She wanted me to call in an antibiotic. My sister, a lawyer, often tells me how the ethics of her profession govern even her extra-professional acts. She feels that when she was sworn into the New York State bar, she lost the freedom to bend the truth. She would never, for example, attempt to smuggle…
“Greetings of the day!” My email account used to be flooded by these cheerful salutations, referring to me as an esteemed colleague or a thought leader. I have to admit: at first, I enjoyed receiving these messages. Normally, when I log into my email account, I’m greeted by messages—punctuated by red, capital letters—that announce dire…
As a veteran rheumatologist, I remember the clinical trials of etanercept’s (Enbrel’s) efficacy. And when the drug was first approved in 1998, I participated in those clinical trials and realized the effectiveness was astonishing. It was easy to tell which patients were treated with etanercept vs. those who received placebo, even though both groups were…
I nodded, gravely. I was recently privileged to attend a symposium on eosinophils. I realize that this sounds odd. And it was odd, mainly because I’m not an eosinophil expert. Still, they were in need of someone who knew something about eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, so I managed to sneak in through the back door….
The year is drawing to a close, and I have not been forced to release a statement that I am leaving The Rheumatologist “to spend more time with my family.” Once again, improbably, I have made it to the finish line. Given that, now seems to be a good time to reflect, and to give…
The cards sat, untouched, in a corner of my desk. In the 1800s, it was common for American saloons to provide patrons with a free meal. Of course, the meal came with a catch: The meals were predictably salt laden and designed to encourage patrons to drink more beer. Hence was born the expression, “There…
I knew I shouldn’t look. I was driving 60 miles per hour, heading north on I-95, trying to get to the George Washington Bridge before dusk. It takes a certain fatalism to drive through New York City if you are not a native. Ninety percent of the drivers sharing the road with you know exactly…
“And of course, I am not telling you to do it. That would be illegal.” As a general rule, I try not to instruct my patients to break the law. My business model depends on repeat customers, so placing a patient at risk of getting arrested—even if that risk is remote—doesn’t seem like a good…
I knew I was about to be schooled. That’s what I thought when I first started to read the Twitter feed of Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. I have a Twitter account, but as a general rule, I use it…
The College’s principal journals have been telling the tale of workforce woe, exploring the reasons for our predicament and potential solutions for the long and short term.1,2 Among the medium-term remedies is increased use of advanced practice clinicians (APCs), as we collectively refer to nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rheumatology practices. Solutions Estimates of…