of their patients for their own twisted purposes, breaking the Hippocratic Oath and making them notorious for their heinous crimes.

Physicians face unusual healthcare situations all the time. It is their job, after all.