‘We hope our contribution helps trainees cultivate their own ideas, ask meaningful questions & shape the future of rheumatology.’ —George Tsokos, MD
TR: What inspired you to direct your investment toward supporting trainees in gaining real-world experiences in rheumatology?
Dr. Tsokos: I want trainees to feel they’re welcomed into the field, there are resources to help them and they are part of a group of clinician investigators who advance the field and the well-being of our patients.
Maria and I want to inspire people right at the beginning of their careers. I want them to have support like Maria and I had, to see that people care about them and the field, and be inspired to advance it. We believe in fostering a passion for the field in our trainees, empowering them to take the lead in exploring and addressing the questions that drive their curiosity and ambition.
My career has been shaped by a deep excitement to ask good questions, develop the tools to answer them and then produce information that helps us advance knowledge. With each discovery, we generate the next set of questions that will further expand our understanding.
The 19th century writer John Ruskin said, ‘There is an enormous difference between knowledge and education.’
Education is invaluable, and medical school teaches us how to process knowledge, but that alone is not enough. True advancement comes from applying that knowledge to real-world challenges, continuously questioning, learning and contributing to the evolution of our field.
TR: How do you hope your gift will strengthen the rheumatology workforce?
Dr. Tsokos: If our support inspires even one person to develop a passion for rheumatology and a drive to generate new knowledge, then Maria and I will feel our gift has been well spent.
The novelist and essayist John Gardner said, ‘Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often, we’re giving our young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them how to grow their own plants.’ We hope our contribution helps trainees cultivate their own ideas, ask meaningful questions and shape the future of rheumatology.
Contribute
Other rheumatologists and ACR/ARP members who want to support work to improve the health of people with rheumatic diseases can make a tax-deductible donation online: www.rheumresearch.org/donate.
Deborah Levenson is a writer and editor based in College Park, Md.
