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Students, profs interrupt Harvard Med School celebration to protest AMA’s neutrality in Israel-Hamas War – Campus Reform

Posted: April 9, 2024 at 1:01 pm

Anti-Israel protesters recently disrupted a celebration at Harvard.

On March 15, more than 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, including both students and staff members from the Harvard Medical School (HMS), came to the schools Match Day--when applicants learn of the [medical] residency programs in which they will train--in order to express their anger at the American Medical Associations (AMA) neutrality regarding the Israel-Hamas war, according to theBoston Globe.

AMA leader Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld was giving a speech for the occasion of Match Day on campus, theGlobe reported.

[RELATED: Anti-Semitic speaker doubles down on pro-Hamas comments during Harvard event]

The protesters held up signs with the messages Let Gaza Live! and AMA is complicit in genocide, placed red tape over their mouths to protest alleged censorship from the HMS, and demonstrated both before and during Ehrenfelds speech, theGlobe wrote.

As the Globe related, the AMA released an announcement following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of Jewish civilians. Thestatement noted: The conflict unfolding in Israel and Gaza has caused suffering and death on an immense scale. We have heard from many of our physician and medical student members expressing heartbreak and outrage about the human toll afflicting Israelis, Palestinians and others, and also noted that [i]t is critical that medical neutrality is observed because physicians and health care professionals must have the ability to carry out their work and administer urgent care to those in need.

Hibah Osman, a professor at HMS and one of the protesters, claimed that the AMA is usually very vocal about what happens to health care workers overseas, adding that the AMA has refused to make any comments about whats going on in Gaza despite the killing of hundreds of doctors and nurses and dentists and medical students, wrote The Harvard Crimson.

[RELATED: Stanford activists disrupt Family Weekend event with anti-Israeli chants]

HMS Dean George Q. Daley warned in an email before the event that those who do not respect the guidelines expressed in the HMS statement, the University-wide statement, and the January 19 guidance will be subject to review and possible disciplinary sanction, which made Osman react, saying: To threaten students who want to protest a genocide is awful,The Harvard Crimson reported.

One of the protesters, commenting on the fact that the AMA spoke out against Russias invasion of Ukraine, seemed to blame the AMA of racism: It shows that the AMA doesnt value Palestinian lives as much as Ukrainian lives, or non-white lives as much as white lives, she said, according to theBoston Globe.

In a statement toCampus Reform, the HMS insisted that the protestors followed the schools guidelines and community values on peaceful and respectful expression of ideas.

Campus Reform has reached out to the Harvard Medical School for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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Students, profs interrupt Harvard Med School celebration to protest AMA's neutrality in Israel-Hamas War - Campus Reform

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Clovis Medical School Hits Huge Milestone: 7-Year Accreditation – GV Wire

Posted: April 9, 2024 at 1:01 pm

California Health Sciences University has hit a significant milestone for its College of Osteopathic Medicine by receiving a coveted seven-year accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

This achievement marks a pivotal moment in the Clovis universitys journey toward establishing a robust medical education program, CHSU officials said.

We are immensely proud to have earned this seven-year accreditation from COCA, which reflects the dedication and excellence of our medical school, said Dr. John Graneto, Dean of the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our faculty, staff, and students who have contributed to our success.

COCA, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, is the accrediting body for colleges of osteopathic medicine nationwide.

Since its start in 2020, the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine has worked towards obtaining full accreditation. Its efforts are bolstered by state-of-the-art facilities.

Related Story: Clovis Medical School Students Celebrate First-Ever Match Day for ...

CHSU recently celebrated its inaugural cohort of medical students from the class of 2024. Notably, 100% of these students were successfully matched to residency specialty programs.

The residency match results: 100% match rate achieved 65% of residencies in Primary Care 34% of residencies in the Central Valley 65 medical students set to graduate in May

Looking ahead, CHSU medical students will complete their training by passing final board licensing exams and embarking on residency programs across hospitals, clinics, and health centers. These experiences will equip them with the skills and expertise to practice independently in their chosen specialties.

CHSU will celebrate the graduation of its inaugural class of 2024 medical students at the Save Mart Center on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

Disclosure: GV Wire Publisher Darius Assemi is one of the founders of CHSU and a member of its board of trustees.

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Clovis Medical School Hits Huge Milestone: 7-Year Accreditation - GV Wire

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Hands-on training promotes confidence in ultrasound for students – AuntMinnie

Posted: April 9, 2024 at 1:01 pm

AUSTIN, TX -- Hands-on training that works better with medical students' schedules can improve practical skills and foster mentorship for promoting ultrasound use, according to research presented April 7 at UltraCon.

