ICOM Student-Led Journal Club

November 2021 Topic: Smart Drugs & Therapeutic Value of Recreational Drugs 

Sources discussed:

• Use of Smart Drugs on the Rise
• What are Smart Drugs
• The Future of Pharmacologic Neuroenhancement
• How Ecstacy and Psilocybin are Shaking Up Psychiatry
• The Science of Psilocybin

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October 2021 Topic: Benefits & Harms Associated with Breast Cancer Screening

Articles discussed:

• Four principles to consider before advising women on screening mammography
• Screening for breast cancer in average-risk women: A guidance statement 

Additional resources:

• Blame rising cancer overdiagnosis on 'irrational exuberance' for early detection
• We're probably screening for breast cancer too much (YouTube video)

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September 2021: The Science Behind Masks & Infection Control

Sources discussed:

• Face masks: What the data say
• Community use of facemasks and COVID-19: Evidence from a natural experiment of state mandates
• COVID-19 and Mask Myths Exposed (YouTube video)

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August 2021: Reproducibility in Science

Sources discussed:

• How sloppy science creates worthless cures, crushes hope, and wastes billions (podcast)
• Is there a reproducibility crisis in science? (YouTube video)
• In psychology and other social sciences, many studies fail the reproducibility test
• How reliable are psychology studies?

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April 2021 Topic: Correlation vs Causation (nutrition research)

 Articles discussed:

• Meat consumption and the risk of 25 common conditions 

Additional resources:

• How ice cream kills: Correlation vs causation (video)
• Correlation vs causation (video)
• Spurious Correlations
• Issues with nutrition research

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March 2021 Topic: Transgender Patients & Health

 Articles discussed:

• A Model for Improving Health Care Quality for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Patients
• Transgender Health Education for Medical Students
• Profound Health-Care Discrimination Experienced by Transgender People: Rapid Systematic Review

Additional resources:

• Healthcare System Fails Many Transgender Americans
• Executive Summary: A Report on the National Transgender Discrimination Survey

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February 2021 Topic: Discrimination Against Physicians of Color

Articles discussed:

 

• Discrimination Towards Physicians of Color 
• Physician and Trainee Experience with Patient Bias 
• Mixed-Methods Study: Racism as Experienced by Physicians of Color in the Health Care Setting

Additional resources:

• Dealing with Racist Patients 
• Are You a Doctor? The Unchecked Racism Faced by Physicians of Color 
• There Were Fewer Black Men in Medical School in 2014 than in 1978 

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January 2021 Topic: COVID-19 Vaccines- Research & Talking with Patients/Public 

Articles discussed:

• Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Moderna)
• Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine (Pfizer)

Additional resources:

• How to read articles about vaccine developments
• How Fast Can a Vaccine be Made? (YouTube video)
• Considering Emotion in COVID-19 Vaccine Communication: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Fostering Vaccine Confidence
• 'You Can't Treat If You Can't Empathize': Black Doctors Tackle Vaccine Hesitancy