Birthday in Bean Town

The ACR’s Annual Scientific Meeting is the premier convocation of our specialty and is always a momentous occasion. This year, Boston will be a magnet, pulling rheumatologists and allied health professionals from around the world, patient groups, government, industry, and the media into its orbit for a week to discuss where we are now and where we going. It will be a great week, and I look forward to a fantastic time.

CME and American History

Why am I so excited about Boston? At its core, the annual meeting is a chance to do many of life’s important things: listen, learn, lecture, network, greet, hug, kiss, question, challenge, expound, gossip, schmooze, expatiate, promulgate, regale, commemorate, reminisce, recruit, eat, toast, drink, party, dance, advertise, buy, sell, jog, meander, sightsee, and – of course – hear great research and earn beaucoup CME credits. And that is just the start of it.

Boston is one of America’s most venerable cities, a cradle of liberty and setting for the start of the American Revolution. History abounds in the streets. Although Boston is a young city by the world’s standards, it is very old by America’s. I hope that Americans who have not previously been to Bean Town will take to the Freedom Trail. It is inspiring and worth the trek.

To my friends and colleagues from overseas, I hope that your flights are on time and that you get through Homeland Security without too much hassle. America is still having troubles. As Thomas Paine wrote in 1776, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” More than 200 years later, that statement holds true. For those of you who will have your passports scanned, fingerprints checked, and retinas lasered, I want to say that we are actually very happy to see you. Welcome and have a wonderful week in our country.

Binary Birthdays

The 2007 annual meeting will be a time of two birthdays: the 50th of Arthritis & Rheumatism (A&R) and the first of The Rheumatologist (TR). Fifty years sounds like a long time, but our specialty is young and our journal is really in its infancy. This issue of TR will preview some of this golden celebration (see “A Golden Anniversary”) and I look forward to the commemorative issue of A&R in 2008 that will recount its ascent to being the highest impact journal in the field.

This year also marks the birthday of TR, although it is numero uno for us. A first birthday, however, has great significance. The number one is intrinsically special and the first of anything calls forth strong emotion and memory. For birthdays, the first symbolizes the passage of a child’s first life cycle: the first summer or winter, the first Christmas (or Chanukah or Ramadan) or the first New Year’s. Of course, there are the child’s personal firsts that are so meaningful for parents and family: crawling, sitting, smiling, and laughing. Some children will even walk and utter their first words.

In years past, I am sure that the first birthday was a milestone simply because the baby was still alive and there. By year one, the baby would have survived childbirth (previously – and still – a dangerous, harrowing, and sometimes fatal experience for mother and baby alike) and the horrors of infection that used to claim countless young lives. Getting to year one was no small feat and was a cause for happiness because it augured well for the future.

Time to Celebrate

To me, TR’s first year has been a great success, smooth sailing following an auspicious launch at last year’s meeting in Washington, D.C. As the editor of TR, I want to thank the very talented and creative people at Wiley, including Dawn Antoline, Lisa Dionne, and the other staff in Hoboken who design and edit TR with great skill and commitment to excellence. A special word of appreciation to Lil Estep, TR’s art director. Lil is a marvel in translating medically important information into beautiful images.

I would also like to thank my editorial board for their great ideas and literature reviews. Each month, we have a spirited dialogue about the most important articles from other journals to feature and the best way to frame their contents in a way relevant to practice. This is not an easy task. Most articles end with statements like, “More studies are needed.” I always ask, “What should I do until the studies are completed?” Fortunately, TR’s editors have met the challenge and are providing guidance that – as a practitioner – I truly value.

Finally, no discussion of the first year of TR would be complete without an acknowledgment and deep debt of gratitude to our authors. TR is a different venue than a peer-reviewed scientific journal in terms of its goals and objectives. I have been so pleased with the response of the practitioners and investigators who have contributed articles. All have produced scholarly pieces of the highest quality and – like me – have been excited by the opportunity to provide a perspective that is personal and accessible and sharply focused on management issues. These articles have already established TR as an important source of the most up-to-date information that affects patient care.

Among the finest traditions of any birthday is the giving of gifts. Unlike weddings and showers where you can register for gifts, birthday gifts are supposed to be a surprise and there is reluctance to make requests. Nevertheless, I would like to make a request for gifts for TR’s birthday. I want more writing from you.

Our specialty is at a crossroads. What do you think? In the United States, 2008 is an election year and healthcare will be a major topic for argument and debate. Where do you stand? Be a Paul Revere on these pages. Shout out and alert us to something important. Please write in and I promise that we will publish as many of your articles and letters as possible.

For TR, 2007 was a very good year. You can make 2008 better.

Dr. Pisetsky is physician editor of The Rheumatologist and professor of medicine and immunology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.