‘I Have Had My Eyes Gouged’: What We Heard This Week

“I have had my eyes gouged; I have been shoved and punched. I have seen one intern literally knocked out cold by someone who sucker-punched him.” — Ken Marriott, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center, commenting on a study suggesting violence against emergency department staff is a global problem.

“Our kids, our nation, and our world face a grim future.” — Christopher Bolling, MD, of the University of Cincinnati, on the need to increase bariatric surgery access for children to fight the obesity epidemic.

“Every time somebody comes and talks to them, they’re surly and close their office door all the time.” — Jeffrey Khan, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, discussing physicians who may be on their way toward burnout.

“I don’t pay these institutions to ‘weed me out’ from my chosen field. I pay you and the professors to teach me what I need to know to continue on my path.” — Ashley Foster, a premed student in Memphis, who challenged the concept of “weedout” classes that deter potentially good candidates from a career in medicine.

“We don’t want anybody using any of these products; they are designed to hook you and to hurt you.” — Jacqueline Fincher, MD, president-elect of the American College of Physicians, refuting the argument that restrictions on e-cigarettes might send people back to smoking.

“If the biomarker is strong enough, you get significant results, even in smaller studies.” — Tobias Sejbaek, MD, PhD, of Southwest Jutland University Hospital in Denmark, on the potential of neurofilament light as a biomarker in multiple sclerosis.

“What worries me about the field is that I don’t see a lot of learning from mistakes.” — Richard Krugman, MD, of the Kempe Center in Colorado, on challenges facing the subspecialty of child abuse pediatrics.

“There are other chronic, debilitating effects from measles that go beyond ICU admissions.” — Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine, commenting on a study suggesting measles infections may erase the so-called immune memory of other illnesses.