American-Muslim Identity, Doctors with Disabilities, Stress

The Search for a Muslim American Identity (originally aired July 18, 2017)  Guest: Asma Uddin, JD, Director of Strategy for the Center for Islam and Religious Freedom, Founder, AltMuslimah.com  When the media or non-Muslims talk of Islam, we tend to act as if there are just two Muslim communities: the terrorists and the non-terrorists. As if every peaceful Muslim living in the US is cut from the same cloth.  But, in fact, American Muslims are the most racially diverse religious group in the country. They’re Arab, African, African American, South Asian, European, Latino and White American – the list goes on. Many, but not all, are immigrants to the US. They have different cultures, speak different languages, practice Islam in slightly different ways.  Doctors with Disabilities (originally aired July 18, 2017)  Guest: Dhruv Khullar, MD, Physician, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Healthcare Policy Researcher, Cornell University People with a disability—that’s nearly one in five Americans—are less likely to receive routine medical care: things as basic as flu vaccines and cancer screening. One reason for this disparity is that doctor’s offices and clinics may not have accommodations, such as exam tables with adjustable height. Another reason is the social stigma associated with disability. Part of the solution to this problem is encouraging more people with disabilities to become doctors.  Stress Develops Strengths (originally aired July 18, 2017)  Guest: Bruce Ellis, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Utah Children living in high-crime neighborhoods or extreme poverty are considered “at-risk” and in need of special intervention to help them overcome the problems that come with growing up in such a stressful environment. But University of Utah psychology researcher Bruce Ellis suggests that approach is like focusing on a half-empty glass, instead of acknowledging the other half that is actually full—of skills kids acquire from being in high-stress environments. He says nurturing those skills could offer benefits.  When Science Goes Wrong (originally aired April 21, 2017)  Guest: Paul Offit, MD, Professor of Vaccinology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Director of the Vaccine Education Center, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Author of “Pandora’s Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong” Unintended consequences are a fact of life. We can’t perfectly predict how something we do today will affect us and those around us in the coming months and years. “Pandora’s Lab,” by Dr. Paul Offit, highlights seven scientific developments that were hailed as great miracles, even earning Nobel Prizes, but turned out to go terribly wrong. They include the invention of opiate painkillers, margarine as a heart-healthy alternative to butter, and lobotomies as a treatment for mental illness.