Preceptorship Experience Affirms Student's Path to Rheumatology
David Caretto found his calling in rheumatology early in life. While in high school, rheumatic disease hit home for him, literally. His sister was diagnosed with a rare form of scleroderma. While attending college at the University of Arizona, a friend of his died from complications related to her lupus. These experiences changed him, igniting an interest in medicine and a desire to one day help patients as a medical professional.
Comments Caretto, “These experiences really sparked an interest in medicine for me, particularly in the area of rheumatology. In both cases, the treatments that were offered only addressed symptoms and had little effect on the overall outcomes. I began to see a possible career in rheumatology as an opportunity to help patients suffering from extremely serious diseases that have relatively few treatment options. The more I learned about the field, the more my interest grew.”
He continued to nurture his interest in rheumatology in medical school at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While looking for a summer research lab experience to enhance his overall academic experience, Caretto found out about the ACR REF Medical Student Research Preceptorship award program and applied. “I was excited to find out about this program. It represented the best of all possible scenarios for me – not only had I found a research lab experience, it was a research lab experience focused entirely on rheumatology. It was easy deciding to apply,” he recalls.
Caretto was selected as one of a handful of participants in the Medical Student Research Preceptorship and completed his three-month program during the summer of 2005. During his Preceptorship, he worked under the direction of Dr. Leonard Dragone, MD, PhD, a well-respected pediatric rheumatologist, in the lab of Dr. Arthur Weiss, MD, PhD, at UCSF. The specifics of his summer research project included detailing signaling through the T-cell receptor in mice models. Although no significant scientific findings were generated during his Preceptorship, the experience was still a valuable one for him.
Elaborating on the Preceptorship, Caretto notes, “The significance of this experience was less about the actual outcomes of scientific research and more about the process of scientific research. Dr. Dragone and Dr. Weiss taught me about all aspects of the scientific research process – developing good research questions, determining the best research techniques to answer these questions and analyzing my data to determine the next questions to be answered. These skills will be invaluable to my medical career, in any setting or capacity.”
The Preceptorship program not only helped to form Caretto’s foundational research skills, but it also helped lay the foundation for his career plans. Although he still has to complete medical school and a residency, Caretto has already decided to pursue a fellowship in rheumatology, when the time comes. He continues, “The REF Preceptorship award experience definitely confirmed for me that I will pursue a career in academic medicine focused on rheumatology. Although the program lasted only three months, the educational and personal benefits I gained as a result will be with me for the rest of my career.”
David Caretto received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona, Tucson. He is currently completing medical school at the University of California, San Francisco and plans to eventually pursue his fellowship in rheumatology.
About the Award
The ACR REF/Abbott Medical Student Research Preceptorship, part of the REF awards portfolio, is designed specifically for students who are between the first and second year of medical school. The award introduces students to the specialty of rheumatology by supporting a full-time, three month research experience. Recipients also receive travel funds to attend the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. Funding for this award is made possible through the Abbott Endowment for Rheumatology Development.
