In Part 1, I described three patients hospitalized after a 15-minute workout early in training—each experienced severe hip flexor soreness before presenting to the hospital. One patient had a CK level exceeding 100,000. The problem [...]

As a primary care physician, I see myself as a quarterback for my patients, coordinating care across specialties. While I may not be the one performing surgeries, I play a critical role in ensuring that [...]

Travel medicine is all about being prepared for the unexpected when you're away from home, whether you’re heading to the Caribbean or a remote destination. While it’s easy to focus on the excitement of the [...]

It was time to choose sides—protect the safety of military candidates in training or shield the commander by keeping his failure quiet. My decision was easy. In the military, it involves moving up the chain [...]

Navy physicians had been concerned about accumulating risk from training for some time. Then the floodgate opened in 2023. Midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy led athletic training for Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) [...]

If we acknowledge that rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo) is dangerous, how should we assess the risk during military training when fatalities are rare? One of my favorite books, The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb, offers insight. Taleb [...]

In Part 1, I described three patients hospitalized after a 15-minute workout early in training—each experienced severe hip flexor soreness before presenting to the hospital. One patient had a CK level exceeding 100,000. The problem [...]

Is rhabdo the cost of doing business in the military and the fitness industry? Or should doctors, coaches, and leaders change their training and medical risk management? Is it ethical or necessary to cause rhabdo [...]

It started with three military candidates, all hospitalized after the same workout—just 15 minutes long. Burpees, mountain climbers, and a few standard military exercises. Nothing extreme, nothing that should have landed them in the hospital [...]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medicine became mechanical. Patients lined up for temperature checks and COVID tests, and doctors often switched to autopilot, focusing on public health guidelines and hospital protocols. Real, thoughtful medicine seemed to [...]