Blog
For more than twenty-five years, Dr. Shulman has written about medicine and science — the diseases of childhood, from juvenile arthritis and lupus to complex regional pain syndrome, dysautonomia/POTS, and Long COVID. Here you’ll find essays, explainers, and stories from the front lines of pain science.
Diagnosing Pain Syndromes: A Pep Talk
FROM THE ARCHIVE Diagnosing Pain Syndromes: A Pep TalkPain Science · November 28, 2012 Welcome back to Left on Longwood! Since I last posted, the
How to Make an Atomic Bomb?
FROM THE ARCHIVE How to Make an Atomic Bomb?Science & Society · April 27, 2012 The debate regarding the publication of research describing the transmission
Three Big Ideas in Science that Everyone Should Understand
FROM THE ARCHIVE Three Big Ideas in Science that Everyone Should UnderstandScience & Society · April 20, 2012 Welcome back to “Left on Longwood”. It
Rounding with Santa
FROM THE ARCHIVE Rounding with SantaClinical Stories · December 30, 2011 Working in the hospital on December 25th has become an annual tradition. During residency,
Rheumatology Confronts its Nazi Past
FROM THE ARCHIVE Rheumatology Confronts its Nazi PastMedical Ethics · September 26, 2011 “Tov she-barofim le-gehinom: The best doctors are destined for hell” (Babylonian Ta
One Rare Disease, Two Outcomes
FROM THE ARCHIVE One Rare Disease, Two OutcomesClinical Stories · September 1, 2011 We’ve made a rare diagnosis. What happens next? In our last post,
Hoofbeats of Zebras: The Allure of Rare Diagnoses
FROM THE ARCHIVE Hoofbeats of Zebras: The Allure of Rare DiagnosesClinical Stories · August 20, 2011 “When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.” It
Paid to Trash Medicine
FROM THE ARCHIVE Paid to Trash MedicineHealth Policy · August 11, 2011 Anyone who has tangled with the health care system, even briefly, knows it
‘Is There a Doctor?’ Part Two
FROM THE ARCHIVE ‘Is There a Doctor?’ Part TwoClinical Stories · August 1, 2011 For the friends of Left on Longwood, It is shaping up
A Supermarket Check-out Consultation
FROM THE ARCHIVE A Supermarket Check-out ConsultationClinical Stories · July 26, 2011 I typically do my marketing, as food people like to call food shopping,
Tip Jar Science
FROM THE ARCHIVE Tip Jar ScienceScience & Society · July 21, 2011 “Nobel prize winners shouldn’t need to go around playing tambourines to raise money.”
Social Skills for Doctors
FROM THE ARCHIVE Social Skills for DoctorsClinical Stories · July 12, 2011 Medical schools try to teach aspiring doctors a hefty “body of knowledge” (as
News Flash: Health Insurance is Good for You
FROM THE ARCHIVE News Flash: Health Insurance is Good for YouHealth Policy · July 7, 2011 It turns out that having health insurance not only
Beware the First of July: Resident Training and Patient Safety
FROM THE ARCHIVE Beware the First of July: Resident Training and Patient SafetyHealth Policy · June 29, 2011 One of my worst experiences as a
Is a Gruesome Picture Worth a Thousand Warnings?
FROM THE ARCHIVE Is a Gruesome Picture Worth a Thousand Warnings?Health Policy · June 22, 2011 Tweet In a world that has irrefutably established that
My Appy
FROM THE ARCHIVE My AppyClinical Stories · June 20, 2011 Tweet I woke up to the sound of a shrill female voice giggling its way
Why I Wear Bowties
FROM THE ARCHIVE Why I Wear BowtiesPersonal · June 13, 2011 Tweet I’m asked more frequently about my preference in neckwear than just about anything
Journey of a Scientific Paper: Seven Years and Counting
FROM THE ARCHIVE Journey of a Scientific Paper: Seven Years and CountingScience & Society · June 8, 2011 Tweet After the experiments are designed, the
What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?: Viruses and the XMRV Controversy
FROM THE ARCHIVE What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?: Viruses and the XMRV ControversyScience & Society · June 2, 2011 Tweet A paper in the October
Is There a Doctor on the Plane?
FROM THE ARCHIVE Is There a Doctor on the Plane?Clinical Stories · May 30, 2011 Tweet As soon as this question comes up over a
“Night Science”: Francois Jacob and the Operon
FROM THE ARCHIVE “Night Science”: Francois Jacob and the OperonScience & Society · May 20, 2011 Tweet What are the conditions that create a ripe
Armadillos and Leprosy: Innocent Bystanders in Texas
FROM THE ARCHIVE Armadillos and Leprosy: Innocent Bystanders in TexasScience & Society · May 16, 2011 Tweet When European settlers first arrived in North America,
Don’t Take Your Guns to Town, or to Your Pediatrician’s Office
FROM THE ARCHIVE Don’t Take Your Guns to Town, or to Your Pediatrician’s OfficeHealth Policy · May 13, 2011 Tweet On April 28th, the Florida
The Original Personalized Medicine
FROM THE ARCHIVE The Original Personalized MedicineScience & Society · May 10, 2011 Tweet One of the principal buzzwords used to describe the future of