TY - JOUR T1 - Fauci effect? When the heart is in the right place, but reality is not JF - Journal of Investigative Medicine JO - J Investig Med SP - 951 LP - 953 DO - 10.1136/jim-2021-001949 VL - 69 IS - 5 AU - Jorge Cervantes Y1 - 2021/06/01 UR - http://hw-f5-jim.highwire.org/content/69/5/951.abstract N2 - The ‘Fauci Effect’ is the terminology for the phenomenon of an increased number of applicants to medical school this year, attributed to the impact of Dr Anthony Fauci’s performance in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic.Society, as a whole, has become aware of the challenges that the healthcare workforce worldwide is dealing with during this pandemic, and people are seeing the pain and suffering of those who deal with COVID-19. This has ignited the desire and motivation in applicants who were thinking about a career in medicine. Dr Fauci has been an inspiring and a trusted figure during the pandemic, and now many people want to make a difference similar to what Dr Fauci is doing. Whether directly triggered by Dr Fauci or not, the increase in applications could be a result of people becoming informed of what is currently happening in the world.Anthony Fauci began his fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1966, where he completed his training in infectious diseases (ID) and in allergy/immunology. He became a leading expert on HIV/AIDS during the following decades, and became President of the American Federation for Medical Research from 1980 to 1981. In 1984, he was appointed to be the fifth Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr Fauci has been an icon for physicians, scientists and other public health leaders because he represents a voice of reason during a time when there is so much misinformation regarding science and medicine. Physicians everywhere aspire to use science to advance the health of their patients, and Dr Fauci’s example has been extraordinary in terms of his clarity, grace, and expertise.According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the number of students applying to enter medical school in 2021 is up to 18% … ER -