he visit the doctor off and on

He visits the doctor off and on

He visits the doctor off and on .

A. everyday

B. regularly

C. never at all

D. occasionally

Answer: Option D

Solution(By Examveda Team)

This Question Belongs to Competitive English >> Idioms And Phrases

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Choose the meaning of the given phrase- ‘Off and on' a) Every day b) Regularly c) Never at all d) Occasionally

• Phrases and Idioms

16 Secrets Every Doctor's Receptionist Knows

The average wait time to see a physician in 15 major US cities is 18.5 days. Need a GP in Boston? That'll be 66 days (on average). If you're hunting for a dermatologist in Philadelphia, try 49 days.

Accessing doctors is just one of the maddening things about medical care, but the secret to navigating it all is right there in the waiting room with you: the receptionist. As the office gatekeepers, they know all the tricks...so we asked them to spill. Here, their top tips for getting prompt, quality health care—anywhere.

1. It  is  possible to get a same-day appointment.  If you need a day-of visit, call between 10 and 11 AM, because that's when most offices will know about afternoon cancellations. Angelica Ruiz, who works with New York dermatologist Dina Strachan, advises against leaving a message. "I've had people forget to leave a call-back number or I can't understand what they're saying, so always try to get ahold of somebody," she says. And if it's raining or snowing outside, chances are another patient didn't want to face the bad weather, leaving an open time slot for you to snatch up.

Adds Julie Ullman, a receptionist at the Scottsdale, AZ, office of obstetrician-gynecologist Gino Tutera, "If your last-minute request is due to an urgent matter, make that clear to the receptionist." And one rule reigns over all others: Be flexible. If the office can squeeze you in, take whatever time they can give you.

2. Trust the nurses.  What you think is a question only a doctor can answer may actually be something a nurse is qualified to handle. But rest assured, "if it's something more involved, the nurse will put the phone in the doctor's hands," says Lisa Ogletree, a receptionist at Stride Strong Physical Therapy in Portland, OR.

3. Schedule appointments for the early morning or right after lunch.  That's when docs are most likely to be on time, so you'll wait less. If these slots don't fit your schedule, make a Wednesday appointment. That's the slowest day in most offices.

4. Give a deadline.  If you can't avoid busy office times, tell the receptionist when you call that you need to leave by a certain time. "I'll know not to book you next to a procedure or an annual visit, which takes longer," says Ogletree.

5. Save your annual checkup for late spring or summer. From May through August, most people are relatively healthy and on vacation, so doctors' offices of all kinds are quieter. September is good, too, because it's back-to-school time.

6. Stay away in December. Cold and flu season makes winter the busiest time, with December being especially nuts. "People want to use up their insurance benefits or flexible spending accounts before year's end," explains Robin Omeltschenko, director of operations at Cincinnati's Total Dentistry.

7. Call to check on things. If you have a late-day appointment, call the office an hour ahead of time to see if the doctor is on schedule. If not, ask when to show up.

MORE:   The Doctor Who Saved This Man's Life Never Even Met Him. Welcome To The Brave New World Of Virtual Medicine.

8. Request any paperwork ahead of time. If you're a new patient and you can't arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your appointment, ask the office to send the required forms beforehand. (Some offices also make them available online or via e-mail.)

9. Double-check everything.  To avoid screwups that'll cause delays or force a return trip, check with the office the day before your appointment to be sure all necessary lab and test results are in. Call your insurance provider to double-check coverage and co-pay. And, of course, don't forget your insurance card and ID.

10. You can avoid the office entirely by asking the  receptionist this: Is the doctor open to receiving e-mails and text messages? Does the doctor set aside any time for non-emergency phone conversations with patients? If so, you're in!

11. Book your own appointment.  ZocDoc.com  could make receptionists obsolete. Search the free online database by city and specialty to find ratings and availability. Refine your search by doctor gender, reason for visit, and accepted insurance. Then book with just a few clicks. Couldn't be easier—but there's also no way to sweet-talk the computer.

MORE: 11 Things Only Someone With Endometriosis Understands

12. Choose your day wisely.  Avoid appointments on Mondays and Fridays; they're the busiest days in most offices. 

13. Don't come with a long list of ailments.  Some receptionists refer to a patient's complaints as a "bucket list of all the things they've been saving up to ask the doctor," says Rachel Wilcox, a receptionist for Randolph Schnitman, MD, in Beverly Hills, CA. Patients may wait to see the doctor because one small ailment doesn't seem that important or they don't want to pay for a visit. In reality, arriving with too many things to discuss will detract from your appointment. "If you have 10 different items, the doctor won't have enough time to focus on each one," says Wilcox. Try to limit each visit to two issues.

14. Don't be late.  Tardy or unprepared patients are the main reasons doctors fall behind. "Showing up on time is hugely important because you're able to get your full consultation without being rushed," says Rachel Mazza, a receptionist for Matthew Schulman, a plastic surgeon in New York. That said, receptionists understand that stuff happens—and they say the best thing you can do is get in touch. "Whether you're canceling or running late, a phone call helps a lot so we can reshuffle in advance," Ruiz says. If you absolutely can't avoid being late, know that a patient who arrives after you for a later appointment—but is on time—will likely be seen first.

MORE: Could A Cow Virus Be Causing Human Breast Cancer?

15. Check your attitude at the door.  If there's one thing many patients lack, it's, well, patience. Receptionists know you're busy and don't want to wait, but they'd appreciate you keeping the complaints to yourself. "We try our best to give service with a smile, and when patients are rude it makes our jobs harder," says Ruiz. As Wilcox puts it: "I don't mind if patients are late, but it really bothers me when they get pushy and want to be seen right away." 

16. Ditch the doctor if he's chronically late. Chances are good you'll always have to wait a few minutes before the doctor is ready to see you. But if it happens every single time you visit, you may want to look elsewhere. "If you get in early and you're still waiting 30 minutes or an hour to be seen, then I'd start asking some questions," Wilcox says.

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Deciding When to See a Doctor

Last Updated January 2024 | This article was created by familydoctor.org editorial staff and reviewed by Robert "Chuck" Rich, Jr., MD, FAAFP

Should I go to the doctor? Most of us have asked that question at one time or another. Whether it’s a bad cold, a funny-looking mole, or a nagging pain that just won’t go away, it can be hard to know when you should see your doctor. There are no set rules that tell you when to go or when to wait. But some general guidelines might help you the next time you’re trying to decide.

Path to improved health

Below are some common illnesses and problems we may deal with from time to time. Many of them can be managed at home. But sometimes they can progress or change, and then it’s best if they are addressed by a doctor. If you aren’t sure what to do, call your doctor. They — or a nurse in their office — can tell you if you should make an appointment.

Common cold or flu

Many symptoms can be managed with plenty of rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medicine. But if you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor:

• Painful swallowing (more than a sore or dry throat)
• A cough that lasts more than 2 or 3 weeks
• Persistent or severe vomiting
• A fever that doesn’t go down or go away
• Symptoms that last more than 10 days or get worse instead of better

Occasional diarrhea isn’t uncommon. It’s usually harmless and doesn’t mean something is wrong. But there are signs to look for that could indicate a problem. These include:

• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days
• Black, tarry stools
• Blood in your stool
• Severe abdominal pain
• Signs of dehydration (very dry mouth or skin, fatigue, decreased urination, confusion, or irritability)

We all get headaches occasionally. They usually go away with rest or over-the-counter medicine. But headache can also be a sign of a serious condition, such as stroke or meningitis. If you have a high fever, stiff neck, confusion, or trouble speaking or walking along with a headache, go to the emergency room. You should see your doctor if you have headaches that:

• Are different than normal (more often or more severe).
• Get worse or don’t get better after taking over-the-counter medicine.
• Keep you from working, sleeping, or participating in activities.

Digestive issues

Digestive issues can include problems in the upper digestive tract (esophagus and stomach) and the lower tract (intestines). If you experience any of the following, call your doctor:

• Feeling like food is caught in your throat or chest.
• Heartburn that doesn’t go away, gets worse, or doesn’t get better with medicine.
• Difficult or painful swallowing.
• Hoarseness or sore throat that doesn’t go away.
• Nausea that won’t go away.
• Vomiting blood or bile (green).
• Severe or persistent abdominal pain.
• Constipation or diarrhea that won’t go away.
• Stools that are black or bloody.

