Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases the amount of work the heart has to do. It’s like going to the gym and lifting heavier weights. Just like when you lift heavier weights at the gym to get bigger biceps, when your heart beats against a higher pressure it compensates by getting thicker. However, this compensatory mechanism can actually weaken the heart over time making it harder to perfuse the heart with blood and over time increases your risk of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.
Most Commonly Used Tools Cardiologists Use For Palpitations
Palpitations can be completely benign or potentially life-threatening. So let’s review the most commonly tools cardiologists use to evaluate palpitations.
Medications After a Heart Attack| Why Dual Anti Platelet Therapy Is So Important
Dual anti platelet therapy (DAPT) keeps the stent that was just placed in your coronary arteries open. It prevents clots from forming in the stent itself and thus decreases your risk of in-stent thrombosis, or clot formation, and death.
Should You Attend A Caribbean Medical School?
The most frequently asked question that I receive from students from around the world is ‘should I apply to a Caribbean medical school?’. There are plenty of blog posts on the internet that provide advise without objective evidence. So before I give you my unfiltered opinion I want to first present the cold hard facts surrounding the… Continue reading Should You Attend A Caribbean Medical School?
What Happens When You Don’t Match Into Residency…Twice
Two years ago I interviewed a fellow Caribbean medical graduate. I interviewed him because of his failure. Specifically his failure to match into residency. I wanted to shed light on what the medical education community seems to shun and ignore- what happens after you fail to match into residency. Last year we were both hopeful… Continue reading What Happens When You Don’t Match Into Residency…Twice
What happens when you don’t match
What happens to medical students who don’t match? Here’s what one unmatched psychiatry applicant had to say. Thanks for letting me interview you Steven. You have a pretty unique story that my readers would love to hear about but before we delve in can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Who are… Continue reading What happens when you don’t match
Best Resources to Destroy USMLE Step 2 CK
These are the resources, study tips, apps, books, and review courses that helped me earn a high USMLE step 2 CK score and helped me earn an internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship.
High Yield Board Review for Cardiology Fellows: Vascular Diseases
Below are some of my high yield notes for the general cardiology board examination focusing on vascular diseases with easily sharable supplemental articles and tables my reference. Aortic Aneurysm Location: Ascending aorta/root: 60% Descending aorta: 40% Both thoracic and abdominal aorta: 5-10% Surgical Indications for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair Condition Size Threshold Aneurysm ≥5.5 cm… Continue reading High Yield Board Review for Cardiology Fellows: Vascular Diseases
Coronary CT for Cardiology Fellows
My notes on coronary computerized tomography (CT). Anatomy Classification of anomalous coronary arteries Anomalies of: Origin (>LCX from right coronary sinus most common) Course Intrinsic anatomy Termination Hemodynamic consequence: non/significant Coronary fistula Complete myocardial bridging (>LAD most common) Association with higher risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) Normal Anatomy A normal CTCA has a high… Continue reading Coronary CT for Cardiology Fellows
ECG Reference Guide For Medical Trainees
A quick reference guide for diagnostic ECG criteria with examples. Will continue to update regularly. P-Wave Abnormalities Right atrial enlargement (RAE) 2 things help me remember RAE. First, the normal P-wave on an ECG typically represents the left atrium because the right atrium is typically smaller and it’s electrical current is typically hidden in the… Continue reading ECG Reference Guide For Medical Trainees
High Yield Board Review Notes for Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship
My ongoing notes for general cardiology, echocardiography, and nuclear cardiology board exams
Lyme Carditis | How Lyme Disease Can Involve the Heart
Lyme disease is the most common tick borne illness in the US and can Lyme carditis- a serious life threatening complication involving the conduction system of the heart.
Echo Cheat Sheet For First Year Cardiology Fellows
First year of any fellowship is difficult. It’s like intern year of residency but better but also worse. This cheat is what I wish I had access to when I started my first year of fellowship. It has all the echocardiography reference values you may need- all in one place. My co-fellows and I will continue to update this with useful links, pictures, and images over time and we hope it helps new fellows ease into their new roles.
How To Interpret Inpatient Cardiac Telemetry
Continuous cardiac telemetry monitoring, or ‘tele’ colloquially, is how we remotely monitor patients’ heart rhythms while in the hospital. When it is used appropriately it is a valuable diagnostic tool that assists in diagnosing and managing specific abnormal heart rhythms. I use it everyday for post-myocardial infarction patients (those who just suffered a heart attack)… Continue reading How To Interpret Inpatient Cardiac Telemetry
Racial Disparities in Treatment of Heart Failure
Given existing disparities in access to health care the growing burden of heart failure in the US could disproportionately impact the African-American and minority community (1). Regardless of race or ethnicity, patients with heart failure (HF) have better outcomes when cared for by cardiology specialists than other specialties (e.g. internal medicine) (2,3). However, prior studies… Continue reading Racial Disparities in Treatment of Heart Failure