Dr. Desir: A very important issue to me is the workforce problem in rheumatology. Finding innovative ways to address this is paramount. Another issue is patient access to care. The ever-escalating impediments to rheumatologists providing adequate care for their patients must be addressed.
TR: Why did you feel now was a good time to make this commitment?
Dr. Desir: Let’s just say that the stars are aligned.
TR: How did you choose rheumatology as a specialty?
Dr. Desir: When I was in medical school, my honors thesis was on activation of white blood cells. Steve Malawista, MD, who was then section chief of rheumatology at Yale, came to Student Research Day and heard my presentation.
Although my original plan had been to go into infectious disease to continue my research, I realized that I enjoyed clinical rheumatology more than clinical infectious disease. It was a different time back then and there was no fellows match. When I told Dr. Malawista that I was interested in rheumatology, he remembered my thesis presentation and offered me a fellowship in rheumatology. Dr. Malawista was my mentor and was a past president of the ACR. He is no longer with us, but I think he would be very happy that I am following in his footsteps.
TR: What do you off the job?
Dr. Desir: My husband, Gary Desir, MD, and I love to spend time with family. I have four adult children: one advertising executive, one family medicine physician, one public defense attorney and one medical student. I have two of the most delightful grandchildren ever—I love to walk around Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., grandchildren in tow.
I am an avid gardener. I love reading. And I do as much community service as time allows. As the quote says, “Service to others is the rent that you pay for your room here on Earth.”
Kurt Ullman is a freelance writer based in Indiana.