Most back pain will go away in a few weeks without treatment. It often gets better by using over-the-counter medicine. You can also apply heat or cold to the area that hurts. But sometimes it’s a sign of a problem. Call your doctor if you experience:

• Constant pain
• Pain that spreads down one or both legs, especially if it goes past your knee
• Pain with weakness, numbness, or tingling in one or both legs
• Pain plus unexplained weight loss
• Pain with swelling or redness on your back
• Pain with a fever

Head injury

Getting a bump on the head could be minor. But it also could cause a concussion. Look for these signs of concussion and call your doctor if you have any of them after hitting your head:

• Dizziness and balance problems
• Nausea and vomiting
• Concentration and memory problems
• Feeling sluggish or foggy
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Sleep problems
• Mood changes

Menstrual problems

A woman’s monthly period can have a big impact on her life, especially if there are problems. Call your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:

• Your period suddenly becomes irregular.
• You don’t have a period for 3 months or more.
• You have bleeding between periods.
• You have a period that lasts much longer than usual or is much heavier than usual.
• You have severe or disabling cramps.

Mental health issues

Mental health is an important part of our overall health and should never be ignored. Having issues with mental health is common and treatable. Call your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these signs of trouble with your mental health:

• Feelings of depression or sadness that don’t go away
• Feeling extreme highs and lows
• Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety
• Withdrawing from social interactions
• Changes in eating or sleeping
• Inability to cope with daily problems
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Substance abuse
• Thoughts of hurting yourself or others

Other symptoms

Some symptoms are hard to categorize, but it’s still important to know if they occur. The following could be signs of a problem that may need be addressed by your doctor:

• Dizziness or feeling like you are going to faint
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular heartbeats or rapid heartbeats
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue that won’t go away
• Severe sweating, especially cold sweats
• Swelling in the ankles or legs
• Rash along with a fever (100.4 C or higher)
• A new or changing mole or other skin change that concerns you

Things to consider

Most people don’t go to the doctor unless they’re sick or have a problem. But you should start by seeing your doctor when you’re well. By seeing your doctor routinely, you can stay on top of your health. They can provide preventive health screenings and monitor your health over time. This allows them to catch diseases early and help you manage them before they progress into more serious conditions.

How often you routinely see your doctor depends on your health. Many doctors recommend you come in once a year for a check-up. But if you have problems or a chronic condition, such as heart disease or diabetes, you will likely be seen more often.

When deciding whether to call the doctor when you’re experiencing symptoms, you should also consider the state of your health and any risk factors you may have. For example, if you have asthma and you get a respiratory infection, you may need to see your doctor sooner than someone who doesn’t have asthma. In addition, if you’re having new symptoms after having a procedure, surgery, immunization, injection, or starting a new medicine, you should call your doctor.

Questions to ask your doctor

• I have a chronic condition. How often should I be seen?
• What risk factors do I have that could determine whether or not I need to be seen?
• Are there any specific symptoms I need to watch out for?

Last Updated: January 31, 2024

This article was contributed by familydoctor.org editorial staff.

Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

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How Often Should You See the Doctor? 6 Important Considerations

There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but asking yourself these questions can help you decide. 

Some people go to the doctor multiple times a year, even when they are healthy and feeling well. But more often, people forgo seeing a doctor until they get really sick, finds Dr. Jennifer Caudle, a family physician and assistant professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey. "That's a problem," she says, in part because it means the appointment will be focused on treating your illness, rather than on offering preventive care like screenings and vaccines .

In reality, how frequently you should see the doctor depends on your unique circumstances, health history and more. Here are six things to consider when trying to figure out what's best for you: 

1. When was the last time you went to a doctor?

If you can't remember the last time, it's probably been too long. If you were going annually for a while and got a clean bill of health each time, you still should check in with your provider before deciding to dial back your visits. "Even if you're perfectly healthy and you're getting your preventive screenings, if you're not seen for a while, it doesn't open up the opportunity for conversations about your general well-being," Caudle says. For example, it's helpful for doctors to talk to you about your stress levels , work and family life, sleep quality and diet and exercise habits since all play important roles in your overall health.

2. Has anything changed since the last time you went to a doctor?

Maybe you've always gotten a clean bill of health and don't really want to miss work to go to the doctor this year. But there is that one symptom that's been bothering you. That pain in your stomach you've been trying to ignore for months. Or the mole that's larger than when you first noticed it. If there's something that's been bugging you and just doesn't seem to be getting better, or if your life circumstances have changed – say, you're dating someone new and should get tested for STDs – see your doctor. This is not the time to skip that pre-planned visit.

[See: 10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore .]

3. When was the last time the doctor told you to follow up?

Was it six months? Or was it two years? If you're not sure, you can always call the doctor’s office and ask. But there are constantly updated variations on schedules for routine tests and vaccines based on the results of your last test and other factors, like whether or not you're a smoker and how old you are. 

Are You Seeing the Doctor Too Often?

Michael O. Schroeder Nov. 3, 2016

For example, starting at age 21, it's recommended that women start getting Pap smears, or cervical cancer screening tests, every three years. But based on your age and the results of your previous tests, your doctor may need to see you back sooner than a year or let you go more than three years without it.  "[Doctors] are thinking about the latest up-to-date screenings to keep you healthy, and they change all the time," Caudle says.

[See: 16 Health Screenings All Women Need .]

4. Was there something you wanted to follow up on with the doctor? 

If your blood pressure was borderline high at the last visit, your doctor may have recommended ways to change your lifestyle to try and bring it back down to normal. Or maybe it was determined that you have prediabetes at your last visit, or that you're overweight and you were going to try and lose a few pounds . If that's the case, it's good to follow up, even if you haven't met your goals for lifestyle change. Maybe the first set of recommendations didn't work for you, or maybe there are other professionals, like nutritionists, you would benefit from seeing. Your doctor can help you navigate these options in the name of improving your health.

5. Has something in your family medical history changed?

Knowing your family history is important; it can impact your risk of certain diseases and the suggested screening tests you undergo. For example, if a parent or other first-degree relative was diagnosed with colon cancer , it may change when you should start being screened for the disease. 

6. Do you have a chronic condition?

Whether you have a mild case of exercise-induced asthma or heart disease and diabetes , "if you have chronic medical conditions that require medicine, you need to be seen more than once a year," Caudle says. Exactly how often you go, she adds, depends on whether your condition is controlled.

[See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients .]

The timing of how often you need to see a doctor can vary. The final question during every doctor’s visit should be when to come back. It's important to make a schedule, but not to forget to pay attention to other changes in your body, family history, life circumstances and environment that may change when you should go back. And if you're avoiding doctor's visits because you're not so fond of your doctor, "don't settle," Caudle advises. "If patients aren't comfortable with their doctor, it sometimes impedes the ability for us to get information that [allows us] to help patients to the fullest."

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Six Things Patients Do That Frustrate Their Doctors

Things patients do that drive their doctors crazy, and how to break the cycle.

June 22, 2009— -- With all the Internet doctor rating sites, health insurance ratings and online board certification databases to check, many people today have a low tolerance for bad doctors .

But after your smiling physicians say goodbye and shut the office-room doors, there's a good chance that they wish they could rate you.

A frequently cited 1999 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that doctors find up to 15 percent of patient visits "difficult."

In a more recent article in the same journal, published in February of this year, 449 internists and family practitioners surveyed said major difficulties arose when patients appeared to be dissatisfied with their care or when patients had unrealistic expectations.

But, beyond personality differences, many doctors run into patients with bad habits, which makes diagnosing and treating them seem maddening.

The following is a formal and informal collection of the top doctor-irking habits by patients.

Frustration No. 1: Meddling Families in the Room

The first time a young person goes into the check-up room alone can be a rite of passage, of sorts. But a small percentage of adults never take that step.

About 16 percent of all patients bring a companion -- a spouse, adult child, parent or friend -- to their doctor's appointments, according to a 2002 study in The Journal of Family Practice.

While many find that the comfort and support helps them through their appointment, the crowd can sometimes interfere with a doctor's work or a patient's well-being.

"You get a husband and wife in a room and one is overweight and one of them is not, and the other starts saying, 'See, I told you so,' if you talk about weight," said Dr. Keith Ayoob, a nutrition and obesity specialist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

Such distractions may impede the doctor's ability to communicate, or the patient's ability to discuss his or her symptoms.

Dr. Sharon Hull and Dr. Karen Broquet offered this advice regarding companions in the doctor's office in the June 2007 edition of Family Practice Management.

"When patients have companions in the exam room, be sure to speak directly to the patient, avoid taking sides in any conflict, and evaluate all parties' understanding of the information and the management plan," they wrote.

