Stem Cell Therapy: The Body Healing Itself

July 17, 2017

Stem cell therapy, a critical segment of the regenerative medicine field and market, is a quickly evolving field, with the potential to help people heal more rapidly, in addition to avoiding invasive surgical procedures and treatments.

The ability of the body to heal itself through this therapy is derived from immature, self-renewing cells located in the body’s bone marrow, which can ultimately restore and repair a wide variety of bodily tissues. The NIH has awarded a $5.2 million grant to researchers who have collaborated to explore mechanisms of lung regeneration in diseases like cystic fibrosis.

Scientists have also recently found that a specific type of stem cell can generate a range of benefits for regenerative medicine, as they can be differentiated into multiple cell types including neurons, heart, pancreatic, and liver cells. These studies have further confirmed that stem cell therapy can treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and other conditions.

This rapidly growing sector offers physicians, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and medical professionals an opportunity to transition towards a more therapeutic approach. In areas where current treatment options such as surgery and pharmaceuticals are not effective, stem cell therapy offers a promising prospect of hope.

Learn more about stem cell therapy and its applications in regenerative medicine. The Fellowship in Stem Cell Therapies offers a comprehensive overview of relevant diseases, current research, and best practices for in-office applications.

Doctor Burnout: Part II

July 11, 2017

In response to the growing problem surrounding physician burnout–a national epidemic that impacts not only the health of medical practitioners, but also patient care–Stanford Medicine has hired a chief wellness officer.

In an unprecedented first move for a U.S. academic medical center, Tait Shanafelt, MD will lead Stanford Medicine’s pioneering program in the field. At a time when physician burnout “nationally has reached an all-time high,” Dr. Shanafelt will direct the WellMD Center at Stanford Medicine, while serving as associate dean.

Shanafelt has paved the field of wellness in medicine, overseeing multiple national surveys since 2008 that have included over 30,000 U.S. physicians, and 9,000 U.S. workers in other fields. The surveys have indicated increasing rates of burnout among doctors; in 2014, more than 50% of those surveyed were suffering from “emotional exhaustion, loss of meaning in work, or a sense of ineffectiveness and a lack of engagement with patients.” Shanafelt’s studies have confirmed that while physicians suffer, patients do also, as burnout leads to increased errors and increased rates of mortality among hospitalized patients.

Shanafelt has stated that the trend is “eroding the soul of medicine.” While many leaders in healthcare recognize that physician burnout is an imminent threat to their organizations, many do not know how to effectively address it. Shanafelt will work to build Stanford’s innovative WellMD Center, established in 2016, which has engaged more than 200 physicians through programs aimed at peer support, stress reduction, and a variety of ways to cultivate compassion and resilience. Furthermore, the center seeks to relieve some of the burden and pressure on physicians, through improving efficiency and simplifying workplace systems.

The conference will host the first American Conference on Physician Health in October, co-sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Mayo Clinic. This event will support opening up a national dialogue on the issue of physician burnout, while creating efforts to address physician distress through programs that promote “physician autonomy, efficiency, collegiality, and a sense of community.”

Nutrition Education in Medical School

July 7, 2017

Recent statistics show that more than two-thirds of Americans are considered to be overweight or obese. With diabetes and obesity on the rise, in addition to spikes in other lifestyle-related diseases, it has become critical to highlight the necessity of self-care and healthy living habits. Yet while physicians are generally considered to be reliable sources regarding nutrition, more than 50% of graduating medical students continue to rate their knowledge as ‘inadequate,’ and only one in eight patients receives counseling from their doctors on dietary health benefits.

A study designed to quantify the required number of hours of nutrition education at U.S. medical schools, in addition to an investigation regarding the types of courses offered, reaffirmed the supposition that medical students receive an inadequate amount of nutrition education. Only 27% of surveyed schools required a course dedicated to nutrition; on average, U.S. medical schools only offer 19.6 hours of nutrition education—across four years of medical school.

A 2016 study in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health assessed the basic nutritional knowledge of fourth-year medical and osteopathic school graduates entering a pediatric residency program. On average, the incoming interns were only able to answer 52% of the 18 questions correctly. Marion Nestle, a renowned professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, chalks much of this up to the fact that there is a primary focus on treating–rather than preventing–diseases.

Throughout the past several decades, there has been a push towards improving the medical nutrition education that students receive. With suboptimal knowledge about dietary habits, future physicians are selling both themselves and their patients very short. It is imperative to equip health practitioners with the necessary tools and information that they can utilize in their practices, ultimately addressing the root causes of real, pervasive problems.

Learn more about our Fellowship in Metabolic & Nutritional Medicine, which offers a new form of medicine that is personalized, preventive, and predictive. Begin your journey to a new standard of medical education rooted in wellness and health.

Earn up to 24 CME credits, live or online, with our Module dedicated to nutrition and exercise.