In his talk, Ernest Fonocho, MD, from the University of Texas Health McGovern Medical School in Houston presented findings indicating that a three-day curriculum with smaller class sizes improved image acquisition skills for students in several areas of the body.

We think organizing these workshops is really good for medical students, Fonocho said. It sparks their interest in radiology and helps them learn how to use ultrasound probes, which I think most people including myself fumbled the very first time when using a probe.

Ernest Fonocho, MD, from the University of Texas Health McGovern Medical School in Houston presents his institute's ultrasound training curriculum at UltraCon.Amerigo Allegretto

Ultrasound offers a safe, cost-effective method for real-time imaging capability. A 2021 report that Fonocho cited outlined how over 72% of medical schools indicated that they have an ultrasound curriculum. However, the report pointed out that there is a lack of formal, consistent ultrasound training.

Fonocho outlined McGoverns previous ultrasound training method, which consisted of a week-long radiology course for second-year students. While this method provided hands-on learning and dedicated radiology and ultrasound lectures, Fonocho said it had a student-instructor ratio of 15-to-1 as well as its share of limitations. These included time constraints, a hectic curriculum, and inconsistent personnel availability.

The institutes current curriculum consists of a three-day workshop during the musculoskeletal and dermatology block of the medical students coursework. It includes the following features: prerecorded videos introducing ultrasound, promoting independent learning prior to the workshop; radiology trainees as instructors; three workstations with ultrasound equipment and standardized patients; 50-minute learning sessions; and a student-instructor ratio ranging from four-to-one to five-to-one.

Fonocho and colleagues compared Qualtrics scores before and after the workshop for several areas of the body. These included the calcaneum, peroneal tendons, nerves, muscles, and tendons. The team found that the students scores improved after the three-day workshop.

Fonocho highlighted that the current curriculum has several benefits. These include introducing and familiarizing students to ultrasound, creating long-term interest in radiology, having radiology trainees serve as mentors, and increasing confidence in using ultrasound in clinical practice.

Having us there and giving the students opportunities to ask questions and register for the course helps them explore radiology as an option, Fonocho said. We run the radiology courses for medical students, so when they meet us, its easier for them to approach us.

Moving forward, Fonocho said the institute will incorporate ultrasound and imaging lectures in each standardized block during years one and two, allow time for associated interventional procedures practice by using gel models, and incorporating a longitudinal study to assess student knowledge and retention in the third and fourth years of medical student education.

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Hands-on training promotes confidence in ultrasound for students - AuntMinnie

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Acetaminophen safety: Be cautious but not afraid – Harvard Health

Posted: April 9, 2024 at 1:01 pm

Cold, cough, and flu season is a good time to revisit the risks of acetaminophen the pain and fever reliever in Tylenol and many other over-the-counter medications. Billions of doses of acetaminophen are consumed safely every year, but deaths still occur from accidental overdoses and thousands of people end up in the emergency room. More than 600 products contain acetaminophen, and inadvertently combining them can nudge you into the red zone.

People don't realize that these doses all add up, and before you know it you've exceeded the recommended dose of acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen controls pain and fever but does not reduce inflammation, as doesaspirinand the other widely consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, generics) and naproxen (Aleve, generics). But unlike NSAIDs, acetaminophen does not irritate the stomach and intestinal lining. That means a person who cannot tolerate NSAIDs can still take acetaminophen. It's an important drug for controlling chronic pain in older adults.

The hitch is that acetaminophen also has a narrower window of safety compared with ibuprofen and naproxen. NSAIDs can make you sick, too, but it takes a larger amount to reach a dangerous overdose. Taking too much acetaminophen can damage the liver, sometimes leading to a liver transplant or death.

The body breaks down most of the acetaminophen in a normal dose and eliminates it in the urine. But some of the drug is converted into a byproduct that is toxic to the liver. If you take too much all at once or over a period of daysmore toxin can build up than the body can handle.

For the average healthy adult, the absolute maximum daily dose is no more than 4,000 milligrams (mg) from all sources. But in some people, doses close to the 4,000 mg daily limit for adults could still be toxic to the liver. It's safest to take only what you need, and to not exceed 3,000 mg a day whenever possible, especially if you use acetaminophen often.

If you ever have concerns about how much acetaminophen you can tolerate based on your age, body size, and health status, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Here are some general precautions for avoiding an accidental overdose of acetaminophen.

Tens of thousands of people become ill every year from taking too much acetaminophen. In a smaller number of casesseveral hundred per year it leads to death. But it need not happen to you. Read the labels in all your over-the-counter and prescription drugs to look at the specific amounts of acetaminophen in each, and stick to the guidelines.

325 mg

500 mg

650 mg extended release

Take how many pills at a time?

1 or 2

1 or 2

1

Take how often?

