Some have opined, cynically, that transformative changes will not come to medical education and training, and to healthcare, until pigs fly. Well, in 2009–10, “swine flu,” and now we are in the midst of an unprecedented and disruptive pandemic, affecting virtually all aspects of our lives, including fellowships.1 As someone who started a rheumatology fellowship…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have provided the opportunity to apply for exceptions for the Performance Year (PY) 2020 Quality Payment Program Merit-Based Incentive Program (MIPS) program requirements. This will help clinicians finding PY2020 MIPS federal reporting difficult due to circumstances outside their control.
A study highlights the potential of fasinumab, an anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody, as a pain treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Research into the risks and benefits of this therapeutic class for OA are ongoing…
Plasma microbial translocation, the composition of the microbiome and environmental factors may influence the development of autoantibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a study comparing SLE patients with their first-degree relatives and unrelated, healthy controls.
For most doctors, fellowship training represents the final two to three years of formal medical education, and recognition of the unique opportunities of this time period can help aspiring rheumatologists get the most out of their fellowship. Fellowship training is inherently different than residency training, with less structured time, smaller teams (often consisting of only…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Interleukin (IL) 1 beta is a key player in the osteoarthritis (OA) inflammatory process and inhibiting it may help slow the disease process, according to an exploratory analysis of data from the CANTOS trial.1 CANTOS participants who were treated with the IL-1-beta inhibitor canakinumab had a significantly lower rate of total hip…
If you’re a rheumatologist, you likely remember the moment of truth on your match day—the day of revelation, when the complex computer algorithm set up by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) accommodates the wishes of programs and applicants and then discloses into which program an applicant has been placed. Although it has always been…
The COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping clinical rheumatology and the fellowship experience. Rheumatology education should include how to triage patients for remote visits, says second-year fellow Kanika Monga, MD…
ACR BEYOND LIVE—Much, if not all, of rheumatology relies on clinical interpretation of historical, laboratory and imaging information to formulate a coherent diagnosis and treatment plan—even when such information is incomplete or has multiple possible interpretations. One of the best examples of this situation pertains to nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), a condition that is just…
With telemedicine platforms and Zoom calls, technology is playing a large role in how rheumatology fellows are seeing patients and participating in lectures and conferences…