There's no underappreciating a physician who is content with their lot. A happy doctor means a much greater likelihood of a happy visit to the clinic. Or at least one not further burdened by the negative vibes of Dr. Grumpy.

In most surveys, most doctors say they are generally pleased with their lives and professions. But it turns out there are degrees of contentment. In a 2020 survey on physician lifestyle and happiness, specialists in rheumatology were determined to be the happiest of doctors, followed by general surgery, public health and preventive medicine, allergy and immunology and orthopedics. The least happy specialties were neurology, critical care, internal medicine, gastroenterology and endocrinology.

What makes a physician happy? It's not primarily compensation. It's their relationship with patients and a sense of doing good. More than one-quarter of happy doctors said patient gratitude and relationships were the most rewarding part of their job; 23% said it was feeling that they were making the world a better place.

So, next time you see your doctor, make them smile, tell a joke. Here's one:

Q: What's the difference between a general practitioner and a specialist?

A: One treats what you have; the other thinks you have what they treat.

Chemo and Pregnancy

Often when young women are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, one of their first questions is about the possibilities and dangers of becoming pregnant during treatment. Conventional wisdom suggests it's not advisable, too problematic or risky for would-be mother and unborn child.

Some forms of hormone therapy for breast cancer, such as tamoxifen, can run for 5 to 10 years in order to help prevent a recurrence of breast cancer. That much time obviously and significantly affects a woman's childbearing years. These hormone treatments can also make it harder for women to conceive.

But results of a new clinical trial suggest women undergoing long-term breast cancer therapy can safely pause treatment for up to two years while trying to conceive without raising the risk of cancer recurrence in the short term. The trial continues as researchers conduct follow-up studies for at least the next decade.

Body of Knowledge

The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 handbook classifies caffeine withdrawal as a mental disorder.

Get Me That, Stat!

A survey of older adults on Medicare, reported in STAT Pulse Check, found that 34% think dental coverage is too expensive. Just 34%? See Counts for more details.

Counts

54: Percentage of older adults (age 65 and older) who rate their dental health at least a four on a scale of one to five

64: Percentage who experienced oral health problems

26: Percent who suffer from some form of tooth loss

68: Percentage who say breadth of coverage of dental services is the top challenge with their dental plans

Source: Dental Insurance: What Do Older Adults Really Want? STAT BrandStudio/United Healthcare, 2023

Stories for the Waiting Room

A vaccine to prevent respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, in newborns has proven to reduce the rate of severe illness by 81.8% in clinical trials. That's good news. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover, but it can be serious and perhaps life-threatening in infants and older adults.

Doc Talk

Fovea: a small dimple in the middle of the retina that provides sharp central vision

Mania of the Week

Melomania: obsession with music (not to be confused with mellowmania, an obsession with The Carpenters. Or James Taylor. Or Stevie Nicks. I've got a million of them. We've only just begun.)

Never Say 'Diet'

The Major League Eating record for chocolate hearts is 1 pound, 15.5 ounces in seven minutes, held by Patrick Bertoletti. It was a bittersweet victory.

Food for Thought

This month, we consider the rose. Or more precisely, the edible parts of the plant, which it turns out, are many: petals, leaves, hips and buds. Roses belong to the same family as apples, apricots, cherries and almonds. They are rich in vitamins A, C and E. How to eat them, however, can be a bit thorny: Rose leaves are slightly bitter and so make a lousy salad, but can be brewed as a tea. Rose hips are sweet and can be made into jellies and syrups. Rose petals provide a lovely garnish.

Other edible flowers include hibiscus, dandelion, lavender, honeysuckle, nasturtium, borage, purslane, squash blossom, pansy and chamomile. Buy a bouquet for Valentine's Day and dinner is covered, too.

Best Medicine

A man raced into a hospital parking lot, jumped out of his car and was heading to the doors of the emergency room when a lot attendant stopped him and said, "This is for badge holders only."

To which the man replied, "Yeah, I've got a bad shoulder."

Observation

"Whatever you do, always give 100%, unless you're donating blood." — Comedian Bill Murray (1950- )

Medical History

This week in 1875, the first well-documented U.S. birth of quintuplets was five boys born at Watertown, Wisconsin, to Edna Beecham Kanouse and her husband Edward. Though the babies appeared normally developed, one was stillborn, three died within minutes of delivery and the remaining newborn survived only a few hours. Their total birth weight was 10 pounds, 2 ounces. Edna Kanouse would deliver a single child several years later but died a few months after from a contagious disease contracted while caring for a sick friend. Until 1934 and the birth of the healthy Dionne quintuplets in Canada, the longest known survival of a quint was 55 days, born in Lisbon, Portugal.

Last Words

"I don't know." — French philosopher/logician/theologian/poet/composer/ musician Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: 10634669 at Pixabay