Apr
5
(In which I answer several random questions submitted to me by readers. -PB) Hey, Panda, I’m not sure what specialty I would like to do and am considering going to PA school because Physician Assistants can easily move between specialties. Your thoughts? I often hear the ease of movement between specialties touted as a benefit [...]
Mar
25
Defending the Pie
March 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment
(The pie is a metaphor. I’m only mentioning this because the last time I mentioned pie, I received several irate emails, the gist of which were that pie is not to blame for the collapse of society. -PB) Primary Snake Oil The silliest thing about the practitioners of Complementary and alternative medicine is that they [...]
Mar
20
Evidence Based Medicine? We Don’t Need No Stinking Evidence Based Medicine
March 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Free Netter’s Ain’t Worth It I am an educated man. I have an extensive liberal education, a degree in Civil Engineering, a Medical Degree, and am almost done with residency training in Emergency Medicine. Just for fun, I read the kinds of books they forced you to read in your long-forgotten English literature course [...]
Mar
11
Rambling Around the Medical Blogosphere
March 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
(A roundup of some of the non-seismic events that have been troubling medical bloggers -PB) Whaddya’ Mean it Doesn’t Work? I rise in support of the makers of Airborne, an all-natural cold remedy, who are the unfair victims of a class action lawsuit that alleges, among other things, that the product neither works as advertised [...]
Dec
7
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Month: Finale (Reposted from 12/6/06)
December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment
(No, we’re not in re-runs here at Panda Bear, MD. I was asked to repost this article by a few of you and even though it is in the catagorized archives, I thought I’d just run it again as a finale to CAM month. Enjoy and I swear I will have a new post up [...]
Nov
28
Nothing Much More to Say About Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (CAM Month Draws to a Close)
November 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Everything You Need to Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Part the Third and Last) (One last time I state the obvious while continuing to marvel that it needs to be explained although judging from my email and comments it does. -PB) 8.You Can’t Have it Both Ways I have some fundamentalist Christian relatives who [...]
Nov
18
Stealth Medicine and Other Topics
November 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment
An Apology I want to apologize to the distinguished elderly gentleman sitting on the hall bed. It was a little insensitive of me to stand at the coffee machine taking my time making a cup of coffee not five feet away from you and your wife while you waited to be seen by a doctor. [...]
Nov
14
Everything You Need to Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Part 2)
November 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment
(In which we address more of the blatantly obvious. -PB) 5. You Can be Fooled I’m a fairly intelligent guy Not a super-genius or anything like that but I can tease out the truth of most things if given enough time and, when the wind is just right, can tell a hawk from a handsaw. [...]
Nov
10
Everything You Need to Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Part 1)
November 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment
(Just belaboring the obvious again. Some things should speak for themselves but judging from my angry email defending Complementary and Alternative Medicine, this is not the case. Rather than respond publicly to private emails I thought I would address some of the major themes of my critics. -PB) . 1. The Imperfections of real medicine [...]
Nov
4
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Month Continues
November 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment
This Ain’t no Party, This Ain’t no Disco, This Ain’t no Fooling Around It’s a grim business, medicine I mean. For all the hype it’s nothing more than a futile struggle with death, a battle lost in the early stages by some, a bit later by others, but lost all the same in the end. [...]