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Medicine in Translation

Journeys with My Patients
by Danielle Ofri, M.D., Ph.D.
Danielle Ofri is a physician in New York City's Bellevue Hospital, and a writer and commentator about doctor-patient relationships. See full bio

Medicine in Translation

February 5, 2010

Music in Medicine?

The holiday season is finally over! Not to be a complete Grinch, but I am more than happy to see all the tinsel and reindeer and artificial snow come down from the halls of our hospital. Read More

January 19, 2010

Doctor-Writers: What Are the Ethics?

There is a veritable epidemic of doctor-writers out there. What is going on?

Are doctors suddenly in the kiss-and-tell mode? What about confidentiality? Professionalism? HIPAA? Read More

December 26, 2009

The Mammogram Debate: Whose Afraid of the Data?

The newest guidelines on mammograms have stirred up intense debate. But very little of it is about the numbers. It’s almost entirely about emotions. Whether it is individual women who speak poignantly about their own cancers or irresponsible politicians who talk about “rationing” to score cheap political points. Read More

December 18, 2009

Found in Translation?

“Je m’a…,” I stuttered to Aristede Mezondes, the serious young man in a grey wool overcoat, standing before me with ramrod posture. “Je m’appelle Dr. Ofri.”

There. I’d gotten it out. Read More

December 4, 2009

In Praise of Public Hospitals

Public hospitals have a bad rap. They’re viewed by many as hospitals of last resort, and most patients with private insurance do anything to avoid them. Read More

November 26, 2009

Swine Flu and You

The only preventative measures that actually prevent disease are vaccinations. Our world is an immeasurably better place since the advent of vaccines. Yet there is a complicated psychology that hovers like a fog around the idea of vaccination. In this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, I offer my perspective on “The Emotional Epidemiology of HINI Vaccination.” I invite you to read and comment. Read More

November 17, 2009

Humanizing Medicine: The Small Details

"Angelina Gomez," the medical assistant hollers out to the crowded waiting room. As always, I cringe when I hear this. It sounds so harsh, so cattle-like. Read More

November 3, 2009

Let Me Down Easy

Every illness is unique, and every person faces illness in his or her own way. Anna Deveare Smith, in her one-woman Broadway show "Let Me Down Easy," slips into the persona of twenty individuals who have faced an aspect of illness or death. Read More

October 27, 2009

The Healing Arts

The waiting area in Bellevue Hospital was full. Every chair was taken. But the people kept streaming in. More chairs had to be brought in. It wasn't clear if the room could accommodate everyone.


This wasn't the emergency room or the clinic waiting area, however. Read More

October 20, 2009

Medicine In Translation

If asked what a doctor does, most people would probably come up with the standard description of diagnosing and treating disease, usually while wearing an ill-fitting white coat. Read More

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