Weekend Wrap Up 12.18.16

I hate cold weather. I really, really, really hate cold weather. So, I was pretty much a huge whiner this week when I awoke each morning to temperatures in the 20’s. The biting chill and crispy frost on the ground does make it feel like the holidays (for which I am not yet ready) are right around the corner, I suppose. And, who doesn’t like a little holiday cheer, right? This weekend I plan on talking myself through the biting chill in the air and finishing up my Christmas shopping. What are you up to?

If you find yourself with some free time between Santa visits, holiday shopping and Christmas parties, check out this week’s more interesting medical news stories.  

U.K. fertility clinics can now apply for licenses to create three-parent babies. The phenomenon helps parents at very high risk of having a child with life-threatening mitochondrial disease have a healthy, genetically related child. 

You’ve got an extra weekend to sign up for health insurance. The Obama administration is giving consumers a few more days to sign up for health insurance to take effect January 1. The new deadline to apply is 11:59pm on December 19th.

Burnout among healthcare providers is rampant as evidenced by higher than average rates of depression and suicide. The National Academy of Medicine announced this week, a collaborative effort to combat the problem. The effort will begin in January with a number of workshops and public meetings scheduled throughout the year. 

A burn victim in Brazil pioneers a new treatment. Doctors covered the area of the burn with the skin of a tropical fish. This marks the first time in medical history that researchers have used the skin of an aquatic animal as a Band-aid to treat lesions. 

Pharmaceutical company Mylan launches an EpiPen generic at $300 per two-pack. The discount comes after a government investigation into EpiPen’s 2008 price. 

A lot of pilots have depression symptoms according to a recent study. The research was prompted by a Germanwings plane crash that killed 150 people. Researchers say pilots are unlikely to seek treatment due to fear of negative career impacts. 

The gender gap in medicine remains in the spotlight in 2016. While women are well represented in medical schools, their career progression, pay, and research output is not equal to that of their male colleagues. 

Medical and health news that stuck with us in 2016, the New York Times’ take. 

Have a happy (almost) holiday weekend!