Book Review by Peter Tyrer Claire Hilton. Palgrave MacMillan, 2021. ISBN 978-3-030-54870-4 The moral status of a country can be determined by its treatment of the mentally ill. On this count Norway and Sweden do well, Russia and the US do badly, and the United Kingdom is in between. But was it always thus? This […]
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Advocating for Survivors of Human Trafficking
Blog by Dipal Savla and Kanani Titchen “Erick” presented to the adolescent medicine clinic in San Diego, California for his routine wellness appointment. He was a new patient, so the doctor focused the appointment on getting to know him. Erick lived with a foster family. His mother, lacking access to necessary medical care, had recently […]
Recognition, Collaboration and Community: Science Fiction Representations of Robot Carers in Robot & Frank, Big Hero 6 and Humans
Article Summary by Yugin Teo This paper is interested in how three science fiction texts that came out in the 2010s explored in distinct ways the relationship between robot carers and their human users: the films Robot & Frank (2012) and Big Hero 6 (2014), and the television series Humans (2015–2019). The paper examines ethical […]
The Power of Equity: Interview with Oni Blackstock
Welcome back to the medical humanities podcast. I am Brandy Schillace, Editor in Chief, and today we are speaking with Dr. Oni Blackstock. In this episode, we discuss the powerful influence of Black women in medicine and in health justice. What will it take to change the course of healthcare and ensure equity for all? […]
Black History Month: Featuring Dr. Charles DeWitt Watts (1917-2004)
In today’s feature, we honor the long career of Dr. Charles DeWitt Watts (1917-2004). Dr. Watts, the first African American to be certified by a surgical specialty board in North Carolina, spent a half-century advocating for civil rights and medical equity. In addition to playing a key role in founding Lincoln Community Health Center (which […]
Doctors Who Torture: Medical Ethics at Crossroads
Blog by Steven H. Miles, MD The two-faced Roman god Janus is about transitions: from what came before to what now begins, from war to peace or from peace to war. It is easy to imagine the image of Janus atop the arch of this moment in the history of the medical profession. Here, it […]
Black History Month Feature: Margaret Morgan Lawrence
Blog by Cristina Hanganu-Bresch Today we honor Margaret Morgan Lawrence (1914-2019), a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, trailblazer pioneer in children’s community health. Lawrence had a storied career that was threatened at many turns by the intersection of racism and sexism. A graduate of Cornell in 1936 (when dorms were still segregated), she was denied entrance at […]
Unexpected Gifts: Film review of “Looted,” by Rene van Pannevis
Looted, directed by Rene van Pannevis, UK, 2019, available on virtual cinema and on-demand. by Professor Robert Abrams, Weill Cornell, New York. Alert: the review contains plot spoilers! The central story of Looted is a bitter father-son saga, a tragedy about parental failure and filial remorse. The film also includes explicit depictions of terminal […]
Review of “I Know This Much Is True” TV series (Derek Cianfrance, USA, 2020)
“Man Can Do What He Wills But He Cannot Will What He Wills” On the Freedom of the Will, Arthur Schopenauer, 1839. By Dr. Franco Ferrarini, gastroenterologist and film reviewer. This short HBO series centres on the life of two twin brothers, Thomas, and Dominick Birdsey (both played by Mark Ruffalo), the former affected by […]
Black History Month Features: Mae Jemison
Feature1 by Brandy Schillace It’s true that doctors wear many hats. Mae Jemison also wore a space suit. In today’s feature, we honor Mae Jemison, an American engineer, physician, and NASA astronaut. Jemison attended Cornell Medical School, after receiving her degree in chemical engineering. During her years at Cornell, she worked at a Cambodian refugee […]