Outspoken Oncology

A radiologist tweets a joke about COVID-19 and a cardiologist tweets a serious note on the role of doctors in shaping social policy. Both are met with similarly outraged reactions. Saurabh Jha (@RogueRad), MBBS, MRCS, MS, and John Mandrola (@drjohnm), MD, share with Chadi the immediate aftermath of their tweets and reflect on how social media has become intolerant of diverse opinions. You don’t want to miss this unfiltered episode with two of the most prolific physicians on Twitter.

Chadi invites Mary L (Nora) Disis (@DrNDisis), MD, editor-in-chief of Jama Oncology, to learn the ins-and-outs of what it takes to be the lead editor of a highly prestigious oncology journal. She shares what went into her decision to accept the editor-in-chief position and help launch the journal in 2015, what goes into her thought process for rejecting submissions and handling disgruntled authors, management and pain points of “content” and “statistical” peer-reviewers, thoughts on the oversaturation of poorly written COVID-19 papers published in high-impact journals, and plans for the future direction of the journal.

Pamela Kunz (@PamelaKunzMD), MD, director of the gastrointestinal cancers program, Yale University School of Medicine, divulges the subtle microaggressions and power differentials that she and other women experience as they find success in academic medicine, including public undermining of leadership roles and challenges of establishing relationships with pharmaceutical companies for research grants. She explains how she found the courage to speak about these experiences as she was leaving an institution, the fear of retaliation, and her hopes to not only empower other women to speak up, but also to bring further awareness to these issues.

Read Dr Kunz's article in Mercury News on the culture of gender discrimination at her previous institution (https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/22/stanford-medical-school-professors-say-gender-discrimination-and-harassment-allowed-to-flourish/).

After a 2 month pause, Emily Landon (@emilymicheleL), MD, executive medical director of infection prevention and control, University of Chicago, returns for her eighth appearance on the show to comment on which COVID-19 population statistics should be considered most important for determining societal policy effectiveness, whether asymptomatic people are as likely to spread the virus as symptomatic people, the best types of masks for everyday people, the nuances of schools reopening with remote vs in-person learning, and the vaccine landscape as it currently exists.

After a 2 month pause, Emily Landon (@emilymicheleL), MD, executive medical director of infection prevention and control, University of Chicago, returns for her eighth appearance on the show to comment on which COVID-19 population statistics should be considered most important for determining societal policy effectiveness, whether asymptomatic people are as likely to spread the virus as symptomatic people, the best types of masks for everyday people, the nuances of schools reopening with remote vs in-person learning, and the vaccine landscape as it currently exists.

Chadi brings on two Lebanese doctors living in Beirut to discuss the tragedy that shook the nation earlier this month. Zakia Dimassi (@ZakiaDimassiMD), MD, MHPE, and Mohamad Ali Cheaito (@MohamadAliChea1), MD, recount their first-hand experiences of the moment the explosion happened, how poorly enforced COVID-19 safety regulations exacerbated the health crisis before the explosion and will likely continue to in the coming days, the hospital environment in the immediate aftermath, and more.

Chadi brings on two Lebanese doctors living in Beirut to discuss the tragedy that shook the nation earlier this month. Zakia Dimassi (@ZakiaDimassiMD), MD, MHPE, and Mohamad Ali Cheaito (@MohamadAliChea1), MD, recount their first-hand experiences of the moment the explosion happened, how poorly enforced COVID-19 safety regulations exacerbated the health crisis before the explosion and will likely continue to in the coming days, the hospital environment in the immediate aftermath, and more.

Benjamin Davies (@daviesbj), MD, professor of urology, University of Pittsburgh, shares the facts behind the true devastation that the opioid crisis is inflicting on the US; the blame that pharmaceutical advertising, inappropriate prescribing, and formulation of drugs have on the opioid crisis; the origins and early warning signs of the crisis; and whether there is data to suggest how much the crisis is costing the health care system.

Benjamin Davies (@daviesbj), MD, professor of urology, University of Pittsburgh, shares the facts behind the true devastation that the opioid crisis is inflicting on the US; the blame that pharmaceutical advertising, inappropriate prescribing, and formulation of drugs have on the opioid crisis; the origins and early warning signs of the crisis; and whether there is data to suggest how much the crisis is costing the health care system.

Leah Sera (@leah_sera), PharmD, MA, BCPS, associate professor of pharmacy practice and science, University of Maryland, shares the details and her role as the Program Director of the University’s Master’s program in Medical Cannabis. She details how cannabis can be used as a medicine to treat conditions such as pain, nausea, and muscle spasms, and she also explains the difficulty in researching cannabis in a clinical setting.

View Leah Sera's faculty profile https://faculty.rx.umaryland.edu/lsera/

View the University of Maryland's Master's program in Medical Cannabis https://shadygrove.umd.edu/academics/degree-programs/ms-medical-cannabis-science-and-therapeutics