Category: Diseases and injuries

Can medical knowledge make you a better patient? Take this quiz.

The purpose of board certification is to make sure you, the patient, are getting the best care possible from a physician.

Parents and educators in my state have been debating the merits of standardized testing for school children and maybe where you live also. And it’s not just a question for children, adults can be subjected to professional testing also.

After I finished my family medicine residency, I took an 8 hour paper multiple choice written exam to become certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). The tests were held at several large cities across the United States.

Every 10 years I tested to re-certify. (Originally it was every 7 years) and I always had to travel at least 500 miles to one nearest my home. Eventually the Board transitioned to a computer based exam taken at a local testing center, still 8 hours long.

The purpose of board certification is to make sure you, the patient, are getting the best care possible from a physician. According to the ABFM,

We promise that board certification means that the family physician you choose for your care meets high standards. 

American Board of Family Medicine, ABFM
I passed the recertification exam in 2019 for 10 more years!

In 2018 they offered something new- doctors could take the test on their own computer or tablet whenever and wherever they chose, called The Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment (FMCLA)

Launched in December 2018 as a pilot program, FMCLA quickly earned an overwhelmingly positive reputation as the preferred option for most physicians and was approved for permanent use in April of 2021.

a male doctor using a tablet while working
Doctors can answer questions on a computer or tablet any time of day or night.

This exam consists of 25 questions posted quarterly over 3 years, with a 5 minute time limit for each question . Besides being able to take the exam in my pajamas, I can research the answers online if I need to-as long as I can do it in 5 minutes. The rules prohibit me from discussing the questions with another person, based on an honor system that I attest to before beginning each session. Being able to look up information is more like actual medical practice.

More aligned with adult learning principles, this approach allows for use of references and promotes greater retention of new knowledge to be applied in daily practice.

ABFM web site

You can learn more about the value of board certification at this link

American Board of Family Medicine Patient Page

While board certification is a voluntary process, many organizations prefer or require the physicians they hire or work with to be board certified.

Take an “exam” designed for patients

I thought I would give you a taste of what I am doing by creating a patient certification exam for you. The rules prohibit me from sharing actual test questions so I have written my own, in simple medical terms, but using a format similar to the questions I answer.

When I answer questions, I get immediate feedback if my answer was right or wrong, with an explanation and a reference. So I have done the same for you. In this case, the reference is from a blog post I have written.

There’s no time limit for each question and for this exam, feel free to discuss your answers with someone else, I encourage you to. Choose the single best answer. Check at the end for the correct answers.

I had fun writing these questions so I hope you have fun answering them. Good luck! I hope you pass.

Question 1

A woman came to her doctor with a skin rash soon after starting to take a new medication. The medication is most likely

  1. An Antidepressant
  2. A blood pressure lowering drug
  3. An anti-inflammatory drug
  4. An antibiotic

Question 2

A 25 year old woman notices that the skin on her face has darkened over the past several months. This condition is called

  1. Melasma
  2. Eczema
  3. Psoriasis
  4. Tinea

How common meds hurt skin

Skin: Epidermis and Dermis illustration
Line drawing showing cross-section of dermal and epidermal skin layers. National Cancer Institute Creator: Unknown Illustrator This image is in the public domain and can be freely reused. Please credit the source and, where possible, the creator listed above.

Question 3

A mother brings her 8 year old daughter to her family doctor. The child has a cough, runny nose, and mild sore throat. Her temperature is 100.2 degrees. The doctor diagnosed the illness as a cold, or upper respiratory infection and explains this is caused by a virus. She does not prescribe an antibiotic because

  1. The child is allergic to penicillin
  2. The family does not have health insurance
  3. The mother has left over antibiotic from another child at home.
  4. An antibiotic will not help an infection caused by a virus.

How to cope with winter illness

Question 4

A 30 year old woman comes to her doctor because she is losing an excessive amount of hair. She is afraid she will become bald. Most likely she

  1. Started using a cheap shampoo
  2. Delivered a baby
  3. Needs vitamins
  4. Should investigate hair implants

Effective solutions if you experience hair loss

Question 5

Dr. Oglesby believes that certain medications should be used more often because of their benefit to patients. These drugs include all except

  1. Antibiotics
  2. Vitamins
  3. Sleeping pills
  4. Stop smoking drugs

7 underused drugs

Question 6

A young man who is a computer programmer has difficulty falling asleep. His doctor may recommend

  1. Buy a new mattress
  2. Taking a sleeping pill an hour before bedtime
  3. Regular exercise and relaxation techniques
  4. Watching television until he falls asleep

Expert advice to sleep

a simple bed, window shade down, small lamp on a side table

Question 7

Author and motivational speaker Nick Vijucic was born with amelia. This term means he lacks certain parts of his body which are his

  1. Limbs
  2. Eyes
  3. Ears
  4. Teeth

Light and life without limbs

Question 8

A woman sees her doctor because she researched her symptoms online and believes she has endometriosis. She thinks this because

  1. She does not have regular periods.
  2. She had a miscarriage.
  3. She has not been able to get pregnant.
  4. Her sister has it.

