Dr. Jean Liew
Favorite album: “It used to be 1989, then folklore; now it’s The Tortured Poets Department.”
Many people know Jean Liew, MD, MS, as a respected rheumatologist and a dedicated researcher. Her colleagues also know Dr. Liew as a Swiftie, a moniker given to devoted fans of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
Swifties can be found across a wide range of age groups and professions, including in the field of rheumatology. In addition to Dr. Liew, assistant professor of medicine in the Section of Rheumatology at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, and a board-certified rheumatologist at Boston Medical Center, we interviewed six other rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals who identify as Swifties, marked by their passionate support of Swift, their in-depth knowledge of her music and active engagement in fan discussions and events.
Jean Liew (left) and Lacey Feigl-Lenzen at ACR Convergence 2023. (Click to enlarge.)
On X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Liew has established a following as @rheum_cat. Her timeline combines her work in rheumatology with her appreciation of Swift.
“I’ve been a fan of Taylor my entire adult life and have connected with a lot of Swifties online, as well as at rheumatology seminars and conferences,” Dr. Liew says.
Dr. Liew watched approximately 80 livestreams of Swift performing around the world before attending her first concert in Toronto Night 5 of the Eras tour, this past November.
Inspired by Taylor Swift’s current Eras tour, Dr. Liew made rheumatology-themed friendship bracelets to trade at ACR Convergence 2023 and 2024. The tradition of trading friendship bracelets was inspired by lyrics from a song on Swift’s 2022 album, Midnights, and her fans see it as a way of connecting with others on their shared experiences.
“I have a lot of outfits that are duplicates of Taylor’s concert wardrobe that I wore to the ACR conference,” says Dr. Liew. “One day, I donned the 1989 World Tour outfit, which is a colorful skater skirt and a sequin bomber jacket, and another, I wore the orange dress with a green cape from the Eras tour.”
Dr. Liew says the ACR annual meetings have allowed many of her rheumatology colleagues, who are also Swifties, to meet in person and exchange information.
“Cheryl Crow, an occupational therapist in Bellevue, Wash., told us about a woman in Utah who curates these livestreams where people record videos at Taylor’s concerts and stream the footage on their social media accounts,” Dr. Liew says. “She lets viewers know when Taylor is going to sing her surprise songs, which are always special and may have a hidden meaning.”
Dr. Liew describes Swift’s surprise songs as mashups where she combines two or more songs, inviting fans try to derive the hidden meaning of the combination. Many of Swift’s recent mashups have been a nod to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
“In college, [I found] Taylor’s music a guilty pleasure, but I thought her songs were geared for younger people,” she says. “I became a fan when Red came out, and more recently, evermore, folklore and The Tortured Poets Department, were introspective albums that I connected with personally.”
Discovering that so many rheumatology professionals are also Swifties has been an unexpected plus for Dr. Liew.
“I met Noelle Rolle, MD, through the ACR, and we’ve formed a peer mentorship and a friendship that goes beyond just being Swifties,” she says. “I think we all appreciate how Taylor is more than a performer or singer, she’s also a songwriter, CEO and businesswoman.”
Despite facing incredible scrutiny over the past several decades, Dr. Liew notes that Swift’s music carries powerful messages about resilience and developing a thick skin in the face of criticism.
“As someone who works in research and academia, I can relate,” she says.
Dr. Intelly Lee
Favorite album: “Her pandemic albums, folklore and evermore.”
Intelly Lee, MD, PhD, a clinical fellow at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., was pleased to learn there were so many others in the rheumatology field who shared his appreciation for Taylor Swift.
“For me, getting introduced to the fandom and having a community of people here at the center who were so welcoming and passionate about Taylor really drew me in,” says Dr. Lee. “After isolating during the pandemic, it was a welcome relief to join a professional community of rheumatology professionals who are also engaged in an interest outside our clinical practice.”
Although Dr. Lee has yet to attend a Taylor Swift concert, he hopes to in the future.
