Q: Many rheumatology fellows across the country know you as the editor of the textbook, Rheumatology Secrets. Do you feel that editing a book or writing medical journal articles makes you a better clinician? And if so, how do these activities translate into the way you think about and care for patients?
A: Scholarly activities, such as editing a textbook or writing medical journal articles, can certainly add to your clinical expertise. It does this by increasing your depth of understanding about whatever disease you are researching.
I have greatly enjoyed editing Rheumatology Secrets. The contributions to the various chapters by clinical experts in the field have helped me a lot. Truth be told, the only way I can stay ahead of the rheumatology fellows in our program is to have edited this book.
Jason Liebowitz, MD, is a second-year fellow in rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Bayview.
