VANCOUVER – B.C. will soon become the first jurisdiction in Canada to recognize alcohol addiction as a chronic medical condition. Health Minister Colin Hansen said the change, to take effect April 1, will put the emphasis on preventive measures and give family doctors more time and resources to treat patients with alcohol addiction. “It’s saying […]

No matter what our current practice or specialty, at some point during medical school we will have had to study and demonstrate our knowledge and competency in dealing with common disorders like diabetes, hypertension, depression, chronic pain and countless other ailments. In addition, we will have spent hours poring over much rarer disorders, conditions that […]

Researchers recently found that individuals who averaged less than six hours of sleep at night had an almost 50 percent increase in the risk of colorectal adenomas compared with individuals sleeping at least seven hours per night. Adenomas are a precursor to cancer tumors, and left untreated, they can turn malignant. “To our knowledge, this […]

Studies show that half of patients admit to not understanding what their doctor told them during an office visit; and more than 75% of emergency room patients acknowledge not fully grasping instructions given to them. As a primary care physician, being unable to clearly communicate with patients is frustrating. The typical, 15-minute office visit often […]

NEW DELHI: What an undergraduate medical student learns in one-year compulsory internship after appearing for MBBS examination will now decide whether he or she gets permanent registration to practice. At present, students get their provisional MBBS degree after appearing for the examination at the end of four-and-a-half years. Permanent registration is given after internship. Dr […]