Physician Assistant Boards Podcast: Exam Review | Medicine | Pance Preparation |

In this episode, we will talk about a microbe lurking in your water. It can cause intestinal problems such as diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloating. It’s found in contaminated water and undercooked or raw foods and is one of the most common waterborne illnesses in the United States. This microscopic parasite is giardia. Giardia can be diagnosed from a stool test or microscopic examination. And is treated with antibiotics, in most cases it will clear up within a few days. The best thing to do is to prevent giardia by not drinking untreated water, avoid swimming in lakes or streams that may be contaminated and wash your hands after using the restroom. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he discusses this common, yet sneaky microscopic parasite. January 15, 2024 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essent

Knees causing trouble again? This time, it is not gout, but an imposter known as pseudogout. Now what is pseudogout, you ask? Think of it as gout’s mischievous twin. Like gout, it triggers sudden knee pain and inflammation, but instead of uric acid crystals, it is calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals in your joints. The symptoms are similar to gout, swelling, redness and pain, often in the knees, ankles or wrists. To diagnose pseudogout, you’ll do some blood work to check for uric acid and X-rays and joint fluid analysis will help identify the culprit. Some treatments are rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he spreads awareness about this lesser-known joint troublemaker. January 8, 2024 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

Happy New Year! Have you or your patient ever experienced a pain in your toe so agonizing it feels like someone stabbed you in the joint? Then you might have what used to be known as, “the disease of kings,” also known as gout. We will dive into exploring gout, busting myths, exploring remedies and offering tips to keep those crystals calm. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he unravels the myths and misery of this royal pain. January 1, 2024 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —  

Happy holidays! Let’s take a deep dive into the world of water, that essential liquid we sometimes take for granted.  In this episode, we’ll be busting some myths about water’s most popular misconceptions.Is the pH in that alkaline water better for you? Is 8 cups of water enough to keep you hydrated throughout the day? Does dark urine mean you are dehydrated? Join Dr. Niket Sonpal on this refreshing journey as he dispels water myths. December 25, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

As the holidays approach, one of the classic holiday movies that will be playing is Home Alone. As you may know, Kevin, the pint-sized architect of chaos, unleashes some amazing booby traps on the Wet Bandits. Ever wonder how they could have survived after each trap? Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he peels back and examines the (not-so-realistic) physics that kept our favorite burglars breathing. December 18, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

With the holiday season in full swing, it also comes with more people getting sick and getting sinus infections. The specific sinus infection that we will discuss is rhinosinusitis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the sinuses and the nasal cavity. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including allergies, infections and structural abnormalities. We will go over the four different types of rhinosinusitis: acute, subacute, chronic and recurrent acute. Next, is the symptoms your patient will present with such as facial pain, nasal congestion and loss of smell. The different treatments that you can offer are over-the-counter medications, antibiotics and nasal corticosteroids. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he helps us understand and manage rhinosinusitis. December 11, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn m

In the latest podcast episode, we will discuss a common foot condition known as plantar fasciitis. It is the inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot. This tissue plays a crucial role in supporting the arch of the foot and absorbing shock while walking or running. Dr. Niket Sonpal will go over the symptoms, most common is heel pain and it is usually when taking the first couple of steps. Treatments for plantar fasciitis typically include rest, ice, pain relievers and physical therapy. Surgery may be recommended, but studies have shown that it might not actually help. We hope you have a great holiday week! Happy Thanksgiving! November 20, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —  

In this episode, we will go over some common bicep injuries, which sometimes can be masked as shoulder pain. The bicep is located in the front of the upper arm and is responsible for bending the elbow.  Bicep injuries can range from mild to severe, and can be caused by a variety of factors, including overuse, sudden trauma, and underlying medical conditions. Some symptoms of a bicep injury can vary depending on the severity of the injury. Such as pain in the bicep muscle, bruising and swelling, weakness of the muscle and/or difficulty flexing the elbow. Treatment options will vary from rest, ice, compression, over-the-counter medications and physical therapy. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal helps everyone with this very common injury. November 27, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

Do you know what can cause chest pain and difficulty swallowing? Both, distal esophageal spasm (DES) and hypercontractile esophagus (HE). DES causes spasms of the lower esophageal sphincter, while HE causes contractions of the esophagus that are stronger than normal, also known as jackhammer esophagus. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he discusses the symptoms of DES and HE such as chest pain, difficulty swallowing and regurgitation. Both conditions can be diagnosed by using an esophageal manometry, which measures the pressure in the esophagus. And the treatments vary depending on the patient and the severity of their symptoms. November 13, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In our latest podcast, we will discuss a common infection of the outer ear known as otitis externa or Swimmer’s Ear. It is caused by water getting trapped in the ear and creating a moist environment for bacteria and fungi. Some symptoms of swimmer’s ear are itching, discharge and hearing loss. The best ways to prevent swimmer’s ear, including drying your ears thoroughly and earplugs. Next, is the different treatments you can offer your patient depending on the severity of their infection. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he helps keep an ear to the ground on Swimmer’s Ear. November 6, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