“She’s just a wonderful writer, in addition to being a singer,” Dr. Lee says. “I find her songs to be very relatable.”
Noelle Rolle (left) and Starla Blanks (right) at the ACR’s Advocacy Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., May 2024. (Click to enlarge.)
Starla Blanks
Favorite era: 1989.
Starla Blanks, MBA, MPH, senior director of Collaborative Initiatives at the ACR, Atlanta, has been a fan of Taylor Swift’s since her second album went mainstream.
“I love that Taylor Swift is a songwriter, musician and performer,” Ms. Blanks says. “I always enjoy good storytellers who paint a picture and tell a story with their music and lyrics. I also love that Taylor’s music isn’t for just one type of person or fan. From the young to the young at heart, there’s something in her music everyone can relate to.”
Ms. Blanks attended Night 2 of Swift’s Eras tour in Tampa and hopes to attend another concert soon. She also enjoyed meeting other Swifties at the ACR annual meeting in San Diego.
“We traded friendship bracelets and struck up a conversation that continues to this day,” she says.
“Taylor’s lyrics often center on finding your voice, taking control of your story and remembering you’re not in competition with others,” Ms. Blanks says. “As Taylor says, “we all have crowns,” and I think that’s an empowering message to remember.”
Ms. Blanks tries to apply Swift’s positive messages to her work.
“My work for the ACR in health disparities focuses on reducing time between symptom onset and diagnosis,” she says. “Just like Taylor’s lyrics often have hidden depths, I’ve found the symptoms of rheumatic diseases, like lupus, aren’t straight forward and require careful interpretation to diagnose.”
Jennifer Eastin
Favorite era: “Folklore is a really introspective album with an indie folk sound and really good storytelling.”
Jennifer Eastin
Jennifer Eastin, MSc, senior specialist and global engagement manager at the ACR, Atlanta, grew up listening to Taylor Swift’s music and has always felt an affinity to the singer since they’re close in age.
“I was experiencing some of the same life milestones Taylor was singing about, so it mirrored my own journey,” Ms. Eastin says. “A lot of her songs cover topics like standing up for yourself, and have themes of self-discovery, resilience and independence that make you feel very empowered.”
Ms. Eastin recently attended her first Swift concert with some friends when the Eras tour came to Indianapolis.
Through her job, Ms. Eastin has gotten to know fellow Swifties and rheumatology professionals, including Dr. Noelle Rolle and Dr. Jean Liew.
“Both doctors have been involved in some of my global projects, and it was fun to also connect with them over Taylor Swift,” she says. “I knew Dr. Liew was a big Swiftie, and at ACR Convergence, she gave me some handmade friendship bracelets. Since I work remotely, it’s been fun to connect with other rheumatology colleagues in a way that goes beyond work.”
Ms. Eastin has also found inspiration in Swift’s songs.
“Her songs inspire me to be confident in both life and work and her music fosters empathy,” Ms. Eastin says. “I’m not a clinician, but I think Taylor’s music and public persona have an indirect impact on individuals with chronic illness in the sense that her songs are both comforting and motivational.”
Lacey Feigl-Lenzen
Favorite era: “Speak Now is nostalgic for me, but I also love reputation, folklore, evermore and The Tortured Poets Department.”
From left Alissa Chandler, rheumatologist; Stefanie Vesper; and Lacey Feigl-Lenzen attended an Eras Tour concert on July 8, 2023, at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo. (Click to enlarge.)
Lacey Feigl-Lenzen, fellowship program administrator and education and rotation coordinator in the Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., became a Swift fan after a friend gave her the singer’s debut album as a birthday present in 2007.
“I’m a lifelong reader, so I’ve always been a fan of literary writing,” Ms. Feigl-Lenzen says. “I love that Taylor is such a great storyteller.”
Ms. Feigl-Lenzen has attended three of Swifts’ concerts: Speak Now, Reputation and the Eras tour last year in Kansas City.
“I went to the Kansas City concert with my best friend and one of our rheumatology fellows, Alissa Chandler, MD, and it was a blast,” she says.