Hull and Broquet also suggested steps to discern whether the patient actually wants the companion present or is feeling manipulated into bringing the person.

"Often, if they don't tell you what supplements they're taking, it's not until the point that they have a potentially serious reaction that you know they're taking one that might interfere with their other drugs," said Dr. John Sutherland, director emeritus of the Northeast Iowa Medical Education Foundation in Waterloo.

One example Sutherland cited is St. John's Wort, an herbal supplement available over the counter for mood improvement. He said that the supplement has the potential to interact with certain antidepressants, drugs that the patients may be likely to be on.

"We try to do a good job when these patients come in for visits ... to try and find out what OTC medicines they are taking, as well as medications that they may have received from another physician," he said. "But they aren't always forthcoming about this."

The consequences can be both frustrating to doctors and dangerous for patients. Sutherland said that most patients who take these herbal supplements do so on the recommendations of friends or family, and they do not necessarily tell their physicians when they start doing so.

"Fortunately, most of these things that people take have limited evidence of value, and so most of the time they don't hurt them either," Sutherland said.

But, he added, the guesswork involved when patients don't come clean about the herbal OTCs they are taking often makes for a major headache.

"These kinds of things, to me, are far more problematic and frustrating than people who don't adhere to lifestyle recommendations," he said.

Sutherland cited two examples this week of patients on medication for high blood pressure who decided to tamper with the doses at home, with no notice to their doctors.

"One had diabetes and hypertension, and she had cut her medications in half," Sutherland said. "Consequently, her blood pressure had gone way above the goal for diabetes. She did not have many complications from [the medication], but she, on her own, decided that it would be good for her to cut back on that.

"Another patient had stopped a diuretic she used with a blood-pressure medication, just because she didn't like the side effect of more urination during the day," he said. "When she came in, her blood pressure was over 200."

Sutherland said most patients do inform him when they have unwanted side effects or problems with medication, but it also isn't unusual for people to not let on until months later.

Patients who stop their medications can cause headaches for more people than just their doctors.

People who stop taking prescribed antibiotics before they have finished the course may only kill the weak microorganisms, leaving the strong to develop resistance and perhaps infect others, according to an advisory of the Tennessee Department of Health. Bacteria tend to live up to the old saying, whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

Mood-altering medication can also be dangerous to quit without a doctor's consultation. Benzodiazepines -- the class of drug that encompasses some sleep aids and anxiety medications like Xanax -- have recently come with a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA warns that quitting abruptly can result in more than 40 withdrawal side effects, including headache, anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, confusion, dizziness, "derealization" and short-term memory loss.

Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and arthritis -- especially in the knees, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Yet losing just 10 percent of a person's body weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases.

"The most frustrating thing for me is patients whose lifestyle is making them miserable but they won't change it," Green said.

Green said many problems, such as sleep apnea and chronic tiredness, can be attributed to eating too much and moving too little. In that case, the treatment isn't disease, but "lack of health."

"[It's] people whose knees are killing them, because they're 80 pounds overweight, and they're dead set on the idea that the fix is a drug, or an injection, or surgery," he said.

"I'm in good shape, pretty fit, and my knees hurt after a day of hiking with a 50-pound pack. These folks are carrying more weight than that, lugging it 24/7, and they weren't fit to start with," he said. "Why do they hurt? Hmm, not a major medical mystery ..."

"For me, what is most frustrating is when patients view doctors as simply a source of a signature for something they want, without really wanting the physician's guidance or opinion," said Dr. Thomas Schwenk, chairman of family medicine at the University of Michigan.

Schwenk is not alone. In the February issue of Archives of Internal Medicine survey of doctors' difficult patients, the most frequently cited complaint was patients who insisted on getting an unnecessary drug.

However, that doesn't mean Schwenk is against any research or questions in the office.

"I don't mind when patients do their own research on the Internet; I actually value it, as long as their purpose is to be informed so they can engage in complex discussions and decision-making," Schwenk said.

Many patients who demand a specific test might have had bad experiences with a doctor in the past, or may be going through life stressors. There's a host of other reasons as well, including psychological problems such as borderline personality disorder, according to Hull and Broquet, writing in the journal of Family Practice Management.

Yet while much ink is spilled on how to deal with the difficult patient, most doctors understand it's not about them.

"Who cares? The patient is the center of care, not the physician," said Dr. Scott Fields, vice chairman of family medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

"This is part of what is wrong with how we provide care," he said. "We need to be much more worried about why the patient does what he/she does and much less about how it affects us."

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The Coronavirus Crisis

5 medical appointments you should stop putting off.

Kristen Kendrick

As the medical community unearths troubling consequences for people who put off routine or emergency health care during the coronavirus pandemic, an urgent message is going out to patients: There are some medical appointments you just shouldn't put off any longer, even if you're nervous about venturing into a clinic or emergency room.

In the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was one of many primary care doctors making tough decisions about who needed to be seen in person and who could wait a few weeks. But as weeks have turned into nearly a year, our calculus has changed.

"There was a time, early in the pandemic, when we didn't know much about this virus. So at that time, I think hospitals and clinics closing — that made sense," Dr. Ned Sharpless , director of the National Cancer Institute, tells NPR. "But that time is over. We can have patients come in and get these tests and see their doctors in person in a way that is both safe for the caregiver and safe for the patient, and the risk of transmission is low."

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About 1 in 5 households in u.s. cities miss needed medical care during pandemic.

Emerging evidence tells us that the health threats from postponing some tests and exams — including those for cancer and heart disease, but other crucial appointments too — outweigh the risk of running into the coronavirus at a doctor's visit, even if the virus is prevalent in your community.

"A woman is more likely to die from an advanced-stage breast cancer than she is from COVID-19," says Dr. Therese Bevers , medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Bevers says she worries that even with low COVID-19 transmission rates in health care facilities and encouragement to keep up with certain screenings and follow-up appointments, many people are still putting off those doctor visits — and suffering more as a result.

I checked in with leading physicians and put together this list of five key types of in-person medical appointments you should be sure not to skip right now.

Cancer screenings

When it comes to finding — and fighting — cancer, timing can make the difference between life and death. Routine screenings for breast cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer and other malignancies are coming due for many people now that we've gone nearly a year since the pandemic's start. Procrastinators and those with health insurance disruptions may have gone even longer than a year. For some people, such as those who have a personal or family history of cancer, the need to catch up is pressing.

"People delaying their cancer screenings are being diagnosed at later, more advanced stages when treatments aren't as successful as they are in earlier stages," Bevers says.

She cites research published last summer from the National Cancer Institute that predicts more than 10,000 additional deaths from breast and colorectal cancer due to poor screening rates during the pandemic. The study forecasts a spike in deaths from those additional cancers within the next two years.

"We're particularly concerned," Sharpless says, "about people who are having, but not getting evaluated for, symptoms [of cancer] like a new breast lump or trouble swallowing, and other things like that may not be particularly worrisome to patients initially" but can signal serious illness — including cancer. So call your doctor and make an appointment to get symptoms like those checked out.

Prompt checkups for new red-flag symptoms

Maybe even riskier than skipping screening tests is ignoring new persistent symptoms of any kind — waiting until the end of the pandemic to have those symptoms checked out can give potentially dangerous conditions time to smolder and flare.

Red-flag symptoms that could signal heart disease are especially crucial to get on top of: Even in a year with more than 500,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, heart disease is still one of the leading causes of death in the nation, typically responsible for about 655,000 fatalities annually.

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Calling 911 and getting treatment in the ER should still be the response to sudden emergency symptoms like crushing chest pain and trouble breathing. But don't push aside a call and visit to the doctor if you have subtler symptoms such as occasional chest discomfort or shortness of breath that comes and goes or that stops if you sit down and rest.

Any new symptom that's happening often or is affecting your daily life calls for examination by a health care provider — and it can't wait.

Follow-ups for chronic disease

If you're already taking medicines for a health condition, now's not the time to avoid seeing the person who prescribed them to you. Reach out to that doctor or other health care provider now — chances are you'll need an office visit if you haven't had one since the pandemic started, and it may be unsafe for you to keep postponing that appointment.

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That's especially true for diagnoses such as heart failure, chronic lung and kidney diseases or diabetes — illnesses that can have serious complications if they're not managed closely. It's worth noting that 43% of patients with diabetes surveyed by the American Diabetes Association in December said they've delayed seeking routine medical care during the pandemic, often because of the fear of COVID-19.

And while some routine care gaps can be filled with virtual visits to help you manage conditions from home, there are important things that can't be done online or by telephone — vaccinations, lab tests, wound care and other important maintenance exams, for example, that are vital for patients who have a chronic illness.

