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Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

For two decades, I've been developing tools that have improved my practice in medicine, dentistry, and scientific research. Join me every Friday to discover a new tool you can integrate into your workflow as a doctor, a scientist, or both. I believe in sharing knowledge, embracing automation, boosting productivity, and finding joy in the process.

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Happy Birthday! (and: The Little Things During Wartime)

Happy Birthday! (and: The Little Things During Wartime) Even during wartime, there are the little things. Also: How should I celebrate my birthday? Friday’s Digest #147 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update Today is my birthday! It's funny— it always takes me a moment to remember exactly how old I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm not having trouble remembering my age. It's more like: "I'm 45. No, wait. 44. No, no. 45. It's 45." I assume there's a...

My "End of Day" Ritual: The Habit That Stops Work From Invading My Home Life How do you separate your work life from your home life when you’re job is so demanding? I do these 3 things. Friday’s Digest #146 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update This week, a manuscript of mine got published. If there's one thing I absolutely hate, it's the "author's proof." This is when you look for last-minute mistakes that need correction— misspelled words, grammar...

3 Things I Do to Increase My Productivity (and: “Is There a Doctor on the Plane?”) Everyone wants to be more productive. But it usually means giving up on something or working harder. But there’s another way. Friday’s Digest #145 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update Last week, I came back from Singapore after attending an international conference for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Flying was never something I liked, and this flight was no...

The Annoying Question of “How Many Publications Do You Have?” The doctor-scientist path has evolved substantially over the last decade, but Universities are too slow to adapt. Friday’s Digest #144 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update If there's one thing I regret in my life right now, it's not running. I've always been able to accomplish what I set my mind to. But somehow I can't find time to run 🏃🏼. I simply do too many things. This has got to...

Have We Lost The Ability to Read Books? Not long ago, we read books and newspapers. Nowadays, everything is bite-sized. But is that necessarily bad? Friday’s Digest #143 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update This week I'll be visiting Singapore for a conference. A nice opportunity to meet my friends and colleagues from abroad and catch up. However, packing and preparing for the flight is a headache. This one in particular. You see, at these...

When to Search on Google (or PubMed) vs. When to Use AI We once relied on Google for all our searches, but we now have AI. Let's discuss when to use each option. Friday’s Digest #142 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite For The Soul Life Update This week we went to an Asian food restaurant 🍜. The food was delicious, and so was the Asian beer I had 🍺. But it's not the food I want to discuss. I want to discuss the chopsticks 🥢. You know, those two wooden things you eat...

Could You Retire Today? (or: The Power of Mini-Retirements) Some people dream about retirement. Others retire early. But some enjoy the power of mini-retirements. Friday’s Digest #141 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update There was something I really liked while working at a hospital in the US. You must submit your vacation time for the ENTIRE year at the beginning of every year. This way, the department is not short-staffed, and you can plan for...

Gemini & NotebookLM: The Best (And Free!) AI Tools for Doctors & Scientists Wow! Gemini and NotebookLM are so powerful for doctors and scientists. Today, I’ll show you how to use them. Friday’s Digest #140 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update It's been a long time since I had a gadget itch. If you don't know what a "gadget itch" is, imagine this: your friend has a new iPad and you WANT one. You don't NEED it— you WANT it. 20 years ago, I used to get...

Meditation Takes Just 2 Minutes— So Why Aren't We Doing It? Skip meditation again? The science, the excuses, and one simple trick to make calm a daily habit. Friday’s Digest #139 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update Recently, I've become interested in AI again. Particularly in the "Deep Research" aspect. I wrote about it last week and will share more insights on this soon. As doctors and scientists, we're at a turning point in how we review...

How I Use AI as a Doctor and Scientist in 2025: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Deep Research Reliability has always been the main issue with AI. But so much has changed in the past year. Friday’s Digest #138 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update It's been over 6 months since I came back from the US 🇺🇸. Something shifts after reaching this milestone. The 6-month landmark. My fellowship and our 2-plus years in the US now feel like a distant memory. Yes, I...