The Checkup: Temple Doc at Boston Marathon Finish Line Shares His Account

Temple podiatrist Howard Palamarchuk and his team of students sprung into action in the minutes following yesterday's bombing.

Howard Palamarchuk, director of sports medicine, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine

• I feel absolutely sick to my stomach about what happened in Boston yesterday. I’m sure like many of you, I can barely look at the images coming out of the finish line bombing, where more than 100 people were injured, according to the latest reports, and three were killed. And perhaps like many of you, too, I’m looking for and clinging to stories now of the heroic rescuers who pulled people out, of the other runners who sprung into action, of the EMTs who walked into what’s being described as a “war zone” to bring people to safety. Here’s a local angle: NBC 10 posted a story late last night of a Temple podiatrist who was at the finish line with a team of students. Though they had trekked to the race to help with blisters and busted ankles in the medical tent, the ended up working in an impromptu triage unit, where the blast-injured runners and spectators were brought for on-the-scene medical attention. Dr. Howard Palamarchuk and his students sprung into action and became part of the front line helpers. Read his full account here.

• Let’s talk about something a tad lighter, okay? If you’re left handed, you probably oughta read this—a New York Post story from over the weekend that delves into the research and mysteries about what left-handedness means for how your brain works. Good stuff.

• Oh, wow. A new study shows that a small taste of beer may be enough to push you to overdo it. Apparently the flavor of beer, especially among people who drink it regularly enough to have a favorite brand–and especially especially among people with a family history of alcoholism—triggers the reward center of your brain and makes you really, really, really want more. Which, as you can imagine, could be the tipping point for some people and drive them to get drunk. Read more about the study here.