Every 4 to 6 hours

Every 6to 8hours

Every 8 hours

Safest maximum daily dose

for most adults

8 pills

6 pills

4 pills

Never take more than this in a 24-hour period

12 pills (3900 mg)

8 pills (4000 mg)

6 pills (3900 mg)

It's best to take the lowest dose necessary and stay closer to 3,000 mg per day as your maximum dose. If you need to take high doses of acetaminophen for chronic pain, check with your doctor first.

For therapy options beyond the standard approaches to managing pain, buy the Harvard Special Health ReportPain Relief Without Drugs or Surgery .

Image:AntonioGuillem/Getty Images

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Acetaminophen safety: Be cautious but not afraid - Harvard Health

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Nerve stimulation for sleep apnea is less effective for people with higher BMIs Washington University School of … – Washington University School of…

Posted: April 9, 2024 at 1:01 pm

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Popular alternative to CPAP machines may not be appropriate for all

A sleep apnea treatment known as hypoglossal nerve stimulation is less effective in people with higher body mass indexes (BMIs), according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

A nerve-stimulation treatment for obstructive sleep apnea that originally was approved only for people with body mass indexes (BMIs) in the healthy range recently was extended to patients with BMIs up to 40, a weight range generally described as severely obese. A healthy BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9.

The expanded eligibility criteria for the treatment provide more sleep apnea patients with access to the increasingly popular therapy, known as hypoglossal nerve stimulation. However, new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that the likelihood of successful nerve-stimulation treatment drops significantly as a patients weight rises above a healthy range.

The study, which appears April 4 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, is based on a retrospective analysis of treatment success in 76 sleep apnea patients with BMIs of less than 35.

Our study shows that the more overweight you are, the less likely it is that nerve-stimulation treatment will be effective in treating your sleep apnea, said senior author Eric C. Landsness, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology.

Im not saying that we shouldnt put this device in patients with a BMI of 38 or 40. But my job as a physician is to help overweight patients make an informed decision, to better understand their odds of success and realize that the chances of it working for them may be a lot less.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by relaxation of muscles in the mouth and throat when a person is asleep. Muscle slumping can cause a partial or complete blockage of airflow and oxygen supply, especially in people with large tongues, thick necks and narrow airways. Blockages may cause people with sleep apnea to stop breathing for seconds (sometimes more than a minute), until they startle themselves awake and gasp for breath, a cycle that often repeats through the night. Untreated sleep apnea can cause serious health problems, including excessive daytime sleepiness, headaches, strokes, irregular heart rhythms and other cardiovascular issues.

Sleep apnea most often is treated with a bedside continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which maintains open airways via a breathing hose and tightly fitting face mask. CPAP machines are effective, but they can be loud and uncomfortable and are largely unpopular. About half of those who try the approach fail to stick with it.

To many patients, hypoglossal nerve stimulation looks like an appealing alternative to CPAP machines. The therapy is driven by a small, battery-operated device implanted just above the ribs. A small wire is run internally up the chest and into the jaw, where it connects to the hypoglossal, a nerve that controls tongue muscles responsible for keeping the upper airway open during sleep.

Each time the patient takes a breath, the device delivers electrical impulses to the hypoglossal nerve, causing the tongue to move forward just far enough to avoid the airway blockages that drive sleep apnea.

The first hypoglossal nerve-stimulation device (brand name Inspire) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014 for use in patients with BMIs less than 25 whose moderate to severe sleep apnea has failed treatment with other, more established therapies. Since then, eligibility requirements have loosened, with the FDA now allowing the device to be used in patients with BMIs as high as 40 and Medicare providing coverage for patients with BMIs up to 35.

Landsness, a sleep researcher who treats patients with sleep apnea, was surprised by the changes in the eligibility criteria. To understand how the device performs in people of varying sizes, he and colleagues performed an independent evaluation using data from 78 people with BMIs up to 35 who received implants of the nerve-stimulation device at the Washington University Sleep Medicine Center from 2019 through 2023.

The primary study finding was that, overall, the device works. Three out of four patients showed significant improvement in apnea symptoms in the year following implantation. Most study participants experienced symptom reductions of at least 50%, with many showing dramatic reductions to near normal or mild levels of sleep apnea.

However, among overweight study participants with BMIs of 32 to 35, the results were less positive, with the likelihood of successful treatment estimated to be 75% lower than those of study participants with lower BMIs.

Body mass index is clearly an important factor in predicting whether hypoglossal nerve stimulation will work for an individual patient, Landsness said. Our study shows an almost linear relationship between BMI and treatment success. For every unit of BMI increase over 32, the odds of successful treatment decrease by about 17%.

Inspire is the only FDA-approved hypoglossal nerve-stimulation device available in the United States. The company also markets the device in Europe, Japan and other countries. About 50,000 patients worldwide have been implanted with it.