"This is no longer a couple of months' delay here, and it is too long a time to go without the right care," says Dr. Robert Gabbay , an endocrinologist and the chief science and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association. He warns of the long-term problems that can outrun treatment if caught too late.

"The complications of diabetes — eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage — is really all about diagnosing people early to then intervene to ensure that things don't get worse," Gabbay tells NPR. "So people could be having very active disease, not knowing, and this is a real concern."

Many chronic diseases put patients at greater risk of dying from COVID-19 too. That's particularly true if the condition isn't under control.

Mental health management

Just as the pandemic has put extra stress on those suffering from physical ailments, it has taken a toll on people with mental health problems. Though many health care providers have expanded virtual options for getting mental health and substance abuse treatment in the U.S., we're still seeing high rates of drug overdose and emergency room visits for mental health crises.

Don't let the pandemic lead you to postpone psychiatric appointments, including those that require in-person interactions. Regular visits for long-acting psychiatric drug injections, for example, or for drug screening tests and medicine pickups for patients in medication-assisted treatment programs need to continue uninterrupted. And blood tests for medicine titrations should also be kept up to date.

Of special note: Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts may need prompt attention from a health care professional . If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or if you don't feel confident about helping someone through a crisis period, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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"We've been dealing with COVID-19 for a while, and people are starting to suffer some consequences of it — adopting less healthy behaviors, engaging in risky [substance use] or feeling depressed, anxious or stressed," says Dr. Alex Krist , a family physician and chairperson of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force . Such symptoms "have had more time to compound and get worse for people delaying care," Krist says.

It's not just people with prior mental health diagnoses who need care right now, says Krist. Given the ongoing stresses of the pandemic, many people have experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression for the first time this past year. And new diagnoses of mental illness can often fall through the cracks when patients skip primary care appointments, so be aware of common symptoms .

If you or a loved one has experienced psychiatric or substance use problems for the first time during the pandemic, the best time to get help is now. You and your health care provider may decide the problem can be safely treated via telehealth appointments, but inpatient treatment programs and behavioral health hospitals are still open during the pandemic — and in certain cases that's the best option.

Whether your mental health symptoms are new or long-standing, talk over your concerns with a professional, Krist advises. Do that early and often, and make plans for how you'll follow up with the professional to help avoid a crisis in the future.

Sexual health maintenance

The most recent data about sexually transmitted diseases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that, even in the pre-pandemic era, an estimated 1 in 5 Americans had an STD on any given day. We don't know exactly how the pandemic has affected that number, but we do know that sexually transmitted infections are continuing to spread.

Some STDs are curable, and most are at least treatable. Without treatment, several types can cause severe, life-threatening illness or even affect fertility down the road, so getting prompt treatment is crucial.

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Unfortunately, pandemic fears and restrictions have made it more difficult for patients to get tested and treated for STDs. A shortage in routine testing supplies and a drop in the number of available clinic visits for testing are partly to blame.

It's as important as ever to talk to a health care provider about how to manage your sexual health. The provider may decide it's safe to wait on STD testing, based on your individual health history. On the other hand, they may recommend an appointment to come in for testing — and that's a test you don't want to miss.

If you've got new genital or urinary symptoms or think you've been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection, holding out for the pandemic's end is not an option. That's also the case for patients who are taking medicines to treat or prevent HIV — preventive medications called preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — so regular visits for the required lab tests that ensure the treatment's safety should be prioritized.

The same rules apply for some birth control methods. Long-acting birth control devices, such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and other implants, have expiration dates. If you're using one of these methods, do check with your health provider to see if you're close to that date — and don't delay an appointment if the device needs to be replaced.

Don't let fear ruin your health

We're in the fight of our lives against the spread of COVID-19, but other health risks haven't gone away. If anything, they've gripped us even tighter during our distraction. That means now is the time to, at a minimum, check in with your health care provider about any appointments you might need.

Be honest with your provider about your symptoms and fears. It's perfectly acceptable to ask how they're keeping patients safe from the coronavirus in their facilities or mention that you're still really scared to come in. Either way, don't let another day pass without letting a professional help you decide which symptoms can or shouldn't wait to be evaluated: That conversation could save your life.

"People need to do what they feel safe doing, but they can be interacting with and getting help from their doctor in safe ways right now," Krist says. "To think about just putting your health on hold — that's a mistake."

Dr. Kristen Kendrick is a board-certified family physician in Washington, D.C., and a health and media fellow at NPR and Georgetown University School of Medicine.

• Heart Disease & Stroke
• cancer screening
• preventive medicine
• primary care
• annual checkup

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He visits the doctor off and on .

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In the following question, four alternatives are given for the idiom/phrase in bold and italics in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of idiom/phrase.

He visits the doctor off and on .

never at all

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Correct answer is D

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Doctor Who Empire of Death ending explained: Sutekh, Mrs. Flood, and the answer to the question everyone was asking

Dust to dust

Doctor Who season 1 has come to an end, with ‘Empire of Death’ and Sutekh making good on its promise of a significant kill count.

The finale also answered some of the big, burning questions fans have had all year, as well as posing a few new ones in its final moments. All told, there was a lot to unpick and unravel as Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor raced to save all of time and space.

Below, you’ll find our guide to the Empire of Death ending, including a recap of what just went down, as well as zeroing in on the big story beats and talking points before the TARDIS flies off once more.

But, first, a warning: MAJOR Doctor Who spoilers follow. This is your final chance to click away.

Empire of Death ending explained: What happened in the Doctor Who season 1 finale?

Empire of Death begins with Sutekh winning and the Doctor losing. No fakeout here: the god’s Dust of Death spreads across the Earth, killing everyone – including the likes of Kate, Carla, and those at UNIT.

The Doctor, Ruby, and Mel manage to escape, but not before confronting Sutekh. The Doctor realizes the God of Death won’t kill him. Why? Because he needs to know the secret of Ruby’s mother.

As he makes his escape in the Remembered TARDIS (a TARDIS made up of bits and pieces from its history, as previously seen in the Tales of the TARDIS spin-off) the Doctor also discovers something altogether more sinister: Sutekh has latched on to his TARDIS and rolled out versions of Susan Triad on every planet he has ever visited. 

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So not only is everyone on Earth dead, but also the people and creatures on every world he has visited – including Skaro, the home of the Daleks.

The Doctor eventually heads to a nameless planet that is in the dying clutches of the Dust. While there, he meets a woman who hands him a spoon. That piece of metal fires the Time Window back up. Ruby holding the pad presents a new clue: it shows Roger ap Gwilliam, the Prime Minister from 73 Yards, in 2046. That gives the Doctor a brainwave: DNA testing was made compulsory in the not-so-far future, which will finally answer the question everyone has been asking, including Sutekh: who is Ruby’s mother?

Ruby tempts Sutekh with the name of her mother, but smashes the data pad and restrains him.

The Doctor uses a whistle to control his own TARDIS, firing a laser that destroys Sutekh's herald, Harriet Arbinger. He then ties Sutekh to the console and drags him into the time vortex.

That action brings ‘death to death’, reversing the effects of the dust and bringing everyone, everywhere back to life all at once.

The Doctor then says ‘Sutekh wins’ by causing him to betray his own principals and become death. The only way to ensure that Sutekh never returns is by shutting the doors of the TARDIS, severing the connection and leaving Sutekh to burn up in the vortex.

Then, we get some answers. Ruby’s mother is… no one special. Ruby’s mother is a woman named Louise Miller, 35, played by Faye McKeever. Her father is a man named William Garnett, who we don't meet here. Louise was only 15 when she had baby Ruby and she left her at the church on Ruby Road because, it's implied, she came from an abusive home.

So, as it turns out, Ruby’s mother was simply ‘ordinary.’ As the Doctor explains, she was important because – like throughout history, religion, and major events – we often attribute importance to simple figures, creating a myth more ‘powerful’ than any god.

It is also revealed Ruby’s mother was pointing at the name of the road, because that’s what she wanted to name her baby daughter.

Ruby later visits and befriends her mother in a coffee shop, and brings her back to see Carla. They also discover that her father is still around, and intends to visit him soon.

Ruby leaves the Doctor, but they promise to see each other again. Ruby says she loves the Doctor.

In one final tease, Mrs. Flood is shown on the roof where she breaks the fourth wall once more, turning to the camera and warning us that the Doctor’s story “ends in absolute terror.”

Who dies in ‘Empire of Death’?

