Empathy fueled Dr. Anthony Fauci's medical journey, but a former school motto served as an enduring inspiration.
"(CNNS) - "Don't let the jerks get to you"
This saying, ingrained in Dr. Anthony Fauci during his time at the Jesuit-run Regis High School in New York City, could almost be Fauci's personal mantra. Although he pursued a career in science, medicine, and public health, controversy always seemed to find its way to him. By remaining open-minded and adaptable, he often managed to turn a looming crisis into something productive.
Fauci recounts numerous such moments in his new memoir, "On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service."
Fauci's face was familiar even before the Covid-19 pandemic, as he served as the long-time director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. However, he gained widespread recognition when he joined the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which was tasked with monitoring and mitigating the spread of the virus.
Fauci frequently addressed the anxious and frustrated American public during government news conferences, providing updates and offering advice on topics such as face masks, social distancing, school closures, hospitalization rates, and eventually, vaccines. Many credit him with helping the nation navigate the uncharted waters of the coronavirus crisis with his medical expertise, calm demeanor, and distinct Brooklyn accent.
Simultaneously, Fauci navigated political headwinds, including resistance from former President Donald Trump, who downplayed the threat of SARS-CoV-2 while launching "Operation Warp Speed," an initiative aimed at rapidly developing vaccines and therapeutics.
Additionally, a group of coronavirus deniers, conspiracy theorists, and anti-vaxxers blamed Fauci personally for challenges with school closures, mask mandates, and vaccine recommendations. To this day, Fauci continues to face death threats, as he recently testified.
Fauci was also in the spotlight during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s, when his agency spearheaded efforts to combat the escalating epidemic. HIV/AIDS activists criticized Fauci and the entire medical establishment for not doing enough or moving quickly enough to help those infected with the virus.
Throughout his career, Fauci appears to have taken public criticism in stride, often using it to build something better. This attitude he learned as a child.
"The Jesuit priests, when you felt like the whole world was trying to get to you, they would say 'Illegitimi non carborundum,' which means 'don't let the jerks get to you,'" Fauci told CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
"They don't squash my spirit to the point that it interferes with my work, but it does take a toll," he added.
Fauci sat down for a conversation with Gupta, one of many they've shared over the years, to discuss his life's work and his legacy. These excerpts have been lightly edited for length and clarity. (Listen to more of the conversation on the podcast "Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta" here.)
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: I want to talk about the 54 years of public service – almost 40 years, as you say, as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Go back to June 5, 1981. What's the significance of that?
Dr. Anthony Fauci: I was in my office in the clinical center at the NIH, and I read the June 5 [issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which described five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia among five gay men in LA] and I looked at it and I said, "Gosh, what a curiosity." This is strange that they're all gay men — but maybe there was talk about using poppers or drugs to enhance your sexual experience that maybe somehow had the collateral effect of suppressing their immune system.
But it bothered me. Boy, you really have got to suppress the immune system a lot to get pneumocystis [a serious lung infection caused by a common fungus]. ... So I put it aside, saying "it's probably a fluke, and it's just going to disappear."
The real turning point came one month later, in July of 1981, when the second MMWR came; this time, 26 – curiously – all young, otherwise healthy gay men, not only from LA, but from San Francisco and New York City, who presented not only with pneumocystis but with Kaposi’s sarcoma and multiple other opportunistic infections.
I can say – retrospectively, when you try to evaluate the different landmarks in your life, in your career – reading that MMWR totally transformed my professional career because I made the decision right there, even though I had a very successful career up to that point ... I said, "this is a brand new disease. And even though I don't know what it is, there's no doubt it's an infection. ... And it seems to be destroying the immune system." And here I am: boards in internal medicine, boards in infectious diseases, boards in clinical immunology. I said, "If there's one disease that I have to study, is this disease.""
User: Gupta: Many individuals who know you from the Covid situation might not be aware that you faced similar struggles with HIV/AIDS before. Not just a new disease, but discovering new treatments, and the activists. How was that phase of your life?
Fauci: Well, folks frequently ask about the similarities or differences between the resistance against me and the government during HIV and the opposition towards the government during the Covid period, with me being the face of it. ... It's as distinct as peanuts and watermelons.
The HIV/AIDS activists were trying to grab the attention of the authorities, whether they were scientific or regulatory, and make them realize that the traditional approach for dealing with a new disease didn't work for a fast-killing disease like HIV/AIDS. They wanted a place at the table. ... Their aggression towards us, in my mind, was based on a good cause. Thinking back, it reminds me of John Lewis' "good trouble" rather than the negative. The activists created good trouble for us, pushing us to put ourselves in their shoes. ...
One of the best things I did in my career was not running away from them like most of the scientific community did... Instead, I realized, "This won't work, so I'll put aside the commotion and listen to what they have to say."
What they had to say made total sense to me, and I found myself thinking, "If I were in their shoes, I would do exactly what they're doing." That's when I invited them in to sit down with us and said "let's start talking." ... In time, they became a vital part of the community's scientific endeavor to address HIV using therapeutics, prevention, and regulation. They're now included in all our advisory committees, part of the discussion. And truthfully, several of them have become my closest friends.
User: But to emphasize this point, were you feeling this way at that time, 40 years ago, or was this perspective something you developed later? I mean, this idea that maybe there was something beneficial in these confrontations?
Fauci: Empathy was the driving force behind me, something I've valued throughout my career in medicine and anything else I've done. My upbringing and training in Jesuit schools instilled empathy, caring for those in need and those suffering.
By empathizing with them and listening to what they say—ignoring the shouting and yelling, just focusing on the message—I found that it made perfect sense to me. My interaction with them, as is often asked, was quite different from someone who, based on no evidence, accuses you of causing harm or like the scene of Marjorie Taylor Greene at the hearing. Honestly, that's nothing like what the HIV activists were doing.
User: So, what do you hope your legacy to be? How do you want people to remember Dr. Anthony Fauci?
Fauci: I've thought about this, and honestly, I'll leave that up to others to decide. I know what I've done, the development of drugs for HIV, the vaccine for Covid. But I can't say, "I want my legacy to be this," because people have different opinions about that...
What I'd want my legacy to be, something I'm sure of, is that I gave it my all every single day. In a sports analogy, I always gave my best, never held back. I dedicated everything I had to the discipline I'm in, which is science, medicine, and public health. That's what I'd like my legacy to be.
Listen to the full “Chasing Life” episode here. And join us next week on the podcast when we delve into the link between exercise and happiness.
CNN’s Grace Walker contributed to this report.
Read also:
Fauci frequently recalled the motto from his Jesuit-run school, "Don't let the jerks get to you," as a source of strength during his controversial career in medicine and public health. Despite facing opposition from various quarters, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, Fauci maintained his composure and open-mindedness, turning many challenges into opportunities for progress.
Innavigating political headwinds and criticism from groups such as anti-vaxxers, Fauci remained resolute in his commitment to public service and the well-being of the American people. This unwavering dedication, ingrained in him as a child by his former school's motto, contributed to his ability to persevere in the face of adversity and continue making a positive impact in the field of medicine.