Women’s health update

Question 9

The HPV (human papilloma virus) causes cancer. Vaccination against this virus decreases the risk of cancer of the

  1. Cervix
  2. Uterus
  3. Breast
  4. Ovary

Women’s health update

Question 10

Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Award winning actress and singer, suffers from Meniere’s syndrome. She was born in a small town in Oklahoma named

  1. Muskogee
  2. Broken Arrow
  3. Ada
  4. McAlester

Kristin Chenoweth– a review of her memoir

a letter jacket, bag, and shoes, belonging to Kristen Chenoweth
Kristin’s jacket from high school on display at the Performing Arts Center

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

  1. The most common drug that causes a skin rash is an antibiotic.
  2. Melasma
  3. Antibiotics do not help a cold or any other viral infection
  4. delivered a baby; hair loss is common after pregnancy
  5. Stop smoking drugs can be useful to help smokers quit. The other drugs listed are often overused.
  6. Exercise and relaxation can improve one’s sleep.
  7. Nick was born without limbs.
  8. Infertility is a common symptom of endometriosis.
  9. Cancer of the cervix is caused by the HPV virus.
  10. Broken Arrow. The other Oklahoma towns produced Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, and Reba McIntyre.

testing the HEART of health

Thanks for testing your knowledge with this first ever Watercress Words Certification Exam. If you liked it, let me know, maybe we’ll do it again.

Dr. Aletha
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Measles Cases Surge in the U.S.: Understanding the Outbreak

Measles cases in the U.S. have surged recently. Measles is highly contagious with serious complications, though largely preventable via vaccinations like the MMR. Public health officials express concern over these outbreaks.

update March 10, 2025

Measles in the U.S. has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines.

“This is alarming,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert. Not only is measles dangerous in itself, but its return could mean other vaccine-preventable diseases seemingly consigned to the past may be coming back as well, he said.

APNEWS.COM, APRIL 24, 2019

What is measles?

At one time, measles was one of the “usual childhood diseases” that most people Born before 1957 contracted as children prior to the use of the vaccine. It is caused by a virus in the Paramyxoviridae family and spread by person-to-person contact.

The other childhood diseases were

  • Rubella, or  German measles
  • Chicken pox, or  varicella
  • Roseola
  • Fifth Disease, or erythema infectiosum

These all cause a rash, called an exanthem.

Mumps was also a common childhood disease but does not usually cause a rash.

Symptoms of measles include

  • cough,
  • nasal drainage,
  • reddened, inflamed eyes, and
  • a rash as pictured below.
the rash of measles
image courtesy of the CDC- Centers for Disease Control , U.S. government

Treatment of Measles

Management of measles involves supportive care, meaning controlling fever for comfort, ensuring adequate nutrition and fluids to prevent dehydration.

Vitamin A supplementation is recommended by the World Health Organization and the CDC.

An antiviral drug, ribavirin has been used to treat severe life-threatening cases. It has not been studied in controlled trials, so the FDA has not approved its use.

Most of those infected recover uneventfully but there can be serious complications including pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Preventing measles and other exanthems

After the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963 the number of reported cases was reduced by 99%. In 2000 measles was declared no longer endemic (occurring routinely) in the United States. U.S. public health officials consider an outbreak a major setback in the control of infectious disease.

Measles vaccine is usually administered as a “3 in 1” vaccine- the MMR, which has been vilified as a possible cause of autism, although that has been thoroughly discredited.

The other two letters in the mix stand for mumps and rubella (also known as German measles) both of which are also caused by viruses and for which no treatment exists.

No vaccine exists for roseola or Fifth Disease, but we have an effective vaccine for varicella, commonly called chickenpox.

MEASLES OUTBREAK 2025

According to KFF Health News

“Since the outbreak emerged three weeks ago, the Texas health department has confirmed 90 cases with 16 hospitalizations, as of Feb. 21. Most of those infected are under age 18.

Officials suspect that nine additional measles cases reported in New Mexico, across the border from the epicenter of the Texas outbreak in Gaines County, are linked to the Texas outbreak. Ongoing investigations seek to confirm that connection.

Health officials worry they’re missing cases. Undetected infections bode poorly for communities because doctors and health officials can’t contain transmission if they can’t identify who is infected.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,I think this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

Rekha Lakshmanan, chief strategy officer for The Immunization Partnership in Houston, a nonprofit that advocates for vaccine access.

Continue reading this report at

Texas Measles Outbreak Nears 100 Cases, Raising Concerns About Undetected Spread

sharing the HEART of health

My family receives vaccines and believe any potential risk is worth the benefit. I urge you to think carefully and talk to a trusted physician before you make vaccination decisions for yourself and your children.

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Dr. Aletha 

The cover image for this post was created using AI.