A U.S. physician relates the culture shock he is experiencing working as an area medical officer in Eastern Africa for the U.S. Peace Corps in his latest online journal entry.

Readers are referred to an article by B. Pécoul et al in a 1999 issue of JAMA to discuss what ethical duties developed countries have to ensure that essential drugs are accessible to patients in poor countries.

Little-known medical trivia.

An ethical case explores what a physician should do when a patient's health insurance will not cover a screening test for cancer despite the fact that a family history puts the patient at increased risk of developing the disease.

An ethical case explores whether it is ethically appropriate for physicians to treat their immediate family members.

Readers are referred to an article in a 1998 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine by M.G. Kuczewski abd M. DeVita to consider whether it is possible to provide appropriate end-of-life care to patients within the financial constraints of a managed-care system.

Little-known medical trivia.

Readers are referred to a chapter of a book and then asked to consider the importance of empathy in the patient-physician relationship.

Readers are referred to an article by S.A. Schneck in a 1998 issue of JAMA about how physicians make the worst patients and provided with a list of questions about this theory.

Medical trivia about industry gifts to physicians.