Happy Halloween! In this episode, we will talk about some myths in medicine. First, we will talk about diverticulitis and we used to tell patients not to eat nuts and seeds. Next, we will talk about statins and myopathy. When we thought we should tell patients to take statins in general. The last myth will discuss STDs. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he enlightens us about some scary myths about medicine. 10/30/2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In this week’s podcast, we will discuss two common overuse injuries of the elbow, commonly known as tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Both are caused by repetitive use of the forearm muscles from a variety of activities, not just tennis or golf. Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is inflammation of the tendon on the outside of the elbow. Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is inflammation of the tendon on the inside of the elbow. Next we will go over the symptoms your patient will present with and the different types of treatments you can offer them. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he goes over these common, but painful elbow injuries. October 23, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In this week’s podcast, we will start our next series in dysphasia, specifically achalasia. Achalasia is a rare esophageal disorder that affects the nerves and muscles of the esophagus, in which the muscle does not relax properly. Making it difficult for food and liquid to pass into the stomach. We will discuss the symptoms your patient might present with such as dysphagia, regurgitation of undigested food, chest pain, and heartburn. Next, will be how achalasia will be diagnosed and the treatments that are available, depending on the type of achalasia. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he helps us swallow this difficult disorder our patients might encounter. October 16, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In this podcast episode, we will discuss Achilles tendinopathy, which is a common injury that affects runners, athletes and anyone who decides to start a new workout regimen and doesn’t wear the proper footwear. The Achilles tendon is a band of tissue that connects the calf muscle and the heel bone. Achilles tendinopathy is an overuse injury of this tendon. Some treatments include rest, ice, compression and elevation. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal helps walk us through this painful injury. October 9, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In this episode of the Liver Series, Dr. Niket Sonpal discusses drug-induced liver injury (DILI), a common and potentially serious side effect of many medications. DILI can occur in people of all ages, but is more common in older adults and people with pre-existing liver disease. DILI can be caused by a wide variety of medications, including over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, and herbal supplements. Some of the most common medications that cause DILI include Tylenol, NSAIDS such as Advil and Aleve. DILI is usually treated by stopping the medication that is causing the injury. But, in severe cases, the patient may need to be hospitalized. October 2, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and for good reason. It’s delicious, it gives you a boost of energy, and it’s been linked to a number of health benefits. There are also some myths and things added to coffee that will have you scratching your head. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he discusses that cup of Joe that we all enjoy. September 25, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

This week’s podcast, we will discuss eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Which is a chronic inflammatory condition of the esophagus and can be characterized by an accumulation of eosinophils, a white blood cell, in the esophageal lining. Join Dr. Niket Sonapl as he discusses the symptoms your patient might present with are difficulty swallowing, chest pain, heartburn and nausea. EoE is diagnosed through a combination of medical history, physical exam and endoscopy. The different treatments can be offered are dietary elimination and medications such as corticosteroids. September 18, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In this episode of our Liver Series, we will discuss a couple of liver diseases that may occur during pregnancy: intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP). Intrahepatic cholestasis is a liver condition that occurs late in pregnancy. It’s caused by a backup of bile acids in the liver. Acute fatty liver is a rare, but serious liver disease that occurs in the third trimester and is caused by a buildup of fat in the liver. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he goes over signs and symptoms of ICP and AFLP as well as the different treatments to help your patient out. He will also talk about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for these conditions. September 11, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

We all love the magic of movies and might wonder if that could actually happen in real life. Would a lightsaber to the upper chest instantly kill a person? Can Harry Potter’s scar really hurt like in the movies when “He-Who-Not-Be-Named” gets close? Can Magneto really pull iron out of the guard’s body?  Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he goes over some of our favorite movies/tv shows and the medicine fact or fiction. September 4, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —

In this episode of the Liver Series, will discuss acetaminophen toxicity. Which is a common over-the-counter- pain reliever and fever reducer. However, it can be toxic to the liver if taken in high doses or in combination with other medications that can damage the liver. Join Dr. Niket Sonpal as he discusses the symptoms of acetaminophen toxicity, which can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark urine. And we will go over treatment that will help your patient. August 28, 2023 — Do you work in primary care medicine? Primary Care Medicine Essentials is our brand new program specifically designed for primary care providers to increase their core medical knowledge & improve patient flow optimization. Learn more here: Primary Care Essentials —