Also: A patient told me that I hadn't listened closely enough. I'm glad she did

July 13, 2025 Check out STAT+

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By Alexa Lee Newsletter strategist

Hey. Alexa, newsletter strategist at STAT, here sending out First Opinion while Torie enjoys some time off. You know the drill: Our roundup of stellar essays is below, and you can share your thoughts in our Letter to the Editor section here. Thanks for reading. Recommendation of the week: I read "The Secret History" for the first time this week! Wow! I understand why there's such a cult following behind this spooky, completely bananas book. I was a huge fan, but a good friend of mine found it "so cringe it was painful." What do you think?

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Adobe What if pharma companies made 'safe' recreational drugs?  These drugs might not be harmful in the traditional sense — but they would still challenge both policy and culture. By Jim Crotty How the U.S. health care system fails cancer patients like former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis Cancer patients like Ananda Lewis turn to "natural therapies" because of fear, confusion, and a sense that no one in the system is looking out for them. By Samyukta Mullangi Don't let states interfere with medical school grading systems Texas and Indiana have both recently tried to mandate that medical schools use letter grades instead of pass/fail. This student says that's wrong. By Rohit Prasad Adobe A patient told me that I hadn't listened closely enough. I'm glad she did Improved psychological safety may help patients receive better care — and there are wins here for physicians, too. By Jeffrey Millstein STAT+ | Hospitals can fight cybercriminals by prioritizing security of billing data, not medical records When criminals steal data from hospitals or clinics, they're not looking for sensitive medical histories. They're seeking info they can monetize. By John X. Jiang STAT+ | How to evaluate GLP-1s and Medicare costs? Here's one idea CMS should create a new value-based care payment pilot that would test coverage of GLP-1s on beneficiaries. By Soumi Saha and Somaieh McMullan Adobe ER docs are too quick to assume cannabis users are experiencing this rare side effect Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, while real and certainly debilitating, is relatively uncommon and requires a careful diagnosis. By Jordan Tishler Will future med students like me get the same chances I did? Future doctors from underserved communities will have a harder time paying for med school under the new federal loan caps. By Timberly Washington

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