‘Rheumatologists get to see all the cool cases’: Hooked on Rheum with four fellows
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Healio’s “Hooked on Rheum” series has traditionally featured providers who can look back on their career and identify the turning points that lead them to their current position.
The aim was to spotlight experts who have made extensive contributions to the field, and trace the path backward to the place where those contributions began.
However, in this installment, Healio highlights younger professionals at the outset of their careers. These fellows additionally contributed to the Healio Rheumatology cover story “Next gen physicians: Rheumatology fellows optimistic for ‘happier’ specialty,” published in September. The goal, here, is to illustrate what specific, recent factors led these younger providers-in-training, who represent the next generation of rheumatology, to this unique specialty.
Jennifer Elise Abdalla, MD
Rheumatology fellow
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
I was drawn to the complexity and challenge of diagnosing and treating autoimmune diseases. The opportunity to work with patients who often have chronic and debilitating conditions, and to help improve their quality of life through personalized treatment plans, is incredibly rewarding to me.
Additionally, the constantly evolving nature of rheumatology research and the potential for new discoveries and advancements in treatment options further piqued my interest in this specialty.
Desh Nepal, MD
Chief fellow in rheumatology
Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals
The pathophysiology of illnesses and the complexities in diagnosis and patient management guided me toward rheumatology. The need to understand the implications of other systems due to these diseases, and the opportunity to collaborate with various other specialties, are other aspects of this field that I find appealing.
Brian Jaros, MD
Rheumatology fellow
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Mentorship and early exposure within the field drew me to rheumatology. I was fortunate to shadow a rheumatologist early in my medical journey. I loved the way she connected with patients, many of whom she had been seeing for more than 10 years. It was clear that in addition to treating their disease, she had a meaningful, long-term relationship with her patients.
Then, while training at the New York University School of Medicine, I was mentored by rheumatologists Jose U. Scher, MD, and Rebecca Haberman, MD. They modeled the characteristics I value in a physician — kindness, humility, approachability and excellence in their clinical care and research.
The people I met along the way generated a lot of excitement for me toward the specialty, and through working with them I developed my own personal curiosity and interest in the systemic rheumatic diseases that we care for. I love working as part of a team, with other consultants, to treat conditions that affect our patients.
The field is evolving faster than ever, and there is always cutting-edge research and knowledge to learn and incorporate into practice.
Matthew Lempel, MD
Rheumatology Fellow
Yale-New Haven Hospital
It only took a few weeks of medical internship to realize that rheumatologists get to see all the cool cases. As a resident, the rheumatologists that I got to work with always seemed to be the “doctor’s doctor,” serving as the consultant of last resort to help solve a challenging diagnostic dilemma.
The field also offers a nice blend of procedural opportunities while still practicing cerebral medicine. Although many of the conditions that we regularly treat are chronic diseases, modalities such as point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound also allow us to diagnose and solve problems at the same visit.