SMS ("Stanford Medical School") Unplugged was recently launched as a forum for students to chronicle their experiences in medical school. The student-penned entries appear on …
Month: February 2014
New Stanford-developed method finds tumors in children without exposing them to radiation
UPDATE: This entry has been corrected from a previous version, which incorrectly implied that these scans were used for cancer screening. *** Sometimes, getting a …
Do athletes feel pain differently than the rest of us?
With five days left in the 2014 Winter Olympics, here's an interesting question to ponder: Do athletes feel pain differently than the average person? As …
How physicians address obesity may affect patients' success in losing weight
For some patients, the need to begin a weight-loss program to lower health risks connected with obesity is urgent. But losing weight and keeping it …
Elderly muscle stem cells from mice rejuvenated by Stanford scientists
I've been pretty good about my gym workouts lately. But I've realized that it's a lot more difficult to build muscle mass now than it …
Scope will return tomorrow
Our offices are closed for Presidents Day; Scope will resume its regular publication schedule tomorrow. Photo (modified from original) by Phil Roeder
Grand Roundup: Top posts for week of February 9
The five most-read stories this week on Scope were: Top 10 reasons I’m glad to be in medical school: In the latest installment of our …
Stanford brain tumor research featured on “Bay Area Proud”
Stanford physician-scientist Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, conducts research on a particularly heartbreaking form of brain tumor. Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a brain cancer of school-aged …
Want to boost your child’s language skills? Talk directly to him (or her) from an early age
In a past entry published on Scope, my colleague Holly MacCormick spoke with Anne Fernald, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Stanford, about her …
Twitter 101 for patients
I quite like this blog entry, from the Society for Participatory Medicine, on how patients are using Twitter to "seek and speak out." Along with …
A physician shares his story of being diagnosed with amyloidosis
Long before Kevin Anderson, MD, was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a disorder in which abnormal proteins build up in tissues and organs, his physical health began …
Want teens to apply sunscreen regularly? Appeal to their vanity
When it comes to encouraging teenagers to take measures to reduce their risk of skin cancer, new research suggests parents and health educators should emphasize …
Talk to her (or him): Study shows adult talk to preemies aids development
When my little niece was born at 25 weeks' gestation, she lived in a clear plastic incubator for the first several months out of the …
Fruit-filled Manga comics may increase kids’ consumption of healthy food
More than a decade into adulthood, I'm still drawn in to the worlds created by sugar-cereal commercials. Hypnotized by the swirling pattern of Cinnamon Toast …
An experiment that "treats each person as his or her own experiment"
Many of us rely on rudimentary measurements — such as the number on our scale, our cholesterol level, or the ability to fit into our …
Top 10 reasons I’m glad to be in medical school
SMS ("Stanford Medical School") Unplugged was recently launched as a forum for students to chronicle their experiences in medical school. The student-penned entries appear on …