After years of internal debate, I finally got my first tattoo. He’s a small lizard, with a topological map design inside, scaling the outer edge of my left ankle. His fine lines and tasteful detail ...

At the age of thirteen, my genetic disorder caused my growth to accelerate, leading to an unusually tall stature. My pediatrician predicted a height of at least 6' 4" after puberty, whereas the ...

Hunger is a natural part of life, but have you ever stopped to consider why you’re feeling hungry? Understanding the difference between physiological and psychological hunger can help you make more ...

I have not watched the George Floyd video. In fact, I have not watched the Ahmaud Aubrey, Eric Garner, or any of the other recordings of police brutality. I do not need to watch the video to know what ...

Originally published in Synapse on February 17, 1977. Inmates of California’s prison system are currently being used as subjects for medical experimentation. Although the inmates participate in the ...

A week before I gave birth last February, the research team I work with published a study in a prominent scientific journal on how paid family leave affects maternal and child health. The study found ...

Why is the Western scientist always clothed? What would happen if science was conducted, metaphorically, in the nude? Thinking through this thought-experiment can lead us to a number of answers.

Originally published in Synapse on December 2, 1993. David E. Smith, MD, founder and director of the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics, began treating young people using LSD in 1967 and has been on the ...

Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF’s Chair of the Department of Medicine, gained a vast twitter following during the COVID pandemic with his informative, direct, and sometimes personal tweets. He’s kept his ...

As a healthcare provider, I was taught to follow protocols and look for information, patterns, and pathognomonic criteria to identify diseases. Although you must indeed be wise and be attentive to any ...

When you want to learn something new, the first order of business is practice. After putting in some effort, you can hopefully keep doing what you learned — whether it’s parallel parking or standing ...

Human rights activists have been shocked down to their core as they received proof of the Chinese government’s horrific removal and trafficking of detained Uyghur Muslims’ organs. The investigation ...