CW: Mention of suicidal ideation Transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals face innumerable barriers by simply existing in a world wrought with transphobia. The U.S. National Transgender Discrimination survey report on health and health care found that transgender individuals in the U.S. are over four times more likely to contract[Read More…]
Tag: healthcare
It’s time to scrap the body mass index
Imagine a medical assessment tool that tells you about a patient’s body composition—a tool that is used to determine levels of disease risk, dosages for vital medications, and individualized treatment plans. Now imagine this tool was based on the body measurements of white European adult men, but is applied the[Read More…]
WebMD is not all it’s cracked up to be
Pandemic-era health care has forced self-diagnosis into almost every aspect of life; figuring out whether your runny nose is a sign of seasonal allergies or COVID-19 often spells the difference between a fun night out or a dreaded two weeks of isolation. Even before the pandemic took over our lives,[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: SSMU health and dental insurance
If you are an undergraduate student at McGill from Quebec or another province in Canada, you are eligible for health insurance provided through the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). The McGill Tribune looked into SSMU’s Health and Dental Plan, what it includes, how students can submit claims, and whether[Read More…]
Giving back and moving forward in the medical sphere
Racial biases have major impacts on the medical field, from inaccurate diagnostics to nonconsensual procedures—but always to the detriment of marginalized communities. Many medical professionals at McGill and in Montreal are working to change this, however: The Social Accountability and Community Engagement Office of McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and Health[Read More…]
From hustling to health
One evening this past semester, my roommates and I were discussing the McGill mascot, Marty the Martlet. Although we knew what Marty looked like, none of us had any idea what an actual martlet was. After some research, we discovered that our beloved mascot is based on an ancient mythological[Read More…]
From benchtop to bedside: How tendon-inspired sutures can help heal wounds
Sutures, the threads designed to close wounds and promote healing, have been used for thousands of years, having originated in ancient Egypt. Since their invention, physicians and scientists have experimented with a wide array of materials, from hemp and cotton to more modern synthetic fibres. New techniques have been developed[Read More…]
Sick and tired: How the medical field neglects women’s health
Compassion and respect towards patients are essential to delivering effective healthcare. Despite advances made by activists and patients alike, the medical field perpetuates its extensive history of sexism, putting women’s lives and well-being at risk. From dismissive doctors to inadequate research, the healthcare gender bias prevents women from receiving the[Read More…]
Quebec’s denial of systemic racism impedes progress
On March 17, La Presse reported that a Saint-Eustache hospital had posted job placements for “white only” personal attendants. According to the hospital, a “difficult” patient that refused treatment by non-white individuals, prompted officials to search for a white orderly to cater to the patient’s preferences. Such discriminatory job postings[Read More…]
Exploring how artificial intelligence could redefine health care
Before Siri and Alexa, programmers created Eliza. Developed in 1964, Eliza was the first chatbot capable of recreating conversations between a psychotherapist and a patient. This chatbot pushed the boundaries of artificial intelligence (AI), a still-emerging field at the time, into the domain of health care. Despite researcher’s best efforts,[Read More…]