In the News

Majority of Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer After Screening Mammograms Get Unnecessary Treatment, Study Finds – Los Angeles Times

Read article – Quotes and features a video of H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, discussing a new study he led that found widespread screening has led to massive overtreatment for breast cancer, and that better treatment—not mammography—is the main reason that mortality has declined. Additional coverage in NBC News, Modern Healthcare, FiveThirtyEight, Stat News, MedPage Today.

Study Questions Value of Mammograms, Breast Cancer Screening – The New York Times via Associated Press

Read article – Quotes H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, who led a new study that questions the value of mammograms for breast cancer screening. Welch’s study concludes that a woman is more likely to be diagnosed with a small tumor that is not destined to grow than she is to have a true problem spotted early. The work could further shift the balance of whether the harm of screening outweighs its benefits. Additional coverage – The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, ABC News)

‘I Think the Aftermath Will Be Horrible’ – Valley News

Read article – Discusses the story of Bise Wood Saint Eugene, administrative assistant in the Department of Classics, whose family was affected by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. Mentions that Peter Wright, professor of pediatrics, has been part of an ongoing Dartmouth-Haiti Partnership that has carried out several humanitarian missions in the country since it experienced a devastating earthquake in 2010.

3 Types of Students Who Should Consider a Joint M.D. Degree – U.S. News & World Report

Read article – In this article by Cassie Kosarek, Geisel ’20, she discusses why prospective medical students who want to work in medical law should consider a dual M.D.-J.D. program. “While the option to earn a graduate degree is also available to practicing physicians, a joint M.D. can enrich your medical school experience by providing aspiring doctors with additional intersections and lenses through which to view medicine,” says Kosarek. “Whether to opt for a dual-degree program is a uniquely personal decision, but the three students described above may find it a difficult but rewarding path to pursue.”

Blog: Invest in New Hospitals? Really? Modern Healthcare

Read article – Quotes Jonathan Skinner, professor of community and family medicine and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, in an article about comments made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at this week’s presidential debate regarding building new hospitals. “We already have too many small hospitals with low volume, poor outcomes, and ‘hobbyist’ surgeons who do a handful of procedures per year,” says Skinner. “One thing we know is that low-volume is bad for patients.”

Geisel, D-H to Receive Large Grant – Valley News

Read article – Quotes Margaret Karagas, chair and professor of epidemiology, and Paul Palumbo, professor of medicine and pediatrics, about how a research project—that since 2009 has been investigating how various factors such as contaminants in the environment affect the health of pregnant women and their children in New Hampshire and Vermont—will receive up to $40 million in funding over the next seven years to help lead ECHO’s research efforts.