A senior rheumatologist with extensive experience in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus is asked to help draft clinical guidelines for the treatment of lupus nephritis. Neither she nor her family members receive grant funding nor does she consult with any pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. She does have strong clinical opinions based on current evidence…
Colombia is a beautiful country with a rich cultural history that has made many social advances over the past decades. I was privileged to spend a month rotating with rheumatologists in San Vicente de Paul Hospital in Medellín, the City of Eternal Spring. As part of the ACR and the Pan American League of Rheumatology…
What attracts physicians to a career in rheumatology? Traditionally, the foundation of clinical training at both the medical student and house staff level is based on inpatient services. There are many reasons for this, predominantly revolving around access to patients available for teaching. The result: Trainees are predominantly exposed to a group of conditions that…
Some would call Guillermo J. Valenzuela, MD, a hunter of sorts. He has accompanied men and their dogs into the forests of Italy in search of white truffles, an underground fungus considered a European delicacy. “Years ago, when visiting my wife’s family in Italy, I walked into a very old restaurant in Parma,” says Dr….
I have worked as an advanced practice provider (APP) in pediatric rheumatology for nearly 16 years. My collaborating physicians have allowed me to function to the full extent of my scope of practice while allowing me to develop professionally within the subspecialty. My latest endeavor has been learning how to perform musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) and…
The College’s principal journals have been telling the tale of workforce woe, exploring the reasons for our predicament and potential solutions for the long and short term.1,2 Among the medium-term remedies is increased use of advanced practice clinicians (APCs), as we collectively refer to nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rheumatology practices. Solutions Estimates of…
Many, if not all, rheumatologists seek to grow as clinicians so they can provide consistently exceptional care to patients and serve as role models for colleagues and trainees. In our Lessons from Master Clinicians series for The Rheumatologist, we present insights from clinicians who have achieved distinction in the field of rheumatology and who are…
Shervin Assassi, MD, MS, was the child of two physicians. His mother practiced obstetrics, and his father was a trauma surgeon. It gave him an appreciation for the hard work that goes into medicine and a fascination for joints. He developed an interest in immunology while in medical school. “It was natural for me to…
My nephew is an addict. These words do not come easily to me, but I have come to accept them as true. In retrospect, I should have recognized the telltale signs: He stopped picking up the phone when I call. He disappears and then re-emerges hours later, seemingly having done nothing. He has lost interest…
At the close of my first year in fellowship, a co-fellow opened a packed cabinet behind her desk, and untold volumes of methodically annotated medical articles burst forth. Impressed not only by her diligence but also by the sheer volume of paper, I made a mental note to read more and to read more efficiently….