Hooked on ID with Christina M. Marra, MD
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I began my training at the beginning of the HIV pandemic. I still remember a lecture during my second year of medical school in which a young man told us that his friends were dying of a new disease called gay-related immunodeficiency disease, subsequently known as AIDS.
Neurology requires comprehensive history taking and examination. It was a great fit for me because I love to talk to patients and hear their stories, and I enjoy performing a detailed neurological examination. Both take some time, but they are well worth the effort.
At the end of my neurology residency, I had the opportunity to do a fellowship in infectious diseases and to participate in studies of the neurological complications of HIV. I also began a laboratory-based research career on syphilis and neurosyphilis and their interactions with HIV, and I began taking care of patients with neurological problems in the setting of HIV and other infections.
Combining neurology with infectious diseases is the perfect mix. Both specialties require meticulous attention to detail to provide historical, examination and laboratory diagnostic clues. Working through the clues to identify the cause of a neurological infection and implement potentially curative therapy is incredibly fun and gratifying.
— Christina M. Marra, MD
Professor emeritus, neurology
Vice chair of academic affairs, neurology
University of Washington School of Medicine