At first? Everyone – except Sutekh, Harriet, the Doctor, Ruby, and Mel. Sutekh’s Dust of Death wipes out all life across all of time and space.

However, they are eventually brought back to life after Sutekh is dragged through the time vortex and ‘brings death to death.’ That reverses the effects of the dust, meaning only Sutekh (and, earlier, Harriet) are the main permanent casualties in ‘Empire of Death’.

How was Sutekh defeated?

Never underestimate the Doctor’s ability to bring down gods with little more than a few ordinary items. In this case, a whistle, a bungee-like cord, and the Doctor's intelligent glove - first seen in the Christmas special. 

After following the Doctor to 2046 in search of the identity of Ruby’s mother (he must have been reading Reddit theories all week like the rest of us), he appears to be on the verge of discovering the one secret that has been troubling him in a universe that’s fallen silent.

Ruby, though, has other plans. As she approaches Sutekh with the data pad containing the answer, she smashes it and restrains Sutekh. The Doctor then takes the cord and ties him to the TARDIS’ console, dragging him into the time vortex. It’s there where he disintegrates and seemingly dies.

Who is Ruby’s mother?

No, it wasn’t River Song or anyone else theorized by the gaggle of speculation-mad Whovians online. Ruby’s mother is Louise Miller, an ordinary human who gave Ruby up after a teenage pregnancy. No special abilities, no godlike powers, nothing. But, as the Doctor explains, everyone – including the audience, a potential bit of meta commentary from showrunner Russell T Davies – gave her more importance because that’s what we’ve always done through history to people.

Where does Ruby’s name come from?

Ruby was the name her mother gave her. In fact, that’s the meaning behind her cryptic pointing: she was pointing at the name of the street – Ruby Road.

Who is Mrs. Flood?

Right now, Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) remains an enigma. We can confidently predict she will be a villain in the years to come, though, given her words during Empire of Death.

She proclaims The Doctor’s story “ends in absolute terror” but for the moment we have no idea what that looks like.

Mrs. Flood also said earlier in the episode: “Tell your maker I will come to storm down the gates of gold and seize his kingdom in my true name.” 

Her ‘true name’, then, remains a mystery. Expect her to crop up again and reveal herself in Doctor Who season 2. Speaking of which…

What next for The Doctor and Doctor Who?

Yes, as the credits message reads: ‘Doctor Who will return’ – in case there was ever any doubt. In actuality, the second season of Doctor Who, once again starring Ncuti Gatwa, has already finished filming.

Before then, a Christmas special – penned by Steven Moffat and starring Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan – will air over the holiday season.

In terms of the Doctor himself, it appears he will be riding solo for a little while. Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday will return as a companion in Doctor Who season 2, however, alongside Varada Sethu, who previously appeared in this year’s ‘Boom’ as the curiously named Mundy Flynn.

Doctor Who has now wrapped up on Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer. For more, check out the latest on 2024's new TV shows .

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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Trump confuses the name of his doctor when bragging about taking a cognitive test

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday confused the name of his former White House physician just moments after he said President Joe Biden should take a cognitive test.

The mix-up happened as Trump bragged that he had "aced" a cognitive test. Trump also criticized Biden, saying, "I think he should take a cognitive test like I did."

"I took a cognitive test, and I aced it. Doc Ronny — Doc Ronny Johnson," Trump said, confusing the name of his White House physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, now a member of the House. "Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? He was the White House doctor.”

Trump continued, bragging about having gotten "every question right" on the cognitive test Jackson administered, apparently unaware that he had fumbled his name.

Jackson administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to Trump in 2018.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday evening.

Trump has mixed up the names of prominent officials and politicians before. In January, he confused GOP presidential rival Nikki Haley with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., when he was talking about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump has referred to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as the leader of Turkey, and he has switched Biden's name with that of former President Barack Obama, which Trump defended, saying he did it "sarcastically."

Trump, who turned 78 years old Friday, frequently tried to paint Biden, 81, as mentally incompetent.

The Biden campaign hit back Saturday, posting a clip of Trump's mix-up on X . The post got more than 18,000 likes.

In a statement to NBC News, Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer pointed to a CNBC report in which CEOs who met with Trump said that the former president was meandering and exhibited a lack of focus.

Singer called Trump “unhinged, unable to focus, and diminishing before our very eyes.”

“His only coherent thoughts this week were his affinity for more corporate tax cuts for billionaires, tax increases for the middle class, and his disdain for the people of Milwaukee,” Singer continued. 

Biden has also mixed up names of politicians and officials. In February, he referred to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who died in 2017, instead of former chancellor Angela Merkel. He has also mentioned former French president François Mitterrand, who died in 1996, when he intended to reference French President Emmanuel Macron.

Biden is the oldest president in history. Polling indicates that voters, too, are concerned about what the candidates' ages might mean for their ability to hold office. Voters appear to consider the issue more of a liability for Biden than Trump, according to polling.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Doctor Who Recap: Having a Ball

D earest gentle reader, Bridgerton has some competition. If you’ve been waiting for more queer love stories in the Regency era, who says Netflix is your only option? This week, the Doctor meets a mysterious loner named Rogue (a well-coiffed Jonathan Groff) in 1813. Forget sci-fi and sci-fantasy — for a moment it feels like Doctor Who has fully transformed into a gay enemies-to-lovers rom-com. What a way to kick off Pride month! Unfortunately, because things are never easy for the Doctor, this burgeoning relationship is interrupted by a family of murderers and a heart-wrenching dilemma. Romance, drama, and stakes that test the Doctor’s moral compass? Yup, this episode is definitely a strong contender for becoming my diamond of the season.

As viewers, we learn that something is wrong before the Doctor and Ruby do. In the opening scene, a birdlike creature called a Chuldur kills someone and shape-shifts into an exact replica of the victim’s body. It’s a pattern we’ll see repeated multiple times, always accompanied with a crackle of blue electricity and the sound of ruffling feathers and clicking bones.

But for now, the Doctor and Ruby are busy dancing (to moves by Bridgerton choreographer Jack Murphy, no less). Continuing a pattern of great tech this season, Ruby is getting the choreography beamed into her motor system by psychic earrings with a battle mode. The earrings alert the Doctor to sonar interference, which he follows to Rogue, who is observing the ball from a balcony.

The show has already told us that identities are being stolen, so we’re probably not supposed to trust this standoffish stranger with an American accent right away. I mean, his meet-cute with the Doctor is literally set to an orchestral version of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.” And yet … the chemistry is ridiculous. The Doctor flirts shamelessly with Rogue until they stumble across a body and accuse each other of being responsible.

Rogue reveals that he’s a bounty hunter who believes the Doctor is the Chuldur he’s been paid to find and kill. He takes the Doctor at gunpoint to his messy bachelor pad and traps the Doctor in a tri-form that works as a transport gate. Once the gate is charged, Rogue can send him straight to the incinerator.

Thankfully, before we can get too stressed, there’s a moment of comedic relief to break up the tension. Instead of focusing on the countdown to his death, the Doctor uses his screwdriver to ruin Rogue’s stoic facade by exposing him as a DnD player who apparently likes to jam out to Kylie Minogue. A mortified Rogue desperately tries to shut the music off while the Doctor body rolls, winks, and essentially lip-syncs for his life. (Ncuti as a guest judge on Drag Race when?) At this point, I’ve put the rest of the plot on pause. Yes, lives are in danger back at the ball. But these two need to just kiss already.

Once the Doctor realizes it’s probably time to actually try proving his innocence, his psychic paper fails him by revealing his true thoughts: “You’re hot.” Now the Doctor’s the flustered one, and Rogue is smirking. I’m almost positive that I’ve read a slow-burn Doctor Who fanfic with this exact scenario. Still no kiss?!?!

Ultimately, the Doctor is able to force Rogue’s scanner to confirm that he is a Time Lord who can regenerate, which means he’s got the wrong shape-shifter. In the TARDIS (“I’m in love … with this machine,” says Rogue), the Doctor begins reconfiguring the tri-form so that it will transport its prisoner not to instant death but to a barren dimension with no way back. This emphasizes a crucial difference between Rogue and the Doctor. Though they’re both outcasts traveling the stars and trying to stop people from doing harm, they have different ideas of what justice looks like. I bet Rogue wouldn’t have cried when last week’s racists sailed to their deaths.

Still, the different worldviews aren’t necessarily a turnoff. In fact, the Doctor proposes that once they get out of this, he and Rogue should “argue across the stars.” They’ve bonded over their shared experience with loss, so perhaps they can keep each other company. Unfortunately, the tri-form finishes updating before they can resolve the insane romantic tension between them.

