Reflections on Medicine & Life
7 min read…Most people are not surprised to learn that the kids and I are in counseling since their mother, my wife Uzma, died almost a year and a half ago. Some people are, however, surprised that a psychiatrist would
2 min read…I see a particular allegation thrown at people who write their own multiple opinions posts daily on social media, “Are you an expert on everything that you have to share your opinion on everything?” This question is a
2 min read…Do you want to understand what drives healthcare spending in the US? Then this study published in JAMA (March 2018) by Papinocolas, Woskie, and Jha is a must-read. If you would prefer a simplified summary of the study,
6 min read…Cancer didn’t just take my wife, Uzma. Many dreams died with her. Her solo aspirations and our shared ones. All went, poof! Come to think of it, these dreams died in 2017. By then, it was clear she
3 min read…“San Diego has to be the worst place to attend a medical conference,” I thought several years ago as I walked into another big, brightly-lit but gray, windowless room in another big, gray convention center. Outside it was
8 min read…The most common concern expressed about medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with either Suboxone® (aka buprenorphine) or methadone is, “Aren’t we just replacing one addiction with another?” Patients, families, other clinicians, and various stakeholders interested in reversing the opioid epidemic,
3 min read…It is impossible to avoid reflecting on my life with Uzma as I work on the book proposal for Left Boob Gone Rogue: My Life With Breast Cancer. Many years ago, my first and only proposal — not a
2 min read…Because of my addictions specialty, acquaintances often ask my opinion on vaping. Over the years, my take on vaping was straightforward: If you have never smoked cigarettes or vaped, don’t begin. Neither is good for your health. If
7 min read…Throughout my clinical career, I have had multiple conversations with patients, family members, and other clinicians about the role of Suboxone® (aka buprenorphine) in treating opioid addiction. The most common objection to the recommendation has to be, “Aren’t
3 min read…I spend much of my time at work figuring out how to improve access to evidence-based treatment for individuals with addiction, especially opioid addiction. I attend conferences focused on opioid addiction. Over the past several years, it has become