Scope Blog

Scope is an award-winning medical blog produced by a team of writers at Stanford University School of Medicine.

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Sep82017

“We are all works in progress:” A Q&A on self-compassion

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For those who believe that “being your own worst critic” will toughen you up and ultimately make you perform better, Leah Weiss, PhD, who lectures at the Graduate School of Business, has another message. Weiss, who teaches courses on compassionate leadership and Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Program, explains that self-compassion is necessary for success and mental well-being, whereas self-criticism can result in anxiety and stress that lead to procrastination and reduced productivity. BeWell Stanford spoke with Weiss recently to learn more. Isn’t self-criticism necessary for productivity? Despite what is often taught, self-criticism is not necessary — and, in fact, is detrimental to productivity. Self-criticism causes you to procrastinate and hide from your mistakes rather than correct them. It also harms your relationships with colleagues rather than improving them. Contrary to what we have been …Read more

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Sep52017

Stanford scientists find the immune clock of pregnancy to help understand preterm birth

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Much of human development happens on a flexible timeline. One kid might lose her first tooth at age five; another at age six. Both are normal. Pregnancy is different: It’s nine months, and being born just a few weeks early can mean real problems for the baby. But until now, the body’s timekeeping mechanism during pregnancy has been a mystery. Today, in a paper published online in Science Immunology, a Stanford team reveals that the immune system is intimately involved in the timing of pregnancy. A pregnant woman’s immune function changes in a precisely-timed way throughout the course of her pregnancy, the researchers found. The new study examined what happens to the immune system in women who deliver their babies near the due date, and provides an important foundation for …Read more

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Sep82017

Using history as a guide to end tobacco addiction

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The public’s opinion of tobacco use has dramatically changed over time. Gone are the days when cigarette companies advertise using slogans like “fresh as mountain air” or “more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” We now know that cigarettes cause blindness and tuberculosis, among many other conditions, and are highly addictive. But in the…Read more

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Sep82017

“We are all works in progress:” A Q&A on self-compassion

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For those who believe that “being your own worst critic” will toughen you up and ultimately make you perform better, Leah Weiss, PhD, who lectures at the Graduate School of Business, has another message. Weiss, who teaches courses on compassionate leadership and Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Program, explains that self-compassion is necessary for success and mental well-being, whereas…Read more

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Sep72017

A delicate surgery saves a teenager’s eye

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When Nhu Nguyen came to Stanford to seek help for her left eye, she felt like she was living in a nightmare. Nguyen, then 16, had undergone surgery at another California hospital to remove a small, benign dermoid eye tumor she’d been born with. After that procedure, the tumor grew back much larger than before…Read more

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Sep72017

Women of Stanford Neurosurgery: A conversation on gender, race and mentors

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Over the summer I spoke with numerous female faculty members in Stanford’s neurosurgery department about their backgrounds and experience working in a traditionally male-dominated field. Below is a portion of my conversation with Odette Harris, MD, an associate professor. When were you first interested in science? I was more interested in math rather than science, because…Read more