During this year's Interprofessional Rounds, a Boston Marathon bombing survivor described how the media requested an interview during her stay at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Not all the survivors wanted to share their stories so publicly, but our speaker did. So, to accommodate both the media's interest and the patient's recovery, her occupational therapist decided to tailor that day's session about the activities necessary to prepare for an interview. It's unusual for a health professional to work with patients and clients who attract attention from beyond their circle of families and...

Just as our bodies have begun to thaw out, and the thought of removing our mittens to send texts while waiting for the T no longer seems like cruel and unusual punishment, our friends at Ben and Jerry’s have taken it upon themselves to make sure the reminder of winter lingers a little longer. Today, April 8, from noon-8 p.m. Ben & Jerry’s will host their annual #FreeConeDay to celebrate their 35th anniversary. The tasty tradition originally started in Burlington, VT in 1979 and has since grown to be a nationwide celebration. So whether you are dipping out of work or are in need of a break...

pro bo•no pu•bli•co [proh boh-noh poo-bli-koh; English proh boh-noh puhb-li-koh] Show IPA Latin. for the public good or welfare. The term “pro bono” has been used over time to refer to “free” services. Interestingly, from the Latin it means “for good”. Some interpret this to mean “free” rather than the true meaning. However, take a few minutes to talk to one of the 300 or so folks who visit the clinics each week and they will tell you that the literal meaning is the correct one in this case. Children and adults with speech, language, or reading problems and a variety of people with problems...

The Epocrates 2013 Mobile Trends report was published a few months ago and its results support the burgeoning notion that, in the not too distant future, mobile devices will be ubiquitous in healthcare practices around the world. It's no wonder that Epocrates predicts that 9 in 10 healthcare providers will be using smartphones by 2014. After all, smartphones and tablets make it incredibly easy to access information at the point of care and to communicate with colleagues, employees, or patients. An even more interesting conclusion gleaned from the survey of 1,063 healthcare practitioners (...

The Schwartz Center Educational Rounds highlight the human side of clinical care by focusing on how providers can sustain their compassion. Sometimes, though, a clinician can find it difficult to muster compassion for a patient. In the rounds on February 19, 2014, two students and an alumna described situations where they had to confront the limits of their ability to care. Chris Carter, PsyD , Director of Behavior Medicine at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, moderated the discussion in which Leigh Pescatore (SON '13), Melissa Pedraza (DPT '15), and Peggy Lin (DPT '15) described cases from...

Admissions Spotlight: Master of Science in Physical Therapy for International Students Online application deadline: March 1, 2014 – Fall 2014 admission About the program: Designed for physical therapists who completed their physical therapy education in another country, our Master of Science in Physical Therapy program offers training that will prepare students for the next step in their careers. Offering an interprofessional mix of evidence-based academics and targeted clinical experience, the program enables foreign-trained therapists to hone core skills in critical inquiry, and basic,...

The dreaded finger stick. Every nursing student remembers performing their first one on a patient. It involves a spring-loaded sharp lancet which pricks a small hole in the patient’s finger, from which a drop of blood is drawn and tested for its blood sugar level with a handheld device. It’s a way of life for many diabetics, who may require testing their blood sugar several times a day. This means enduring thousands of finger sticks over the course of years, a cumbersome and painful reminder of this chronic disease. However, this invasive test may become a thing of the past. Yesterday, Google...

The five of us got to tour Kasturba Hospital in Manipal. The hospital is huge. It has 2250 beds (MGH is 950 to give you a comparison) and 24 ICUs. The hallways and registration areas are VERY crowded, dark, and dirty. Certain ramps had laundry hanging from the railings. Although they are technically not allowed to, many families sleep here. We toured several of the ICUs, an outpatient dialysis unit, and several of the general medical wards. About 80-90% of the dialysis patients are diabetics. This is a major medical problem in India. We were surprised to find the ICUs were in MUCH better...

Namaste! [a Hindi greeting]. While in India, we've done our best to explore the local temples, as religion is a major part of the culture and everyday life. The majority of people practice Hinduism but there are also Christians and Jains in Karnataka (the Indian state we're living in). Temple sign written in Kannada, the local language Hindu temple on campus You must remove shoes before entering Sri Krishna Temple in Udupi, a nearby town Bathing pools at Sri Krishna Temple These structures are pulled by elephants during festivals Chalk is applied to the upper forehead before worship We also...

I broke my first curfew the night I was born in Dakar, Sénégal. The year was 1989, and mounting civil unrest along the lush river border between Sénégal and Mauritania had resulted in a Senegalese man’s death. Subsequently, Mauritanians living in Sénégal became targets of revenge. Enraged Senegalese overturned Mauritanian-owned shops and threatened worse damage. In an effort to contain the attacks, Senegalese law enforcement issued a 10 P.M. curfew in Dakar, after which time anyone could be arrested for being caught outside without the proper paperwork. Enter my very pregnant mother and her...