Amir Abidov, MD, is set to graduate from our Allergy and Immunology/Rheumatology dual certification fellowship program this spring. But this milestone does not mark his departure from Iowa.
Post-fellowship, Abidov will transition to the role of Associate Program Director for the Immunology and Rheumatology Fellowship Programs, working to strengthen the same program that helped shape him as a clinician. Some of his leadership goals include building the immunology lecture series, incorporating more ultrasound training, and eventually, earning his master’s in medical education. With his deep commitment to education, he jokes, “My wife and I say that I am in 27th grade, that I can never leave school.”
Abidov’s path started with evolutionary biology. As an undergraduate, he became interested in the evolution of immune systems, which carried into medical school. There, he grew invested in the hygiene hypothesis and how allergic and autoimmune diseases develop. These curiosities drew him to allergy and immunology, and then toward rheumatology as well.
With very few Immunology/Rheumatology dual-certification programs in the country, Abidov discovered that Iowa was essentially the only program with an active fellow completing both tracks. He connected with Rheumatology Fellowship Program Director Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, RhMSUS, and their conversation led him to pursue his specialized training here.
An unprecedented residency
Like a few of our other graduating fellows this year, the COVID-19 pandemic began during Abidov’s intern year.
The region he was training in was hit early and hard. Ventilators ran short, ICU occupancy doubled, and ACGME suspended duty hour restrictions. Consequently, Abidov ended up completing nearly double his expected ICU time, with rheumatology and allergy electives deferred until the very end of residency.
The experience was extremely challenging, he said, but also gave him a lot to think about from an immunology perspective. He watched colleagues struggle with early evidence on steroid use in COVID pneumonia, resisting a treatment that, from an immunological standpoint, had overwhelming support in comparable contexts.
It was the first time he really saw the breakdown of medical practice when there was no clear guidance—a situation he has become increasingly comfortable with in his current career.
Double the training, double the reward
Dual fellowship meant more of everything, including 30% more clinic hours, more conferences, and more calls. Abidov said this integration has been rewarding and ultimately paid off.
“When I’m on consults with an attending they’ll ask me questions genuinely about the other specialty,” he said. “Not to test me—they actually want to know what I think. And you realize you can answer them.”
The best educators are those immersed in patient care, and Abidov will remain in both clinics after graduation. Much of what makes the work meaningful, he says, is the chance to be the physician who can finally provide an answer.
“Many of my patients have seen 20-plus doctors,” he said. “When you can figure something out—or even just explain why they don’t fit the picture—and give them the catharsis of: there is actually something we can do. . . That’s the thing I take with me the most.”
Why Iowa—and why he’s staying
Abidov came to Iowa City without much sense of what to expect. Then, he came to know a college town with a lot to offer—good schools, young families, outdoor access, and a strong gardening and farming culture. And for his clinical work, the location of UI Health Care draws patients traveling from hours away, which means fellows encounter rare diseases at a volume that more saturated regions often can’t match.
He also found strong mentors. Kumar brought him here and has guided his dual training journey; Alick Feng, MD, who was an F3 in the dual certification program when Abidov started, was also a mentor in this way. Division Director Ben Davis, MD, PhD, shaped Abidov’s approach to eosinophilic disorders and modeled thoughtful leadership. Diana Bayer, DO, grounded his immunology and immune deficiency training. Jenny Strouse, MD, made a point of checking in often on both clinical progress and personal wellness.
What makes Iowa’s program most special, Abidov said, is that it offers access and freedom in equal parts. Fellows gain access to rare cases, faculty who are prominent in their fields, and resources most programs can’t offer. This is paired with a freedom to pursue interests as they deepen or change course.
Abidov’s work won’t look entirely different when he steps into his new role. But he arrived in Iowa City without much sense of what to expect and then found, among other things, that he didn’t want to leave.