A recent court ruling against growing two genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our country, specifically BT eggplant and golden rice, once again highlighted the disconnect between science and public perception in our country. GMOs refer to organisms which have had their genome (usually made up...
Society looks upon doctors as among the smartest people around. When people get sick, it is expected that their doctor will make them feel better. Doctors study for a very long time. Four years of pre-med, four years of medicine proper, one year of internship, two to four years of residency and one...
While scrolling through my social media feed a couple of weeks ago, I saw some younger friends posting about the United States Residency Match results. The Residency Match is a process, which the US and foreign medical graduates (FMGs) use to find a spot at a US hospital for training in their field...
CLINICAL MATTERS The practice of medicine is very different around the world. While there are diseases in common for most countries such as heart attacks, pneumonia, and diabetes, there are some diseases that are more common or even unique to different parts of the world. The kinds of infections in...
CLINICAL MATTERS In my last column I spoke about our visit to the magical blue city of Chefchaouen in the Rif mountains of Morocco where Jewish refugees expelled from Europe were welcomed to settle. From Chefchaouen, our travels next brought us to the eternal city of Fes. Fes, or Fez as it is...
CLINICAL MATTERS It has been nearly four years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and some people are getting a bit nervous because many people are testing positive for Covid-19 again. The latest Department of Health (DOH) report showed a 50 percent increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases. If we...
CLINICAL MATTERS A couple of weeks ago, a good friend from my infectious diseases fellowship days in the United States sent me a link to a post about an “undiagnosed pneumonia outbreak” in China. She was quite distraught and said she couldn’t handle another pandemic. I looked over the link...
CLINICAL MATTERS Every year on December 1 is World AIDS day, during which people from around the world come together to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity against this deadly disease. It has been 40 years since the virus that causes Acquired Immune...
CLINICAL MATTERS Before the arrival of effective vaccines, Covid-19 treatment was the only thing doctors could offer patients who were infected with SARS-CoV-2. At the start of the pandemic, the mortality rate for those in the vulnerable population who developed Covid-19 was 10 percent or more. One...
CLINICAL MATTERS In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the dangers of health misinformation and included it among the top global health threats. Vaccine hesitancy has left millions of children without proper protection against deadly but preventable diseases. Every day, thousands...
CLINICAL MATTERS Three years ago, any cough or cold symptoms generated a lot of anxiety, dread, and panic since there was a big possibility it was Covid-19. Prior to the discovery of effective treatment and widespread vaccination, the risk of dying from Covid-19 could be as high as 10 percent,...
CLINICAL MATTERS The University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health’s (UP-NIH) recent win at a prestigious international competition in the US serves as a strong reminder that the Philippine government continues to support relevant health research in the Philippines. The double...
