Dr. Vonda Wright's Blog

By bringing Augmented Reality (AR) to everyday life, Pokemon GO, the wildly successful AR game, shared a powerful technology with the world. For gaming, AR has a lot of potential. But what shows an even greater potential is how AR can be used in applications for orthopedic technology and how AR can improve the way orthopedic surgeons and doctors treat patients.

It is not surprising that additive manufacturing (AM) has made quite the splash in the medical sector. Additive manufacturing makes intuitive sense for the medical industry as it opens up new avenues for both prescriptive and proactive methods.

As COVID-19 ripples through our communities and unemployment remains at historic levels, it can be hard to think about the future. But even in times of uncertainty and upheaval, there can be great innovation. If there’s one population who understands that, it’s Millennials. This generation already has lived through turbulent times, including the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the Great Recession, before even reaching middle age.

Each generation views health care through its own lens. Older ones tend to let the physician dictate treatment plans without question. As younger generations have stepped into their own sense of autonomy, the ways in which they interact with health care have shifted.

The body is political. From how we talk about healthcare and race to gender and age, it’s impossible to separate ourselves from the politics of the body. Millennials, and in particular, women, are at the forefront of these difficult -- yet necessary -- conversations surrounding inequities in U.S. healthcare and the need for reform.