When it comes to video games, I’m the cranky, old man that starts phrases with “when I was your age…” My audience is kids in the children’s hospital I work at, and in my defense, I’m right. In my day, we were captivated by the intensity of Excite Bike, every sleepover... Read More1

Abortion beliefs and decisions involve personal, medical, socioeconomic, and religious variables. How can we stamp reproductive rights with a “one-size fits all” rule? With that (looking at you Marco Rubio), I give you five reasons why we need an open chat about abortion restrictions and Zika-related microcephaly. Our Policymakers Have No... Read More1

Most of my guy friends have childhood memories that involve fireworks or backyard explosives. I’m being blunt but we’ve all been there. So now, teenage hat off, pediatrician hat on, I am aware of two things: fireworks are insanely dangerous, can cause severe burns, disfigurement, or even death AND children... Read More1

I decided to get a puppy’s opinion about vaccines. Time for a fresh view. Vaccination regulation is shaping up to be our generation’s great public health debate. Vaccines save lives, billions of healthcare dollars, and are overall safe. But many still oppose vaccine requirements because of diseases they’ve never encountered.... Read More2

Arianna Huffington’s new book, “The Sleep Revolution,” should inspire everyone to get some serious shut-eye, especially doctors. We’re awful at sleeping. Sleep insufficiency is rampant in medicine and a complex solution is needed. I prefer a simple solution so I turned to my pediatric population and learned their secret –... Read More0

April fools is here and everyone has a get-out-of-jail-free card for the most inventive lie. Aside from the holiday of hoax, most people lie on occasion to avoid consequences or spare another person’s feelings. But your doctor will tell you that fibbing may be harmful to your health. While many... Read More1

I recently had a riveting debate with a software engineer in Silicon Valley about whether or not, the IBM Watson supercomputer could, one day, diagnose medical diseases better than doctors. While many algorithm-gurus are believers, most physicians, including myself, are not. “Why do you think that Dr. Patel? Computers can analyze mountains of data faster... Read More1

2 days ago, Mark Zuckerberg uploaded a picture that will hopefully spark an epic social movement. If you haven’t already, check out the original post and read the comments… The anti-vaccine community uses digital content to spread fear, anecdotes, and mistrust of anything you can’t buy at a farmer’s market. They also like... Read More0

Watch a gun debate and you’ll see a fiery offense on the Left versus a brick wall on the Right. With every horrific mass shooting or inner city homicide, comes another plea for gun restrictions, which is met by gun lobbyists downplaying the statistics and shouting about infringements on our constitutional... Read More1

Her Individualized Approach This is an actual exchange between Dr. Jamie Zimmerman and myself: “Alok, in a dream world, what would you do for work?” “Hmmm,” l smirked and went along with the charade, “I’d be involved in massive public health campaigns and use elements of humor, satire, and anything... Read More1

Back in the year of the original Die Hard movie, 1988, nearly 350,000 were crippled by polio worldwide. Fast forward to 2014 and that number was 360. Whip out your calculator and be amazed at that 99.9% reduction. If vaccines could talk, they’d share stories about the billions of lives... Read More1

It’s July 30th, 2015 and if you hop on to your favorite news source, you’ll likely run into one of two headlines: Anyway, here’s the headline that should be Trump-ing everything today (pun intended): . 1965 was a legendary year for birthdays including Robert Downey Jr, Dr. Dre, Ben Stiller,... Read More2

From the Seattle Times, May 2015: Cassandra Rush, 33, of Issaquah, was among Washington state parents who never considered the danger of windows until her 5-year-old daughter fell 15 feet, face-first, onto a concrete slab last September. “All I know is I was sitting downstairs with my son,” recalled Rush. “And... Read More0

Getting a teenager to focus without using a smart phone or Instagram is like trying to pet an alligator – good luck. A high-schooler’s attention span is usually cornered by hormone-driven traditions or whatever hashtag is currently trending. Nonetheless, the resurgence of a throwback dance-style, with a blend of mentoring,... Read More2

I love Red Bull advertising and I actually watch clips from Red Bull BC ONE regularly. Additionally, during my days as a little Indian lad, I drank plenty of chai. I get why energy drinks are so appealing, Frappuccinos ARE delicious, and I’m not here to start a war against caffeine. We... Read More0

It’s 2015 and of all the alarming statistics that plague public health, very few rile me up like crimes against women. Seriously, women bring us into the world yet sexual assault, trafficking, and public health disparities seem to only be rising. You can wait for public officials, governments, and societal... Read More1

Which of all the following scenarios do YOU best identify with: Getting empathetic when you hear a baby crying Lying to defend your loved ones. (Like in court… Wait what?) Thinking, “Aww how can you say no to that face?” when you see your dog Seeing a foster mom love... Read More1

My fellow Arizona Wildcats (BEAR DOWN) and I were at Moda stadium, Portland, this past Saturday, March 21st, to watch the Wildcats take on the Ohio St. Buckeyes. During our epic 2nd half run against the Buckeyes, the FAN CAM centered on me and the reaction was awesome.    ... Read More3

I’m no longer going to make fun of Valentine’s Day. Well, let’s be real, I will probably still bash on it because it’s a day that sees 195 million rose purchases, full tables at overpriced restaurants, and an assortment of circus acts in the name of outdoing one another. But I... Read More3

I turned on my TV the other morning, while trying not be late for my clinic, and I saw an unfortunate link between a childhood love and a professional frustration. I couldn’t believe it. Obviously the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physicians, and champions of public health nationwide would... Read More5