The business of death

Anyone who doesn’t understand that death in this country is BIG business is deluding themselves IMHO. My work in big pharma shows that well enough but my previous work in Academia does too in that there isn’t nearly as much research into diseases which are rare or that effect certain racial groups disproportionally like sickle cell anemia. But the latest Robin Cook book I’m reading Death Benefit, not only highlights this fact, but also perfectly shows how much greed has just about ruined the field of medicine. At least that’s how I see it.

I won’t go into any details of what the book is about except to say that medical students and their principal investigators are main characters, but suffice it to say that I think it’s worth a read for anyone who enjoys medical mysteries which touch on what’s going on in medicine today.

Speaking of sickle cell disease, I read a super interesting article in Today’s Hospitalists about pain management in this group of patients. As I expected before even reading the article, patient’s pain is NOT managed well at all in this group which consists mainly of Blacks (It’s already been published that Blacks are less likely to have their pain needs met, a situation I became aware of as a patient). And this group of patients is special to me because the thesis project for my Chemistry graduate program examined the molecular mechanisms of vasoocclusive crisis. I also have a family history of thalassemia, which is also a genetically inherited blood disorder.

At any rate, here’s a link to the article:
http://todayshospitalist.com/index.php?b=articles_read&cnt=1436

and yet another nudge for me in the academic Hospitalist direction, a position in a setting which would obviously allow me to do research too,!!!!