Category: College of Medicine and Science

Mallet Finger – Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation

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How to take care of and recover from a common but sometimes vexing finger injury.[1]

By Mark D, Harris

Mallet finger usually results from forced flexion of the distal (most distant) part of the finger (distal phalanx – DP) during active extension of the DP. The condition is caused by a rupture of the extensor tendon (on the back of the finger) that crosses the distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) from the proximal phalanx (PP) to the DP. Part of the bone may also be avulsed (pulled away). Mallet finger is the most common closed tendon injury in athletes.[2] Often, patients explain that a ball hit their partially flexed fingertip. Patients complain of pain, swelling, and an inability to fully extend their DP.

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Why is Research Less Respected Today?

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The scientific method, and the discoveries in science and technology that have resulted from its use, have revolutionized the world. Why does it seem to be less respected today?

By Mark D, Harris

Research brought the world scientific and technological advances that have changed the lives of men and women forever. During the period characterized by the philosophy of modernism, from roughly 1750 to 1950, conventional wisdom expected that science would solve all the problems of mankind, both material and moral/ethical. Scientific and social research, which would lead to technological supremacy over the physical world and enlightened policies in every society, would usher in a utopia. World War II, the Holocaust, and the atomic bomb shattered these hopes, demonstrating that science and technology, and the research behind it, can destroy as easily as they can save. Though we prate about following “science,” in the past 70 years, research has lost respect.[1]

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Study Discussion – Gender Disparities in Internal Medicine Residency Awards

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How do we, as a society, determine how to acknowledge and reward people? Do we do it on the basis of excellence, or on the basis of equity? Can we combine the two goals? How?  

By Mark D, Harris

In the March 2021 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, seven physicians, whose first names suggest that they are all female, wrote “Investigating Gender Disparities in Internal Medicine Residency Awards.”[1] The authors began by recounting gender disparities in salary, academic rank, grant funding, and awards. They performed a multi-institutional study based on survey data from academic internal medicine residency programs starting in 2009 and extending through 2019. These physicians’ initial findings are in Table 1:[2]

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When your Pet is Sick

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Discover how pet owners can take better care of their pets, especially when professional veterinary health care is not immediately available.

By Mark D. Harris

People across the world are growing more and more lonely.[1] We have fewer children and other family members.[2] We have lost confidence in everyone and everything.[3] Hungry for companionship and trust, more of us own (or “parent”) pets, and our pets become more important in our lives.[4] First responders and emergency management personnel know that pet owners will sometimes risk their own lives to save their pets, and such owners are spending more money on their pets than ever before.[5]

But what do you do when your pet gets sick or injured? Too often professional animal health care is not available. America has a severe shortage of veterinarians.[6] Europe needs more veterinarians as well.[7] Veterinarians care for our pets, but also farm animals, zoo animals, and wild animals. They ensure our food safety and perform research into zoonotic and other conditions. Veterinary technologists and technicians are integral parts of the system at all levels, and their numbers are also limited.

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COVID Herd Immunity, Health Care Capacity, and the Risk of COVID during Air Travel

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A trustworthy update on the science, and the future of the coronavirus pandemic, What should people do?

By Mark D. Harris

Three major issues are in the news recently about COVID. The first involves the possibility of herd immunity to the virus. The second is whether the US health care system will be overwhelmed. The third discusses the likelihood of SARS-COV2 transmission during air travel, especially pertinent during the holiday season. Scientists practicing science are generally reliable, but scientists practicing politics generally are not. Furthermore, the media should be acknowledged but never trusted. Here is some information you can rely on.

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