Focus Rheums| Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? (video)

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Education & Training

ACR Offers Hands-On 101 Course in Advocacy

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The ACR’s Advocacy 101 course will be held Sept. 24 in Washington, D.C. The course is an interactive, intensive, full-day opportunity for fellows in training and program directors to learn about and become inspired to advocate for the continued strength of rheumatology recruitment and support for education, research and clinical practice. Course applications will be…

Prospects for Treating Patients with Arthritis in African Countries with Few Rheumatologists

Elizabeth Hofheinz, MPH, MEd  |  

At present, the U.S. has approximately 5,000 full-time adult rheumatologists. By the year 2025, that number will decline to roughly 3,600.1 Sounds dire, right? Hold that thought. Question: What country has 99 million people and no adult rheumatologists? Answer: Ethiopia.2 The Nigerian Story And then there is Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, with roughly 170…

Trainees Discuss Pros, Cons of Rheumatology Residency Rotation

Katarzyna Gilek-Seibert, MD, with Anais Ovalle, MD, Elias Jabbour, MD, Heather Ferri, DO, & Gabrielle Thottam, MD  |  

One day not too long ago, right smack in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was sitting at the roundtable of our conference room, also known as the solarium due to its sunny disposition. The spirit was high, and we all felt like we could bring some joy to the clinic that day. I…

The reasons rheumatologists choose hospital or academic employment vary. It comes down to what they value.

Rheumatologists Weigh Pros, Cons of Working in Academia

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Some rheumatologists find that an option other than working in a private practice makes the most sense for them. The reasons rheumatologists choose hospital or academic employment vary. Individual Choice When Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, MEd, associate professor of medicine and rheumatology training program director, Duke University, Durham, N.C., was finishing her fellowship in 2003, she…

Ethics Forum: Teach Rheumatology Fellows to Use Good Judgment in Pharmaceutical Company Interactions

Arundathi Jayatilleke, MD, MS  |  

We teach medical students, residents and fellows evidence-based medicine to lay the groundwork for rational prescribing and good clinical judgment. But should we stop our rheumatology fellows from interacting with pharmaceutical companies as part of this foundation? It is not surprising that pharma­ceutical companies can influence physician pre­scribing through gifts. At least, it should not…

Clinical Documentation and Coding Boot Camp

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Coding properly and efficiently can have a profound effect on practice viability. ICD-10’s many changes, both ongoing and planned, have many physicians, coders and practice administrators confused, especially as the changes relate to clinical documentation improvement. To address this issue, a pre-symposium course on documentation and coding will be held in conjunction with the ACR’s…

U.S. Doctors in Training to Work Longer Hours Under New Guidelines

Andrew M. Seaman  |  

(Reuters Health)—Days may get a lot longer for some doctors in training after the group that oversees medical education in the U.S. rolled back controversial rules limiting the number of hours first-year residents may work. Beginning July 1, doctors in their first year of training after medical school may once again care for patients for…