The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Rheumatologist’s Ping-Pong Prowess Sharpens His Skills with Patients

Rheumatologist’s Ping-Pong Prowess Sharpens His Skills with Patients

November 9, 2017 • By Carol Patton

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Roughly 15 years ago, Steven K. Magid, MD, rheumatologist and chief medical information officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in N.Y., attended a social event for hospital employees. While chatting with other physicians, nurses, and lab techs, he watched one of his colleagues slaughter her opponents at Ping-Pong.

“She was very skilled,” recalls Dr. Magid, who also serves as the co-chair of the Quality Coordinating Committee and runs the Quality Research Center at HSS. “She had this really fancy blade [paddle] and creamed everybody she played against.”

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

That scenario partially changed Dr. Magid’s life, converting him into a Ping-Pong fanatic. Although he rarely competes, he trains with a coach twice each week and travels to other countries to either play the sport or watch competitions. He loves everything about the game—specifically its strategy and speed—and says it’s a cross between playing chess and car racing at the same time.

“It’s a very fast game and there is instant gratification or pain when you either make or miss a shot,” says Dr. Magid. “More happens in a few minutes of Ping-Pong than in an hour of football. The pace of the game, the strategy, is phenomenal.”

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Yes, It’s Really a Sport

Dr. Magid wields his blade with practiced skill.

Dr. Magid wields his blade with practiced skill.

After graduating medical school at Cornell University in 1976, now called Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Magid completed his residency three years later at New York Hospital, which has since changed its name to New York–Presbyterian Hospital. Then he completed his fellowship at HSS in 1981.

It wasn’t until 20 years later that he was struck with Ping-Pong fever. Whether it was learning how to serve killer spins that appealed to him or meeting people from all over the world involved with the sport, he quickly became a devoted fan.

There’s a lot more to the game than what most people realize, he says, explaining that because he mostly trains with the same coach rather than competing against numerous players, it’s hard for him to read an opponent’s serve.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“The trick is not to show your opponent where on the table you’re going to serve or which of the myriad of spins you’re going to use on the ball,” says Dr. Magid, adding that each table is divided into nine quadrants. “It’s done by subterfuge, with motions before and after you strike the ball. You make it seem like you’re going to hit under the ball, but then instantly change your serve and hit a top spin.”

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Audio, Profiles, Rheum After 5 Tagged With: Dr. Steven Magid, hobby, patient care, ping pong, Profile, rheumatologist, sportIssue: November 2017

You Might Also Like:
  • Ballroom Dancing Helps Improve Pharmacist’s Teaching Skills
  • Board Games Expand Rheumatologist’s Social Network, Keep Players’ Minds Sharp
  • Don’t Get Lost in Translation: Helping rheumatology Patients with Limited English Skills
  • Why Rheumatologists Should Focus on Patients’ Cardiovascular Health

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)