The Doctor and Rogue head back to the ball, where Ruby has also realized that something’s wrong. She stumbled upon a dead body while trying to help her new friend Emily get over a Chuldur disguised as the sexist playboy Lord Barton. The Doctor and Ruby still don’t know that there’s more than one Chuldur, but we know there’s at least two, given that we’ve seen them discussing how Lady Ruby’s feminist attitude makes her the perfect next target.

The Doctor explains that Chuldurs come to planets to try people on like outfits. In this case, the goal is Bridgerton cosplay. (There are more healthy solutions, Chuldurs. Have you heard of Comic-Con? Community theater?) To draw them out, the Doctor turns to another tried-and-true romance trope: fake dating. He and Rogue scandalize the room by dancing together. Even though everyone’s watching, the lights dim to show us how intimate the moment feels for our main couple.

One public lovers’ quarrel and fake proposal later, the Chuldurs are chasing the Doctor and Rogue across the grounds, desperate to “play” a part in this fraught, forbidden love story. Having only just realized that they’re dealing with an entire family of Chuldurs, the Doctor and Rogue are forced to run off hand in hand to hide in a carriage (though they don’t get up to any Polin-esque shenanigans , boo).

Meanwhile, Emily — who has seemed so clueless and genuinely shocked by the evening’s events so far — grabs Ruby and reveals herself to be a Chuldur. We hear a zap, and Ruby screams. Is our companion gonna die so unceremoniously? There’s no way. We haven’t even solved the snow mystery! Yet, when the camera cuts to her stepping back into the ballroom for the Chuldur “wedding,” we hear the clicking and rustling that so far has indicated that someone is being cosplayed. The Doctor is fooled, and steps out to sob while remembering his promise to Carla that he would keep her daughter safe.

Powered by vengeance, the Doctor traps five Chuldurs in the tri-form that he has modified to transport six — though it will now only work once. Unfortunately, that’s when Ruby reveals that she is not a Chuldur. She set her earrings to battle mode and fought Chuldur-Emily off. The show hid that from us, allowing us to experience the Doctor’s horror at the exact moment he realizes he has accidentally trapped his own companion.

Rogue throws Chuldur-Emily into the tri-form, locking it at maximum capacity. Ruby tells the Doctor it’s fine for him to press the trigger, and Rogue reminds the Doctor that if he doesn’t, the Chuldurs will escape. They want to cosplay the entire planet to death so everyone, including Ruby, will die anyway. “Can you lose your friend to save the world?” Rogue asks. This version of the Doctor can’t. “I know,” Rogue says, brushing away the Doctor’s tears. They finally, finally kiss, wrapping an entire potential relationship into 13 tender seconds.

When Rogue pulls away, he’s taken the trigger from the Doctor. He could press the button and spare the Doctor from having to make the decision. The Rogue from earlier in the episode — the one whose “moral void” gave the TARDIS a tummy ache — would have done it without hesitation. Instead, he runs into the trap and pushes Ruby out before any Chuldurs can escape. “Find me,” he says, pressing the trigger. It’s exactly the type of character development that would make the Doctor fall even more in love.

The Doctor puts Rogue’s ship into orbit just in case, but I don’t get the feeling we’ll see him return anytime soon. As the Doctor explains to Ruby, there are as many dimensions as there are atoms. I also suspect that the Chuldurs would’ve killed Rogue immediately upon landing. But mostly, I think that if Rogue pops up next week, going, “Heyyy, I’m back,” it would weaken the emotional impact of this ending. His sacrifice is so tragic and touching because he knew it would be permanent. “Find me” just felt like an excuse not to say “good-bye.”

Ruby forces the Doctor into a hug that he clearly needs. While the Doctor’s strategy is still very much to dull his pain by racing off to another adventure, he also chooses to slip Rogue’s ring back on. Maybe the Doctor’s not ready to chat about his grief, but choosing to wear a physical reminder suggests that he’s at least not going to pretend like it never happened. If it’s any comfort, Rogue may be gone, but he’ll live on forever in the inevitable flood of fanfics this episode will inspire.

Cut for Time (Lord)

• What is it about the Doctor and the Regency era? He also got his heart broken in “The Girl in the Fireplace” with Madame de Pompadour; he can’t catch a break. (Though, can you imagine if Rogue had survived? Ruby would’ve been third-wheeling across all of time and space.)

• Rogue notes that his job has “so much paperwork ever since we got that new boss.” Could be a throwaway line, but I can’t help but remember that the Meep also referenced a mysterious “boss” in the 60th-anniversary specials … do we think that’s got anything to do with The One Who Waits?

• I love the way that Fifteen has slipped “babes,” “baby,” and “honey” into his everyday speech throughout this season. He’s really solidified who this character is.

• All the guest stars had great comedic timing. One of my favorite moments is when the duchess haughtily declares that she is an arbiter of taste, and the housekeeper-Chuldur instantly scoffs, “What? In that dress?”

• Susan Twist shows up as a painting this time, and judging from the preview, we might figure out who this woman is next week. Lock in your last guesses!

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America’s Top Doctor on Why He Wants Warning Labels on Social Media

The surgeon general says parents should be aware that using the platforms might harm adolescents’ mental health..

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Warning: This episode contains mentions of bullying and suicide.

A rising tide of mental health problems among teenagers has sent parents, teachers and doctors searching for answers. This week, the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, offered one: social media.

Today, Dr. Murthy discusses his proposal to require platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram to include warning labels, like those that appear on tobacco and alcohol products.

On today’s episode

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy , the U.S. surgeon general.

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Dr. Murthy cannot unilaterally impose warnings on social media; the action requires approval by Congress .

Read a guest essay by Dr. Murthy: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms .

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An earlier version of this episode misstated one of Donald Sutherland’s most notable roles. He starred in the film M*A*S*H, not the television series that followed.

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How To Watch Doctor Who In Order

Let's break it down.

• Classic Era
• Revival Era
• Disney+ Era
• Watch All Episodes
• Watch in the US
• Watch in Canada
• Watch in Australia

In 1963, three years before Star Trek: The Original Series hit the airwaves and 14 years before Star Wars: A New Hope took the world by storm, Doctor Who , another heavyweight of the sci-fi genre, began its historic run. The show’s original era lasted for nearly three decades, and following more than a decade and a half of being away from television screens (minus one movie), the show returned in 2005 and has stuck around ever since. But, considering how long Doctor Who ’s been around, it may feel daunting trying to start watching the show, especially considering how many actors have played the title Time Lord over the years. Don’t worry, we have you covered.

We'll explain how to watch Doctor Who in order, with options on where to watch all episodes, below.

Doctor Who's Classic Era (1963-1989)

Doctor Who premiered on November 23, 1963, with William Hartnell being cast as The Doctor, a mysterious man who lived in the TARDIS, a machine capable of traveling through time and space that’s bigger on the inside and disguised from the outside as a blue police telephone box. When Hartnell’s health started declining, it was decided to have a new actor take over the role, so the concept of regeneration, where a Time Lord changes appearance and personality upon dying , was thought up. Patrick Troughton was cast as The Second Doctor, and the rest is history. Here’s how the classic Doctor Who eras break down.

• First Doctor (William Hartnell), 1963-1966
• Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), 1966-1969
• Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), 1970-1974
• Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), 1974-1981
• Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), 1982-1984
• Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), 1984-1986
• Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), 1987-1989

When it comes to starting points in the Classic Era, you should be ok starting with any of the first seven Doctors, although going from the Third Doctor onwards keeps you firmly in color TV territory. 

More importantly, many episodes from the early days were deleted as part of BBC clearing out archive programming between 1967 to 1978. As a result, if you’re going through Doctor Who ’s classic years, there’s no way you’ll be able to do a full rewatch. Fortunately though, some of these stories have been recreated thanks to salvaged audio paired with new animation that recreates the original movements of the actors as closely as possible.

The Doctor Who TV Movie (1996)

In 1996, seven years after Doctor Who was cancelled, BBC Worldwide and Universal Studios partnered up for the Doctor Who TV movie, which was intended to both revive the property on the small screen and make it more appealing to an American audience. Paul McGann starred as the Eighth Doctor, and while the movie performed decently in the United Kingdom, the ratings stateside were disappointing, resulting in cancelled plans for an American-produced series. 

Fortunately for McGann, he continued to voice the Eighth Doctor in many Big Finish audio productions, and later reprised the character onscreen in the 2013 minisode “Night of The Doctor” and the 2022 episode “The Power of The Doctor.”