At work, Ms. Feigl-Lenzen is involved with a texting group called The Tortured Joints Department, along with other rheumatology professionals, including Dr. Lee.
“Anytime something exciting happens in the Taylor Swift world, we’ll let each other know,” Ms. Feigl-Lenzen says. “We have quite a few staff members who are fans, and I’ve also connected with Dr. Liew and Dr. Rolle.”
Ms. Feigl-Lenzen says being close in age to Swift has allowed her to enjoy watching the artist grow, noting how their lives often parallel each other.
“There are certain heartbreaks, disappointments and friendships we all experience, and seeing those reflected in her songs as they happen in my own life has been incredibly cathartic,” she says. “Her storytelling and lyrics speak to me almost more than the music itself.”
Cheryl Crow
Favorite era: “Impossible to choose: It’s a tie between Reputation and Evermore, which are two very different albums, but their storytelling and lyrics really resonate with me.”
Cheryl Crow
Cheryl Crow, MOT, OTR/L, occupational therapist and founder of Arthritis Life, Bellevue, Wash., remembers hearing Swift’s song “Fifteen” and how impressed she was that a teenager could look at her life with such a mature perspective.
“I’m a huge fan of complex wordplay and really got into her storytelling during her Red era,” Ms. Crow says.
To date, Ms. Crow has attended four Swift concerts, her first being in Seattle during the 1989 World Tour. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 21 years ago, at the age of 21, Ms. Crow finds many of Swift’s songs relatable to rheumatology.
“Taylor sings a lot about finding and losing love. As a patient living with rheumatoid arthritis and someone who works with others who have RA, I see parallels between the relationship with our bodies and our romantic relationships,” Ms. Crow says. “Both are full of exhilarating ups and downs, hope gained and lost, and anger and pain at things outside our control (like insurance barriers to care or frustration at friends/family not getting it).”
Ms. Crow notes that Swift’s songs encourage people permission to “feel their feelings,” something she’s worked on herself and tries to help RA patients process.
On another level, Ms. Crow says she is able relate to Swift as a fellow hard-working, perfectionist people-pleaser.
“I’ve had to overcome feelings of wanting everyone to like me or give me a gold star for my achievements,”Ms. Crow says. “I think you can see over time that Taylor has learned to own her imperfections and define her self-worth on her own terms, rather than relying on external validation.”
Ms. Crow says she first connected with other rheumatology professionals who are Swifties through Dr. Jean Liew, whom she calls a super connector.
“I made over 100 rheumatology-themed bracelets for the 2023 and 2024 ACR Convergence meetings and enjoyed meeting so many other rheumatology professionals while giving away or trading the bracelets,” she says.
Dr. Noelle Rolle
Favorite era: “Hands down, my favorite era is folklore. It’s a beautifully written album.”
Noelle Rolle (left), with her mom, Nadene (right), at the Dublin night 1 concert, The Eras tour. (Click to enlarge.)
Noelle A. Rolle, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology and associate program director of the rheumatology fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, first became a Taylor Swift fan after hearing the song, “Back to December.”
“I’m a big music fan and when Taylor released “Blank Space,” the strong lyrics solidified it for me,” Dr. Rolle says. “I really became a Swiftie last year at ACR Convergence because it crossed over into work and I really liked the community aspect. The folklore album and multiple gems from Lover, evermore and Midnights solidified it.”
After Dr. Rolle connected with Dr. Liew, they decided to make friendship bracelets, inspired by Taylor Swift but with a rheumatology theme, that could be traded at the ACR annual conference.
“I really appreciated the collegiality of being a Swiftie in the rheumatology field,” Dr. Rolle says. “I took my mom, who turned 70 this year, with me to the Dublin Eras Night 1 show, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dr. Rolle says she gravitates toward Swift’s sharp songwriting.”
“There are so many layers and so much depth to the songs she writes,” Dr. Rolle says. “I appreciate her vulnerability, her willingness to be honest about imperfections and her remarkable resilience.”
Linda Childers is a health writer located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
