Korean-American medical student
Archive for September, 2010
Hey Jae: what's the best mentality to have as a pre-med?
Sep 23rd
It’s pretty simple, actually, and I think what I’m about to share is applicable to any field, whether it’s medicine or engineering or art. Every morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Is what I’m going to do today going to make me happy?” If the answer’s “No” for more than a week, either…
What are the leading causes of blindness in adults?
Sep 22nd
Leading disease-related causes of blindness in adults include cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. The specific leader is debatable based on region, as well as age ranges within the adult population. According to the WHO, cataracts take the lead worldwide, while the AOA states that it’s diabetes. Sources to check out for more detail:…
Why do memories fade?
Sep 20th
The current consensus in neurology is that neurons are constantly fighting for synaptic capital in active plasticity. In the 1920s, Karl Lashley proved that neurons all over the brain are involved in memory, and that there is no specific storage area per se, although it turns out some structures are more intimately involved than others,…
Why does my voice sound different in a recording?
Sep 20th
Contrary to popular belief, hearing your own voice through your own anatomical features is, at best, a minor contributor to this effect, as bone conduction of sound is not the main physiologic factor in how we hear and interpret auditory stimulation. Before you start to vocalize, you automatically trigger your pre-vocalization reflex, in which cranial…
Is it okay to pop/crack your joints daily?
Sep 19th
As long as popping/cracking your joints does not cause you pain, and you have otherwise normal healthy joints[1], you’re probably ok. === Background === There 2 physiologic reasons why your joints make noise[2][3]: Gases: Your joints are lubricated with synovial fluids, which contain oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When you bend or manipulate a joint…
What percent of the people in the United States are infected with HIV?
Sep 19th
There are ~1.2 million persons currently documented as living with HIV. The slight problem with this figure is that ~25% of HIV-positive persons don’t know they’re infected, so estimates should really start more in the ballpark of 1.5-1.7 million. This translates to an average incidence of ~0.6% among adults. The number of new infections per…
Does Vitamin C help prevent colds?
Sep 19th
No, vitamin C does not help prevent colds. A meta-analysis[1] of 10,708 participants in various studies showed that the risk ratio of contracting a cold while on vitamin C prophylaxis was 0.97 for the general populace. To put it bluntly, vitamin C had a negligible effect that could have easily been generated by normal statistical…
Why do starving children have bloated stomachs?
Sep 19th
In prolonged undernutrition where the protein deficit is relatively greater than the carbohydrate/lipid deficit, people develop a state of edema known as kwashiorkor. Due to severe lack of protein throughout the body, and in particular, the bloodstream, there is less osmotic force to keep fluid in the vessel, and it escapes into the tissues, causing…
What happens when a limb goes to sleep?
Sep 19th
Simply put, you’ve compressed a nerve that supplies the limb and/or constricted the nerve’s blood supply, typically through awkward/non-ideal posture for prolonged periods of time; it’s a mild and usually temporary neuropathy, but I’ve seen cases where someone held a position for so long that some of the aftereffects lasted months. Most peripheral nerves have…