Doctor Who's Revival Era (2005-2022)

The second attempt at reviving Doctor Who succeeded in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor launching this new era. While the original series certainly wasn’t unknown outside of the United Kingdom, the relaunch resulted in this franchise achieving true global popularity. Here are the actors who starred during this era:

• Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), 2005
• Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), 2005-2010
• Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), 2010-2013
• Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), 2014-2017
• Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), 2018-2022

In addition to the above, this era of Doctor Who also featured John Hurt’s War Doctor and Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor. The former was a previously-unknown incarnation resting between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors who fought in The Time War and teamed up with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in the 50th anniversary special “The Day of The Doctor.” The latter was one of many incarnations who existed prior to the First Doctor , with the Thirteenth Doctor meeting this younger version of themself and learning that this life and many others had been erased from their memory. 

Speaking of The First Doctor, 2017’s “The Doctor Falls” and “Twice Upon a Time” featured David Bradley portraying the First Doctor. He’s the third actor to inhabit the role onscreen, following Richard Hurndall, who played the character in the 20th anniversary special “The Five Doctors” from 1983.

Most people are likely to check out the Doctor Who revival first rather start with the Classic era. If that’s the case, your best bets are starting with the Ninth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor or Thirteenth Doctor. The Ninth would be your absolute best bet, though, as it establishes major lore, specifically the Time War, that continues to be referenced in the years to follow. 

Also keep in mind as you’re going through Doctor Who from 2005 onwards, there are various specials that come with the full seasons, many of which are Christmas/holiday-themed. Don’t miss out on these stories, as most of them tell integral stories to the mythology.

Doctor Who's Disney+ Era (2023-present)

With Doctor Who moving to Disney+ around the world except in the United Kingdom, which we’ll talk more about later, came the show’s current era. It breaks down as follows:

• Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant), 2023
• Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa), 2023-present

In a first for Doctor Who , 2022’s “The Power of The Doctor” saw the Thirteenth Doctor regenerating into the Fourteenth Doctor , who looked just like the Tenth Doctor. David Tennant starred as this version of the Time Lord in the three 60th anniversary specials. Then in another first, the last of these specials, “The Giggle,” the Fourteenth Doctor did not undergo a normal regeneration after being mortally injured by The Toymaker, but rather bi-generating. Meaning, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor split off from the Fourteenth Doctor , resulting in the two existing simultaneously. 

There are no plans to bring back the Fourteenth Doctor, which makes sense, as the Fifteenth Doctor is now the face of the franchise. The Fifteenth Doctor’s adventures are also a good starting point for Doctor Who newcomers, so much so that even though this is technically Season/Series 14 of the revival, it’s referred to in marketing as Season 1.

Watch All Doctor Who Episodes In Order

The UK is probably the best served for watching most – if not all – Doctor Who content, with pretty much all of it sitting in one place on BBC iPlayer .

Other than Doctor Who's first ever story (compromising four episodes), "An Unearthly Child," all episodes of Doctor Who were made available on BBC iPlayer to stream in November 2023 ahead of the show's 60th Anniversary.

You can find pretty much the entirety of the Whoniverse right here, including spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures .

BBC iPlayer is available on a number of devices and it’s absolutely FREE to watch. To create a BBC account, all you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. W1A 1AA), in addition to a valid TV licence.

Abroad? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home.

How To Watch Doctor Who In Order From Anywhere

If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas , you can still watch Doctor Who just like you would at home.

While BBC iPlayer is for licence fee-paying Brits and blocks access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN which can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.

For example, UK citizens in the States can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK based server and tune into all the programmes on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world, just like you would back home.

Watch Doctor Who as if you were at home with a VPN Of all the VPNs out there that can help change your IP address, NordVPN is the very best around for streaming. And not just BBC iPlayer, either... it's great for watching other streaming services when overseas, too. It runs on pretty much every device you can think of, has superb 24/7 customer service if you need help, and even has a 30-day money back guarantee so that you can try it out risk-free.

How To Use A VPN To Unblock Streaming Services:

1. Choose your ideal VPN and install - our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN , costing from just $3.69 a month with its 2-year plan

2. Connect to a server - for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server located in the UK

3. Stream away! - login to your streaming service – BBC iPlayer in this instance – and stream like you were in your home country

How To Watch Doctor Who In The US

Whovians in the US can watch all new episodes from the 60th Anniversary Specials onwards with a Disney Plus subscription , including "The Star Beast", "Wild Blue Yonder", and "The Giggle", as well as the Christmas Special "The Church on Ruby Road". This is also where the new season will land with Ncuti Gatwa from May 2024, making it a great time to get yourself the Disney Plus bundle .

Otherwise, you can find all Classic Doctor Who episodes from 1963-1996 on the free ad-supported platform Tubi , with its catalog categorized across the first seven Doctors.

For the revival era (2005-2022), you'll need a Max subscription to watch from Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of the Ninth Doctor, all the way up to Jodie Whittaker 's Thirteenth Doctor.

A Brit abroad in the States? Use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer for free from abroad .

How To Watch Doctor Who Online In Canada

Similarly, in Canada, you'll find a lot of content is spread across streaming services. In fact, viewing options are pretty much the same as they are for their southern neighbors in the States.

From the 60th Anniversary episodes onwards, including Ncuti Gatwa's debut, will be made available on Disney Plus .

Classic 1963-1996 episodes, as well as the 1996 TV movie, are on Tubi , with all 26 seasons available to stream for free. You'll also find two seasons on Britbox (2) and one season on PlutoTV.

For the later seasons, PlutoTV offers the most expansive catalog for Whovians with nine seasons available to stream. Those with an Amazon Prime subscription can get seven seasons with their membership. BritBox also appears to have a rogue season.

How To Watch Doctor Who In Australia

Foxtel has the monopoly on Doctor Who episodes Down Under. You'll find all 13 seasons of the 2005-2022 Whoniverse there, although there are also 10 on Stan if you fancy making the most of its free trial. There are also six seasons available on Prime.

For Classic Who, Aussies aren't quite as well served, with just one season available on Foxtel with the remaining 25 from the 1963-1996 period nowhere to be seen (or, rather, streamed).

As with the US, Canada, and basically anywhere outside of the UK, episodes from 2023 onwards will be dropping on Disney Plus .

Away from home? Use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer for free from abroad .

So there you have it! That’s all the eras of Doctor Who laid out if you’re looking to watch this long-running saga in order and where you can find the episodes, depending on where you live. Keep in mind, though, that because there are many adventures featuring multiple Doctors, it’s pretty much impossible to truly watch Doctor Who chronologically, but that comes with the territory when you’re dealing with timey-wimeyness.

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Ms-13, russian mobsters use migrants in elaborate injury scam — even getting spinal surgery to pull it off: sources.

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It’s the melting pot of all scams.

Russian gangsters, MS-13 members, and a cadre of corrupt surgeons, lawyers and lenders are pulling off the latest big con in the city: bogus personal-injury lawsuits where immigrants go under the knife to help their twisted ruse.

Migrants and other desperate New Yorkers are pressured into getting unneeded spinal fusion surgery and other operations to boost the value of their fake-accident claims, according to court records, insurance investigators and law-enforcement sources.

Doctors cash in on the sick swindle by performing back and neck fusions, allowing fraudsters to swipe billions through bogus insurance filings, according to court filings and sources.  

The racket typically involves a healthy person taking a seemingly minor tumble on the street or at a construction site, then claiming a devastating injury that requires multiple surgeries. A crooked surgeon fuses healthy vertebrae with screws and plates, leading to a lawsuit against a business or landlord or both. Settlements start at $1 million each but can go much higher.

“One-five is now on the cheap side,” said an insurance industry lawyer who asked for anonymity.

These scams rely on law firms that take on hundreds of such cases, along with high-profile doctors, sketchy lending firms that hard-sell migrants into borrowing to cover the costs, and an army of “runners” who recruit victims and orchestrate their falls, according to legal papers and sources familiar with the mix of schemes. 

The set-up is fed by a seemingly endless supply of low-income dupes willing to risk their health for a quick score.

“They’re regularly recruiting migrants and homeless people and in some cases are proactively arranging for them to come to New York,” a private investigator told The Post.

So-called “shot callers” pocket most of the windfall settlements, while those who pose as injured receive as little as $1,000 each, according to testimony in one case. Their share gets shriveled by sky-high interest on loans they’re told they need for medical and legal expenses. Others can collect up to six figures.

