I've got a love-hate relationship with research, and this week I finally get into why. I'll read a study, I'll watch a talk, I genuinely enjoy learning about it, but performing research myself has never been my thing, and I get into the whole story of how I ended up doing it in med school anyway purely to check a box. Then I break down the newest NRMP match data, and the numbers are insane. We're talking applicants matching into ortho and neurosurgery with over a hundred research experiences and dozens of publications, and I explain why I think this whole system has turned into a predatory arms race that has very little to do with becoming a good doctor. After that, I get back to some actual eyeball content. I dig into a fascinating study out of Portugal on wind instrument musicians and their eye pressure, and it turns out playing high-resistance instruments like trumpet, oboe, and French horn can cause real spikes in intraocular pressure, potentially even mimicking a condition called normal pressure glaucoma. I walk through some of the older research on this topic too, and honestly, it's the first time in ten years of practicing ophthalmology that I've even heard about it. If you're a serious wind player, this one's worth a listen. Takeaways: The number of research experiences, abstracts, and publications reported by matched medical residency applicants has climbed to levels that go far beyond what's needed to become a good clinician. Doing research as a medical student is not a requirement for becoming a skilled doctor. Wind instrument players, especially those using high-resistance instruments like trumpet, oboe, and French horn, can experience measurable spikes in intraocular pressure while playing. Chronic pressure spikes in musicians could potentially be misdiagnosed as normal pressure glaucoma if a patient's musical background isn't factored into their history. Professional musicians who play high-resistance instruments at a high level may benefit from routine glaucoma screening. To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/ If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken If you want more information on models I use: Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15 As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects. Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs -- A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information. Produced by Human Content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
