Real-Life ER
Sometimes life does, indeed, imitate art. More than 90% of emergency room doctors-in-training complained of mistreatment in a survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. earlier this month. Among their complaints: verbal humiliation from supervisors, cutthroat competition, sleep deprivation, sexual harassment and falsification of patient records. More than 1,270 second-year residents were consulted in the survey. So, if you’re dying to visit the hospital, maybe you’d better stick with TV’s “ER” or “Chicago Hope.”
Hearts for Hockey
What does it take to be a good goalie in hockey? Quick reflexes? Trusty equipment? A low IQ? None of the above, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic’s Sports Medicine Center. Apparently, what counts most is grace under pressure. The best goalies were able to maintain relatively low heart rates even when pucks were flying straight at them. Top goalies also were more outgoing and emotionally expressive than their less worthy counterparts, the study found. Remember that the next time you think the player behind the mask is sweating a game out.
Shaping Up
Summer is almost here and, unfortunately for many folks, their winter fat stores are definitely still here. The May issue of Shape magazine offers a host of weight-loss tips to improve your appearance and health. The pointers include: Drink at least one glass of water before eating, read weight-control success stories for motivation and inspiration, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and don’t weigh yourself often. And you can try one tip they left out--don’t eat so much.
Ulcer Update
Does everyone in your family have a peptic ulcer? If so, you are probably at a greater risk for getting one than physicians previously thought, according to a new study performed at the University of Turku in Finland. Environmental factors such as smoking and stress were once believed to be almost solely responsible for the painful ailment. But after studying 13,800 twins, the Finnish study concluded that genetic factors can be the culprit in as many as 39% of the cases. If you’ve got an ulcer, go scream at your parents.
