In turn, many of these other specialists will likely become part rheumatologists and we’ll have to negotiate new spaces to collaborate with them. Rheumatology fellows entering in 2024 will have to develop leadership skills to ensure these newfound spaces are both equitable and inclusive for everyone involved.
On a larger scale, our community will need to come up with innovative solutions to expand rheumatology training spots, so that more rheumatologists can enter these new spaces and be willing to lead them. Creative means of sharing costs and other administrative burdens will need to be embraced at institutional and national levels. In 2024, it is shocking that more than 70 applicants were unable to match, which represents about 20% of all applicants.4 My hope is that in 2034, we can marshal enough resources to ensure that more people can enter our rheumatology family.
The Rheumatology Community Will Be More Diverse, Inclusive & Equitable
The rheumatology workforce has become more diverse over the past few decades, and I anticipate that by 2034, it will become even more diverse.5 Our ranks will be drawn from a more diverse population that better reflects the populations we serve. Between 2014 and 2024, a much greater awareness has been instilled regarding the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and how they strengthen the foundations of the work that we do. Over the next decade, that awareness will be translated into meaningful action. In 2034, we will be recruiting internal medicine and pediatric resident physicians who have been raised with even greater social conscience and zeal to remake the world so that it is more equitable and inclusive.
The rheumatology fellows who are entering in 2024 will be indispensable in achieving this aim. One thing that I do not envision changing is the central role that fellows have in inspiring their colleagues, both junior and senior, to become better people. Those entering this year are going to be exemplary role models because they will undoubtedly reflect on their place in the world and how they can grow to make the world a fundamentally better place.
So whether you are reading this in 2024, or 2034, or anywhere in between (or even beyond), I can’t help but feel a great sense of optimism for our specialty. Rheumatologists have consistently shown an incredible tenacity in adapting and overcoming challenges to ensure our patients receive the best possible care. It may not exactly be prophetic, but it is nevertheless true: 2024 will be an exceptional year for rheumatology and so will the coming decade.
