Author: UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Given the health risks associated with consuming your placenta, and the absence of detectable benefits, we strongly recommend women do not, and instead look to other mental wellness resources.

Dr. Jehannine Austin, Professor in UBC Faculty of Medicine

“The study, published online today in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, is the largest so far to look at the effects of eating one’s placenta—a practice known as placentophagy. Researchers used data from a 10-year genetic study involving 138 women with a history of mood disorders and compared data on outcomes between those who had eaten their placenta and those who had not.
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Eating one’s placenta following childbirth is a growing trend, with many celebrities claiming that the practice provided them with health benefits, including preventing postpartum depression. However, previous studies have shown that consuming human placenta poses risks for mothers and their babies, including viral and bacterial infections.
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This study’s data provides no support for the idea that postpartum placentophagy improves mood, energy, lactation, or plasma vitamin B₁₂ levels in women with a history of mood disorders.”

#UBCFacultyOfMedicine #Placentophagy

Cue the Jeopardy theme song.

“What is….”

Click here to answer.

#TheLancet #PictureQuiz

Today we celebrate National Physicians’ Day! Check out Doctors of BC twitter feed as they highlight some of the physicians making a difference in British Columbia! A big thank you to all our UBC community-based and hospital-based clinical educators and our wonderful UBC residents!

#NationalPhysiciansDay #DoctorsOfBC

These 3D printing personalized, waterproof, removable, lightweight casts designed by CastPrint are breaking the mold. Learn more on the future of personalized healthcare here.

#InnovationByDesign #MadeMeLook

The inaugural issue of The #LancetDigitalHealth is now live! Access the journal here.

Featuring an Editorial plus three research articles on closed-loop insulin delivery for type 1 #diabetes, a mobile phone intervention vs standard care adherence support after second-line antiretroviral therapy failure for #HIV, and artificial intelligence using deep learning to screen for referable and vision-threatening #diabetic retinopathy in Africa. All content is #openaccess. #AI #digitalhealth #medicaldevices #telemedicine #CyberSecurity #digitalmedicine

Student Mistreatment from UBC MedIT on Vimeo.

“Mistreatment is behaviour, whether it’s intentional or unintentional, that insults or negatively impacts the dignity of someone’s respect and then that interferes with learning.”

Dr. Gurdeep Parhar, UBC Executive Associate Dean of Clinical Partnerships and Professionalism & Clinical Professor, Department of Family Practice.

Learn more about mistreatment, if mistreatment happens, contacts, reporting process and outcome, confidentiality, and references at UBC Faculty of Medicine: Mistreatment Help.

Greetings All! Reminder that our Faculty Development Breakfast is tomorrow:

Tuesday, April 30 from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Location: ARHCC Baker 1 Conference Room, Abbotford
Facilitator: Jacqueline P. Ashby, Ed.D.
Register here.
In this session we will cover the latest research in identifying learners in difficulty as well as discuss some of the advancements in virtual medicine as it relates to education and patient care. I’m also going to share 2-3 pearls from the Wilderness Medicine Conference! Residents are invited!

“Inspired by Cards Against Humanity, this party game is designed to save lives. Unlike most social awareness campaigns, Doctors Against Tragedies is fun and educational. We are not here to scare you. We just want you to know the facts.”

Learn more at Doctors Against Tragedies and download the game for free!

Advice to your 30-year-old self?

I would say to have no fear. I mean, you’ve got this one chance here to do amazing things, and being afraid of being wrong or making a mistake or fumbling is just not how you do something of impact. You just have to be fearless.

Dr. Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco in Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss.

Sending love to all our UBC Residents who are taking their exams this weekend! You got this!

#BeFearless

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over, beginning with a working simple system.

More on Systemantics: How Systems Really Work and How They Fail by Dr. John Gall.

#RethinkingOurHealthCareSystem #KeepItSimplePrinciple