Implantation of a hypoglossal nerve-stimulation device is a relatively simple outpatient surgery. Among the biggest concerns for patients are in terms of money and time. Landsness estimates that the therapy can cost from $50,000 to $100,000 out of pocket without insurance and take a year to be fully optimized.

We have patients coming to us who really want this treatment, because they view it as a life-changing alternative to CPAP, Landsness said. It certainly can work for some people, but we dont want to recommend it to patients if theres a chance their BMIs will affect the devices usefulness.

Patel R, Wang H, Jamro E, Lindburg M, Jackson R, Malhotra R, Lucey B, and Landsness E. Response to hypoglossal nerve stimulation changes with body mass index and supine sleep. JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. April 4, 2024. DOI: 10.1001/jamaoto.2024.0261

Preparation of the manuscript was supported by the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, grant UL1TR002345 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and K08 NS109292-01A1 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

This study is not part of a clinical trial. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare and no off-label investigational use. The content of this paper is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

About Washington University School of Medicine

WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.

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Nerve stimulation for sleep apnea is less effective for people with higher BMIs Washington University School of ... - Washington University School of...

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Thinning hair in women: Why it happens and what helps – Harvard Health

Posted: April 9, 2024 at 1:01 pm

Many people think of hair loss as a male problem, but it also affects at least a third of women. But unlike men, women typically experience thinning hair without going bald, and there can be a number of different underlying causes for the problem.

"Some are associated with inflammation in the body. Some are female-pattern hair loss," says Dr. Deborah Scott, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Hair Loss Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital. But the good news is that in many cases this hair loss can be stabilized with treatment, and it may be reversible. When it's not, there are a number of new cosmetic approaches that can help.

The first step in dealing with thinning hair is determining what's happening inside your body that is causing those extra strands to cling to your shoulders and your brush. Some hair loss is normal. Everyone loses hair as part of the hair's natural growth cycle, which occurs in three stages:

Normal hair loss is highly individual. Most people have a sense of how much hair is normal for them to lose. If you suddenly notice more hair than usual falling out, you're shedding clumps of hair, or your hair seems to be visibly thinning, it may be a sign that something is amiss, says Dr. Scott.

Numerous problems can trigger female hair loss. Some are external, such as taking certain medications, frequently wearing hairstyles that pull the hair too tight, or even a stressful event such as surgery. In other cases, thinning hair is triggered by something going on inside the body for instance, a thyroid problem, a shift in hormones, a recent pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition.

Hair loss may also be genetic. The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia. Women with this condition might notice a widening of the part at the top of the head, often beginning when a woman is in her 40s or 50s. You might experience this if you inherit certain genes from one or both parents. Hormonal shifts that occur during menopause may also spur it.

Another trigger for hair loss in women is an inflammatory condition affecting the scalp. That might be eczema, psoriasis, or a condition called frontal fibrosing alopecia, which typically causes scarring and hair loss sometimes permanent at the front of the scalp above the forehead.

Other common causes of hair loss include overuse of damaging hair products, or tools such as dryers and other devices that heat the hair. Underlying illness, autoimmune conditions such as lupus, nutritional deficiencies, or hormonal imbalances may also cause hair to shed.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause, says Dr. Scott. Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be enough for the hair to regrow. In other instances, a woman might consider a medication like minoxidil (Rogaine), which helps with certain types of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.

Another potential option being used to treat hair loss is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. For this treatment, the doctor draws your blood, divides it into its separate components, recombines the blood fluid (plasma) with a high concentration of platelets (structures in the blood that help with clotting, among other functions), and introduces the resulting preparation back into the scalp.

"The science on this isn't totally worked out. We still don't completely understand the mechanism behind PRP, but growth factors contained in platelets can stimulate regeneration of hair follicles and other tissues as well," says Dr. Scott.

In addition, low-level LED laser lights have been found to be helpful in regrowing hair in some cases. It's likely that even more treatments will be developed in the near future.

When medical treatments fall short, women can also consider cosmetic options to make up for lost hair, such as wearing a wig. At the other end of the spectrum is hair transplantation, a surgical procedure that moves active follicles from the back of the scalp to areas where the hair is thinning. Once transplanted, the hair grows normally.

Hair transplantation is typically performed as an outpatient surgical procedure. In appropriate patients, it can be extremely successful, but it won't work for everyone, says Dr. Scott. One drawback is the expense: it can cost thousands of dollars and is not covered by insurance. The procedure also requires recovery time. And it may not be appropriate for women who have diffuse thinning across the whole scalp. It's more effective in treating smaller, more defined areas of balding.

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Thinning hair in women: Why it happens and what helps - Harvard Health

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