Good morning. This is Postcall, we’re making physician-relevant news so fun it’ll give you 2nd-grade recess flashbacks.

And just like Recess, Postcall is even better if you share with your friends. Just forward this email. You can even get some free merch!

Let’s get into the good stuff:

• 🤖 Quickstart guide to using AI for the right things 🏃 

• Ozempic me, baby 💊 

• Show me the MONEY 💰️ 

• Quick bites 🍉

• 😆 Memes of the Day

Some of you have been asking… what is the greed vs. fear index? fear not. Postcall’s got your back. Basically, it’s just a simple measure of emotion in the markets, and those emotions can tell you whether it’s a good time to buy or sell.

Using AI 🤖 - a quick and dirty guide to your life’s scut work

AI. Celebrated by students as they “write” their term papers faster than ever before. Celebrated by lawyers who didn’t have time to do any research. Celebrated by doctors tired of taking their own notes.

“But Postcall, I don’t have time to figure out how all the tools work?!“

No problem. Here’s your quick and dirty guide to automating all your life scut work based on what you need to do (mostly free options).

🖋️ Write stuff

Bing or Claude 2

🖼️ Make images

Bing or Playground (free) but the best quality images are from Midjourney (paid)

💡 Come up with ideas

Bing or ChatGPT

🎥 Make videos

Runway

🏥 Take notes (during clinic)

Scribeberry or Autoscribe

📃 Work with documents and data

Code Interpreter (in the paid version of ChatGPT) or Claude 2

🧠 Learn stuff

Bing

A couple caveats:

• AI is a tool. It is not always the right tool. Especially because it hallucinates all the time.

• AI can be used to infringe on copyright. Some of the models linked above have been accused to collecting copyrighted works.

• Some manual tasks are a opportunity to learn the ropes (ie. taking minutes in a meeting). But by using AI to take over such tasks, you may deny yourself (or your juniors) the opportunity to develop the skills you deserve.

• The Postcaller’s approach? Take one task you do today that’s kinda annoying or tedious. Then pick one tool, and just try writing into it what you need. For example, I went to Bing and typed in “Come up with a easy to follow workout routine. I can go to the gym three times a week”. You can include any parameters or needs that fit your lifestyle.

Ozempic me 💊 

What happened: Is it just us or are ads for Ozempic everywhere? Ozempic is a drug for people with type two diabetes. But on social media, it’s hailed as a quick-fix, weight-loss drug. And while medical TikTok has a special place in our hearts, the Ozempic skinny legend trend is rubbing us the wrong way.

Here’s why: In Canada, pharmaceutical companies can run “reminder ads” that mention the drug’s name but conveniently omit conditions it treats (cue the infamous “ask your doctor about…”). Drug companies are undoubtedly capitalizing on the TikTok trend: by using the increased awareness of Ozempic (and off-label alternatives), they can quickly boost sales. As a result, off-label prescriptions are on the rise and physicians are being pressured to prescribe.

So, the next time one of your patients ask you for some of that Oh Oh Oh Ozempic, remember:

1. Ozempic shortages are already a thing

2. Side-effects are on the rise (think nausea, vomiting diarrhea, constipation)

3. If you hand out 7,500 prescriptions of Ozempic, your licence may be suspended. Don’t be this guy.

More details

Show me the MONEY 💰️ 

We called it last week, the Bank of Canada is back it again, sending interest rates 📈.

What happened: It’s an unexpected move, by raising its key interest rate to 5% (the highest level since April 2001), since they promised a "conditional pause" in rate hikes earlier in the year. They believed the previous rate increases would be enough to control economic activity and bring inflation under control, but “those expectations were not met”. 🤦 

Why it's interesting: The Bank of Canada's rate hikes reflect its struggle to manage both a strong economy and stubborn inflation. Despite the attempts to slow down demand with higher interest rates, consumers, employers, immigration-driven demand, and homebuyers have proven less sensitive to these increases than anticipated. This resilience has kept inflationary pressures alive, despite the decline in global oil prices. The bank faces the challenge of finding a balance between maintaining economic stability and mitigating risks to financial stability caused by rising interest rates. For example, bankruptcy rates are on the rise, and food banks are serving triple the number of people they used to 🧺.

Bottom line: While the BOC aims for a “soft landing”, I’m aiming for a short term fixed rate mortgage, parking money in high interest investment savings accounts, and paying off as much debt as possible.

🍔 Quick Bites

1: Experimental Alzheimer's drug donanemab (up for FDA approval) has shown modestly positive results in slowing the progression of the disease, but questions about patient selection and safety concerns remain.

2: You won’t believe how far into this ‘millennial homeowner’ piece it takes for us to mention their inheritance! (The Beaverton)

3: Sprinkle some metformin in that next booster 💉 . New research from the Lancet suggests that metformin might prevent long COVID (patients were 40% less likely to develop it).

4: Here’s an extremely close up, slow motion video of a majestic bald eagle snatching a fish from a river whirlpool 🦅 

5: Broke student hikes up Whistler 🏔️ to look for ski lost during the winter, and manages to find it (need to include the photo for this one, what a champ).

6: 🎾 20 year old Carlos Alcaraz ends Novok Djokovic’s 4-title streak at the Wimbledon Men’s Finals. (Highlights on YouTube)

7: With the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”, Tay-tay now has more No. 1 Albums than any woman in history. 👑 

Memes of the Day 😜 

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