The following are free links to NEJM articles through NextGenMD.org.

Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Function in Women

While excessive alcohol consumption is damaging to the brain, several studies have suggested possible health benefits from moderate intake. This large-scale study corroborates those findings, suggesting that up to one drink daily may decrease the risk of cognitive decline in elderly women.

Mortgaging our Future -- The Cost of Medical Education

Medical education costs have rapidly increased over the past two decades: this phenomenon is discouraging many students from choosing medicine as a career and pressuring those who do to practice in high-income specialties. The Vice Dean of Education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine details the extent of the problem and the role of medical schools in alleviating this financial burden of future physicians.

The Emergence of Physician-Owned Specialty Hospitals

With the increasing development of physician-owned specialty hospitals, their competitive practices with general hospitals have become a contentious issue amongst health care providers and politicians. In this article, the history, present challenges, and future fate of specialty hospitals are examined.

Images in Clinical Medicine: Dislocation of the Lens

Beginning with this image of two CT scans, the Next Generation will feature Images in Clinical Medicine from the New England Journal of Medicine to familiarize students interested in medicine to current diagnostic imaging methods and interesting medical cases.

Money in Medicine: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute

"If you want to support the best biomedical research over the long haul, you have to worry about whether the next generation will be prepared." The Next Generation speaks with Thomas R. Cech, President of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and explores some of the innovative research, attitudes, and bold initiatives of this $12.8 billion research organization.

Tutorial: An Introduction to Clinical Trials

How does a company convince the FDA that a potential therapy is safe and effective? What happens in the twenty years it can take for a new drug to make it to the market? This first part of a two-part tutorial on clinical trials explains how they are conducted, what they aim to achieve, and why they are the gold standard of research for clinical medicine.

Narrative Medicine: Bringing Your Talents to Medicine

Rita Charon, the founder of the Narrative Medicine Program at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, discusses her path to medicine and the importance of combining personal passions and interests with the practice of medicine.