Rheumatologist Richard M. Pope, MD, Was Honored at Northwestern University Symposium

Not surprisingly, Dr. Pope appeared humbled by the event his successor put together. “I am honored, but undeserving,” he says. He stayed on as director of the division as long as he did because he enjoyed the work. He took satisfaction in building the program, establishing the clinical aspect of the program and hiring good people. He stepped down, because “it’s time for a younger, more invigorated person to take over,” he says.

He went into the rheumatology field, because as a student he was interested in immunology, “and back then, rheumatology was the field associated with immunology. Nowadays, everything is.” He trained with a doctor who had trained with Dr. Henry Kunkel, the founder of applying immunology to rheumatology.

When asked what in his philosophy led everyone to speak so highly of him as a man, he offered several possible explanations. He started with “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” before giving a more pragmatic response: “You may be on the top of the heap today, but you could be on the bottom someday.” Advice any manager or supervisor could take to heart was, “Remember, you are not in charge. You have to convince them; you can’t force them.”

He summed up his overall approach to heading up a prestigious research lab with the observation that he was surrounded by “accomplished people who could be elsewhere, so you have to create an environment they want to be in.”

Retirement?

Dr. Pope sounds like a man who is dealing well in his new position as not the chief of the rheumatology division. He says he now he “doesn’t have to deal with as many administrative hassles.” And he gets to arrive at work an hour later these days.

Dr. Perlman says he was surprised at how quickly Dr. Pope adjusted. “The first day [after he handed over the division to Dr. Perlman], he rode his bike to work and wore a sweater. I didn’t think I’d ever see him out of a suit,” says Dr. Perlman.

Ann-Marie Lindstrom is an independent writer and editor based in the Tucson, Ariz., area.