Caption: NIDA Director Nora Volkow (center), HEAL Initiative Director Rebecca Baker (right), and I discuss NIH’s latest efforts to combat opioid crisis. Credit: Pierce Harman for Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit 2022.

Applying for residency and awaiting matching results is probably the most stressful part of medical student’s life up to date, and we’ll probably add more pressure to some of them by compiling the list of 5 most competitive residency programs in US. Residency might not be med school graduate’s first true medical experience, but it’s definitely a start of one’s medical career.

As many Meddy bear’s readers know by now, last month Popular Mechanics published a list on their website of “25 Skills Every Man Should Know,” which included such esoteric talents as “frame a wall” and “extend your wireless network.” How these two made the list over such accomplishments as “find tickets to a Hannah Montana concert,” or “pass gas anonymously on an airplane flight” is beyond me, but then again I’m a doctor, not a popular mechanic.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada created a soft robotic sleeve to treat lymphedema. Lymphedema involves fluid accumulation in tissues because of damage to the lymph system. This wearable sleeve combines a microfluidic controller and soft robotic components that apply compression to the arm to reduce and control fluid accumulation. The small components avoid the need for a stationary pump to inflate the sleeve and allow for tetherless use during regular activities.

Digital Health companies often face a struggle knowing where to begin on the road to regulatory approval. Issues such as conducting clinical validation studies and finding the right regulatory experts to assist in their journey can all present major hurdles. These difficulties prompted Ruby Gadelrab to create MDisrupt, a digital health intelligence company based in California.