Best Blogs: Ivy League Prep and 'Concierge Medicine'

Did you miss some of the blogs this week on McLean Patch? Each week, we'll round them up in one convenient place for you.

By the way, are you interested in blogging for Patch? Are you an expert in your field? Are you passionate about your hobby? Our readers are interested in everything from national security to needlepoint. Apply online now.

Here are the highlights from blogs that ran Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.

"Putting 'Lids on Kids'"

• Doug Landau writes about the program he started last year to promote the consistent use of helmets on children.
• "When I speak to the kids, I arrive with a life-sized model of a skull and brain so I can demonstrate the effects of a hard hit to the head. As a father of four and an avid cyclist myself, protecting children from preventable head injuries has become a passion for me."
• Find out how you can contribute and read the full post here.

"For Parents On 'unrealistic college expectations'"

• Mark Greenstein, of Ivy Bound Test Prep and Academic Tutoring, writes this week about how students can fail to achieve really aggressive goals, but still succeed in the long run. 
• "Falling a little short of a really huge goal leaves you...hugely improved!  So you didn't make that 500 point improvement.  You got 80 percent of the way.  Here 80 percent is not "B minus"; it's 400 SAT POINTS."
• Read the full post here.

• Dr. David J. Jones, founder of of Principal Medical Group in McLean, Va., started a blog on McLean Patch this week.
• He writes this week about frustrations patients have communicating with their doctors.
• "The recent survey of more than 1,000 Americans shed light on the frustrations and expectations patients have when trying to communicate with their doctors. Among the findings, nearly 80 percent of respondents wish they had more frequent communication with their physicians, but only 25 percent of respondents feel their healthcare provider is reachable if they have questions or concerns outside of an appointment."
• Read the full post here.