A Career in Rheumatology
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What do Rheumatologists do?
Look after patients with multisystem conditions including inflammatory arthritis e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, Sjogren's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, osteoporosis and scleroderma.
- Perform procedures including joint and soft tissue injections and deliver evidence-based treatments for musculoskeletal disorders.
More about Rheumatology
There is an immunological basis to many conditions in rheumatology that has translated into clinical care e.g. use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and more recently anti-TNF and B cell depletion therapies.
Currently the specialty is developing with earlier diagnosis e.g. of rheumatoid arthritis using ultrasound and MRI. Newer biologics are also emerging, e.g. T cell targeted therapies.
Rheumatology can be practiced in a hospital setting where patients may require inpatient treatment such as in vasculitis, but the majority of rheumatology practice is in outpatient settings. Rheumatologists work closely with nurse specialists, physiotherapists, orthopaedic and plastic surgeons.
There are many opportunities to be involved in teaching and in research, which may be in basic science or translational work aimed at understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatological diseases.
In summary, it is a very exciting time to be a rheumatologist!
Useful links
- Arthritis Research Campaign: www.arc.org.uk
- Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA): www.arma.uk.net
- Lupus UK: www.lupusuk.com
- National Osteoporosis Society: www.nos.org.uk
- Royal College of Physicians: www.rcplondon.ac.uk
- BSR Medical Student Bursaries: