When Rheumatology Becomes a Family Affair

Massachusetts rheumatologist Jonathan Kay, MD, is a mentor to dozens of rheumatologists across the country. He’s also father-in-law to Rich Zamore, MD, a first-year fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

“For the practical aspects of being a fellow, Jon is an amazing resource,” Dr. Zamore says, “whether it be for career development questions or how to find a mentor. We tend not to talk about clinical stuff too much—to spare [my mother-in-law] Debbie and [my wife] Alex, but it’s fun to run a case by him every now and then.”

After three decades of working with fellows, Dr. Kay, a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he holds the Timothy S. and Elaine L. Peterson Chair in Rheumatology, says there’s just something different about talking to the young rheumatologist who married his daughter.

“I’ve worked with fellows in training for three decades,” Dr. Kay adds. “But it’s really nice to see someone whom I love developing his career. As much as I care about each of the fellows that I’ve trained, there’s a special connection with Rich because he’s my daughter’s husband and, I hope, will be the father of my grandchildren. I’m proud to see him doing so well, and it gives me special joy when I hear faculty members in his program praise him.”

As a first-year fellow, Dr. Zamore knows he’s a novice in the field. Yet he has direct access to Dr. Kay’s breadth of knowledge. It’s something the budding rheumatologist understands—and appreciates. “It’s absolutely an amazing resource, and really nice to have,” Dr. Zamore says.

Dr. Zamore also looks forward to getting to know Dr. Kay’s colleagues. “I really look forward to that opportunity because they seem like such a great group of people,” Dr. Zamore says. “It’s one of the reasons you go into rheumatology—because you like the people.”

Dr. Zamore will soon get his chance, as Dr. Kay plans to introduce him to friends and colleagues at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Chicago.

“I see my involvement as an addition to the excellent training in rheuma­tology that Rich is getting at Penn,” Dr. Kay adds. “In addition to having him as my son-in-law, I look forward to going to meetings together and bringing him into my group of rheumatology colleagues. I won’t be giving Rich something that he wouldn’t be able achieve on the basis of his own accomplishments, but I’ll be sharing with him things that our family does.”

Just Getting Started

Monica “Nikki” Schwartzman, MD, with her father, Sergio Schwartzman, MD