Hooked on Rheum

Although I have been a patient in rheumatology since I was 3, I didn't get “hooked on rheum” until I took a leave of absence from my physics PhD and attended the ACR’s annual meeting, in San Francisco, as a trainee of Fred Wolfe, MD.

I first considered pursuing rheumatology because of several inpatient cases that I encountered as a medical resident.

From a young age, I was fascinated by the human body and its complexities. Growing up in a small village in southern Italy, I had an insatiable curiosity about science and how we experience pain, heal and recover.

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.

Reflecting on my decision to forge a career path in medicine and rheumatology, there were a series of experiences that strongly influenced me.

It is odd how chance events shape our careers and illuminate hidden paths for us.

My father and grandfather were physicians in Kansas City, Missouri, where I grew up.

My inspiration for becoming a rheumatologist is increasingly common. However, when I followed my father, Alton J. Morris, MD, into rheumatology, I was one of the first rheumatologists to follow in their parents’ footsteps.

In my third year of medical school, I had the privilege of spending a month at Good Samaritan Hospital, on Loch Raven Blvd. in Baltimore, then the home of the rheumatology service at Johns Hopkins.

As a kid, I would always say, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a doctor.”