Insights

You learn a lot when you spend months reporting on a given issue or community, as our fellows can attest. Whether you’re embarking on a big new story or seeking to go deeper on a given issue, it pays to learn from those who’ve already put in the shoe leather and crunched the data. In these essays and columns, our community of journalists steps back from the notebooks and tape to reflect on key lessons, highlight urgent themes, and offer sage advice on the essential health stories of the day. 

Author(s)
By David Wahlberg

During heated protests over collective bargaining last year outside the state Capitol in Madison, several doctors wrote sick notes to excuse protesters from school or work. Their action sparked significant debate.

Author(s)
By James Kityo

Among the Bamasaba (also known as the Gishu) of Mbale and Mount Elgon region in Eastern Uganda, every leap year is a traditional circumcision year. To them, male circumcision is a cultural rite for initiation into manhood.

Author(s)
By Tammy Worth

I was waiting for my two boys after their swimming lessons recently, when another parent there looked up at a sign posted on the door of the community pool and loudly scoffed....