Month: March 2024
The Imprint of 3D-Printing in Health: A Students Perspective
In a technology driven world, the abundance of information and ease of communication has influenced every aspect of our lives. Not only has it affected the way we interact as humans, but it provided new outlets for skill development and creativity. One of my favorite expressive outlets is 3D-printing. From designing flower vases to replicating anatomical models, my engagement with 3D-printing allowed me to bring theoretical ideas to life by combining the natural sciences, technology, and art. When I first observed my older brother use a 3D-printer, I was fascinated by the geometric lattice in which the machine ejected thermoplastic, as it closely resembled the molecular arrangement of atoms observed in structures like crystal and bone. My curiosity with both technology and human health, led me to learn more about 3D technology and its applications in research, specifically on improving and enhancing human health. Introduced in the 1980s as a...
Adding it to the List
By Alyssa Brown A few weeks ago, I apologized to my boyfriend for missing date night (again). I apologized that I feel like we are often just saying hi and bye and watching Bob’s Burgers in between. I apologized that even when I am physically present, I am not always emotionally present. I joked that I could add it to the list of things I can’t do right (things I can’t do right or don’t have the time and mental energy to do right). In truth, I barely feel like I can do anything right. As a PGY-2, often it feels like I am moving from crisis to crisis—like alarms in the SICU. Each small alarm or thing gets only a moment. Each upcoming deadline is finished just in time and often not the way I would like it exactly. It always feels more like a rough draft than a...
Basics of AI in Healthcare & Surgery
By: Brielle Ochoa On PubMed, the number of publications for “artificial intelligence” (AI) and “surgery” ten years ago was less than 100. In 2023, this number was up to nearly 3,500. But what basics should you know about AI in general in healthcare and surgery? AI is an umbrella term for a wide range of technologies, which share the goal of mimicking human intelligence and cognitive function and processing. AI includes large language models, robots, machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, and artificial general intelligence; while beyond the scope of this post, these terms are interrelated but distinct from one another. AI can be used in a variety of general healthcare and surgical applications, including algorithms for clinical decision making, as part of technology in medical devices, for pattern recognition in images and videos, and for preparation of written documents, such as research manuscripts and patient educational information. AI must...