Advance Articles
Medical Education
UGRC 2021 recommendations on GME transition: pros and cons, opportunities and limitations
The Coalition for Physician Accountability’s Undergraduate Medical Education-Graduate Medical Education (UME-GME) Review Committee (UGRC): Recommendations for Comprehensive Improvement of the UME-GME Transition final report includes a total of 34 recommendations and outlines opportunities to transform the current processes of learner transition from a US-based MD- or DO-granting medical school or international medical education pathway into residency training in the United States. This review provides a reflection on the recommendations from the authors, all members of the UGRC, describing the pros and cons and the opportunities and limitations, in the hopes that they might inspire readers to dig deeper into the report and contribute to meaningful improvements to the current transition.
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Public Health and Primary Care
Atraumatic spontaneous splenic rupture in a female COVID-19 patient
The authors present the case of a 30-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented to the emergency department in October 2020 with sudden onset of severe left upper and lower abdominal pain. The purpose of this case report is to illustrate and make other clinicians aware of unusual potential complications and clinical presentations of COVID-19.
Advance Article
Letters to the Editor
Response to “Lymphatic osteopathic manipulative treatment and soreness after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine”
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General
Osteoporosis knowledge and health beliefs among middle-aged men and women in the Southern United States
This study evaluates the knowledge and health beliefs surrounding osteoporosis in a population of males and females (between 35 and 50 years old) to determine sex-based differences in osteoporosis knowledge and beliefs and to assess the correlation between perceptions and health motivation.
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Obstetrics/Gynecology
Effect of visceral manipulation on menstrual complaints in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome
This study analyzed the effect of visceral manipulation on dysmenorrhea, irregular, delayed, and/or absent menses, and premenstrual symptoms in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
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Cardiopulmonary Medicine
Financial conflicts of interest during meetings of the cardiovascular and renal drugs advisory committee
The purpose is to evaluate whether public speakers with a financial conflict of interest are more likely to provide positive testimony regarding the drug in question during Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee meetings of the FDA between February 2009 and December 2019 through the use of publicly available transcripts.
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Pediatrics
Investigating the safety and feasibility of osteopathic medicine in the pediatric oncology outpatient setting
Pediatric patients receiving chemotherapy experience unwanted therapy-induced side effects, commonly constipation and pain that diminish quality of life. To date, few studies have investigated the safety and feasibility of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in pediatric oncology. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the safety and feasibility of OMT in pediatric oncology outpatient clinics.
Advance Article
Behavioral Health
The psychological burden associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes: a systematic review
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are disorders of connective tissue that lead to a wide range of clinical presentations. While we are beginning to understand the association between EDS and psychological manifestations, it is critical that we further elucidate the relationship between the two. Understanding the correlation between EDS and mental health will better ensure swift diagnosis and effective treatment for patients. This study aims to systematically examine and report the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the EDS population.
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Letters to the Editor
Response to “Standardization of osteopathic manipulative treatment in telehealth settings to maximize patient outcomes and minimize adverse effects”
Advance Article
Medical Education
Addressing disparities in medicine through medical curriculum change: a student perspective
In this article, the authors outline how various tools may be utilized to review and update medical school curricula to include more diverse patient populations and encourage student discussion on health equity, social determinants of health, and cultural competency.
Advance Article
Behavioral Health
Overcoming reward deficiency syndrome by the induction of “dopamine homeostasis” instead of opioids for addiction: illusion or reality?
Many individuals in the United States are plagued by addiction, and the rate at which it is affecting people in the United States only seems to be increasing. The authors aim to convey that the proper treatment should help restore dopamine balance so the quality of life can be improved in the recovering community, and this article discusses various potential therapeutic modalities that can provide dopamine homeostasis via activation of dopaminergic pathways.
Advance Article
General
The association between operating margin and surgical diversity at Critical Access Hospitals
Surgical volume is correlated with increased hospital profitability, yet many Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) offer few or no inpatient surgical services. This study aims to investigate the impact of the presence of different inpatient surgical services on CAH profitability.
Advance Article
Medical Education
Reported completion of the USMLE Step 1 and match outcomes among senior osteopathic students in 2020
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is not required for osteopathic students to match into postgraduate programs; however, it is unknown if taking the test improves their chances of matching. The objective of this study was to determine the association between taking the USMLE Step 1 and matching into the applicant’s preferred specialty for senior osteopathic students applying to the 10 specialties to which students applied most in 2020.
Advance Article
General
The impact of COVID-19 on otolaryngology research: a cross-sectional analysis of discontinued trials
The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the capacity to conduct medical research due to recruitment difficulties, supply chain shortages, and funding deficits. The clinical practice of otolaryngology was especially impacted due to a reduction in elective procedures, such as facial plastic surgeries and vocal fold injections. The primary objective was to examine the extent of clinical trial disruption secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of otolaryngology.
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Public Health and Primary Care
Prevention of external auditory canal exostosis in the Colorado whitewater community
External auditory canal exostoses (EACE) are bony formations that develop insidiously in the auditory meatus from chronic exposure to cold water and, in severe cases, require surgery. This condition has been understudied in the whitewater kayakers and not yet studied in the riverboarding population. This article aims to determine the prevalence of EACE in Colorado whitewater athletes and their attitudes about wearing ear protection before and after an educational intervention directed at increasing awareness and prevention of EACE.
Advance Article
Letters to the Editor
Lymphatic osteopathic manipulative treatment and soreness after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine
Advance Article
Letters to the Editor
Standardization of osteopathic manipulative treatment in telehealth settings to maximize patient outcomes and minimize adverse effects
Advance Article
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Cervical cancer screening among women with comorbidities: a cross-sectional examination of disparities from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system
This study aims to analyze whether cervical cancer screening rates differ among women with comorbidities—body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis, kidney disease, depression, or skin cancer—compared to women without these comorbidities.
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Public Health and Primary Care
Review of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder
This review will define the components of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), consider the impact of MAT in the primary care setting, and identify barriers to effective MAT.
Advance Article