Russian hoodlums are suspected of running lending firms that fund trip-and-fall lawsuits and surgeries — often at hugely inflated rates to goose settlement figures, sources told The Post. “They’re well-versed in this kind of thing,” said a recently retired NYPD supervisor. 

MS-13 leaders provide a pipeline of Hispanic migrants, some who are brought to New York specifically to fake injuries, sources said. They said the gang ropes in unsuspecting border crossers with offers to drive them to the city, pay for meals and provide spending cash before pressuring them into phony accidents.

A private investigator said an MS-13 informant at a construction company revealed plans for a worker to fall off a ladder — and it happened just as the tipster said it would, said the sleuth, who declined to say where or when the fraud occurred to protect the identity of his source. 

Setting up fake falls is “so successful for MS-13,” he said. “Rival gangs are now trying it.”

But MS-13 leaders are not experienced in white collar crime and don’t know how to pull off phony injury fraud, according to gang expert Lou Savelli, who founded the NYPD gang unit and now consults for police and other law enforcement agencies. “That’s where the Russians come in,” he said. “They have the lawyers.”

NYPD investigators found one integrated Russian-led operation — with doctors, lawyers, lenders and physical therapists all in the same office building, said a former police supervisor who declined to give further details. “It was one-stop shopping. Everyone was in the same place,” he said, adding that authorities were unable to build a case against the group. 

The Russian-MS-13 partnership “is a perfect marriage for them,” said a second ex-NYPD source.

  Insurance insiders claim losses have tripled since the pandemic, with payouts so massive they’re driving up the cost of living for all New Yorkers. 

One insurer ,  Tradesman Program Managers insurance firm of Poughkeepsie, a carrier covering contractors and construction companies in the city, says it forked over $142 million in 2022, three times the $36 million it paid out in 2018. It claims it has been hit with 650 allegedly fraudulent suits over the last four years.

“We’re talking billions collectively across the city,” said an insurance executive who asked not to be identified.

Tradesman and the Roosevelt Road insurance carrier sued eight doctors and two law firms — Gorayeb Associates and Fogelgaren, Forman & Bergman — along with 36 lawyers, healthcare providers and companies in Brooklyn Federal Court in March, citing RICO conspiracy laws used to prosecute Mafia dons, in its civil action.

“They train the migrants how to act at some of these staged accidents,” Tradesman lawyer Kirk Willis told ABC 7. “And then when the people are hurt — allegedly hurt — they go to the lawyer first, not the doctor, and the lawyer then starts a course that sets up these fraudulent lawsuits.”

New York’s Scaffold Law says builders are considered fully at fault for any accident involving a fallen worker, and that empowers criminals, said Rygo Foss, general counsel for Andromeda Advantage Inc. of Long Island City, a construction consultant.

“We have 59 cases that we’ve identified as fraudulent,” said Foss, who projects those claims will cost as much as $100 million to settle or reach a verdict. “And that’s if it all stops now. It’s a huge issue. Everyone’s getting hit.”

The scams are ballooning costs for insurance, housing, construction, food, utilities, and basic living expenses ,  sources say.

New York already  has the third highest average car insurance rate in the country,  with minimum liability costing $1,472 per year; the  fifth highest rate s  for individual health insurance  at $736 per month; and the  second highest workers compensation costs .

“Every contractor is affected because their rates go up every year and they pass along the costs,” said restoration company owner Steven Katz. “It affects every single building. It’s an undisclosed tax.” 

Rumors of a potential federal probe have circulated among lawsuit litigants for weeks. One confidential source told The Post he has shared information with the FBI.

Law-enforcement has done little to stop the scams, but one case brought by the feds revealed details on how they work.

A whistleblower in the prosecution of Dr. Sady Ribeiro, the Manhattan surgeon  sentenced to three years in prison  last March for doing unnecessary back operations as part of an insurance scam, said those procedures were the key to getting top-dollar payouts.

“It was always a back injury,” testified Peter Kalkanis, a former chiropractor who pocketed $2 million for orchestrating more than 200 accidents over four years. And if someone balked at having fusion, “the case would be dropped,” he said.

Among the accused is “Dr. Bo,” Gbolahan Okubadejo, a Johns Hopkins-trained spinal surgeon from Nigeria with offices in Manhattan and New Jersey who allegedly performed unnecessary fusion operations on patients to pump up payouts for them and make money for himself, according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court in May. 

The filing alleges that purportedly injured construction worker Edvaldo Nunes Oliveira, who emigrated from Brazil in 2013,   didn’t require surgery, but that Okubadejo performed neck and back fusions on him anyway — as well as on other plaintiffs also repped by the midtown Manhattan firm Wingate Russotti Shapiro Moses & Halperin, stated lawyer Scott Brody, who represents the defendant landlord and construction company, in his court papers.

Okubadejo was “fully aware that by…recommending surgery on those referrals from the Wingate firm, that their cases significantly increased in value,” the filing claims. “[He] knew that if he operated on [them], and thus increased the value of their cases, he would obtain more referrals.” 

An assistant to the doctor, who has not been criminally charged in any case, said his office was unaware of the filing. Wingate did not return calls seeking comment. 

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Among immigrants who allegedly participated is Lesly Ortiz, a native of the Dominican Republic who came to New York in 2018 at the age of 20 and found work as a hotel housekeeper, and hoped to own a home and start a family in the city. 

A year later she tripped on the sidewalk on West 158th Street in Manhattan, landing on her backside in a seated position. Passersby asked if she wanted someone to call 911. She declined and went home, according to court documents.

But the next day Ortiz went to the Columbia Presbyterian ER, where medics X-rayed her left wrist and left knee and found nothing wrong, hospital records show. Doctors prescribed ibuprofen and sent her home.

What Ortiz didn’t realize was that her aunt’s ex-boyfriend was part of a ring of notorious runners, according to sources familiar with the case. He suggested she contact the Subin law firm, Ortiz told The Post, and she signed on as a client just 24 hours after leaving the hospital, court papers show. 

She said Subin then directed her to Dr. Michael Gerling, an orthopedic surgeon and former NYU Langone director in Brooklyn who  describes himself as New York’s “top spine surgeon”  and operated on Ortiz, according to court papers. Gerling performed two surgeries: a lumbar and a cervical fusion, she added, though court papers say he did one fusion on her back. Neither procedure did anything but create more pain, according to Ortiz.

“The pain is unbearable since the operation on my lower back,” she told The Post. “I feel like a 60-year-old woman in the situation I find myself in. I don’t know how I will continue working.”

Her case was going forward until defense lawyers filed a motion alleging that Ortiz and 11 other family members, including her aunt, had engaged in fraud. 

The filing stated that all 12 members resided at 2011 Amsterdam Avenue or had ties to the building, and each allegedly suffered injuries there or nearby that required fusions, according to the firm Weiner, Millo, Morgan and Bonanno, which reps a landlord sued by them.

“The idea that this was mere coincidence is arguably statistically impossible,” the firm claimed in court papers.

Subin, whose lead attorney Herbert Subin represented Ortiz, relied on All Boro Medical Rehabilitation for doctor referrals, according to the filing.

All Boro co-founder Dr. Kevin Weiner had his medical license suspended by the state last year and was banned from prescribing medicine and doing surgeries after it found he was guilty of “negligence” and “incompetence” and performed “unwarranted test/treatments” on patients between 2013 and 2017, according to agency records and court papers.

Ortiz said she was unaware of the allegation, and that she’s lost touch with her aunt. “I don’t know anything because I haven’t lived with her in years,” she said. 

Subin, which handled 11 of the 12 family lawsuits, asked to be relieved from those cases, and a judge agreed. Ortiz said she never got any money, and now owes thousands of dollars to a lending firm that fronted her the funds for her filing and her operations.

On May 16, a litigator for Subin Associates told a judge in Manhattan Supreme Court that the firm likely would need to step away from 200 to 300 cases brought in from an outside individual on advice of its ethics counsel. 

“We have questions about the reliability of this referral source,” said lawyer Mark Meleka. He didn’t name the source.

Subin has already walked away from 170 lawsuits, allegedly engaged in a decade-long pattern of using “problematic sources” and in one case relied on a “runner or runners who either staged or otherwise induced the firm’s clients to manufacture bodily injury” claims, according to a June 12 filing by Exo industries, a Queens construction firm.

Subin did not return calls seeking comment.

Gerling, who last year was named in a suit brought by Geico in which the insurance company alleged he performed unnecessary surgeries, denied he was involved in any fraud.

Additional reporting by Matthew Sedacca and Susanna Granieri

This story was reported with The Hatch Institute, a journalism foundation in New York

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