President’s Letter from Deb Palazzi – Lessons That Endure

There is something energizing about August. A new academic year is underway, with new trainees, fresh energy and enthusiasm. It is a reminder that pediatric infectious diseases is a specialty built on learning.

What I love most about our field is that we are never just one thing. We are teachers and learners, mentors and mentees, experts and students – all at the same time. We teach families about vaccines, stewardship, and treatment of their diseases. We teach medical students how to think critically, residents how to navigate uncertainty, and fellows how to become the next generation of leaders. Yet every day, our patients, trainees, colleagues, and new scientific discoveries teach us in return. Curiosity is part of who we are.

I’ve been thinking about the lessons that endure. Years from now, our trainees may not remember every lecture or every guideline. But they will remember how we approached a difficult diagnosis, how we treated colleagues, how we responded when we didn’t know the answer, and how we advocated for children and families. Those moments often shape the kind of physicians they will become.

Perhaps that is the greatest privilege of being in pediatric infectious diseases. We don’t simply care for today’s patients; we help shape tomorrow’s clinicians, scientists, educators, and advocates. That commitment to developing one another is also what makes PIDS more than a professional society. We are a specialty and a community dedicated to ensuring that every generation leaves the next stronger than the last.

Every interaction is an opportunity to spark curiosity, build confidence, or inspire someone to pursue a career that touches countless lives. As PIDS continues to invest in education and professional development, I hope we remember that our greatest teaching often happens quietly – on rounds, in the laboratory, over coffee, or in the hallway after a conference. So, as another academic year begins, thank you for being both teachers and lifelong learners. The best lesson we ever teach may not be in a textbook or slide presentation. It is the example we set every day.