On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service

In the early chapters of On Call, Fauci focuses on the representation of the values instilled during his childhood by his parents and the rigorous medical training that refined his approach to medicine, deepening his commitment to public health. These foundational values contribute significantly to Fauci’s advancement as a physician and researcher, ultimately guiding him toward his influential role in public health.

In detailing his early life experiences, Fauci traces the roots of his core personal and professional values to his family and childhood community. His upbringing in a close-knit Italian American neighborhood in Brooklyn, his schooling at the Our Lady of Guadalupe elementary school, as well as his high-school education at the Jesuit Regis High School, taught the young Fauci the importance of empathy and community service, without compromising the importance of intellectual curiosity. In particular, Fauci’s family combined support and empathy with a commitment to learning and service. The exposure to practices of community care through his father’s small pharmacy business, where people sought medical advice, often on credit, and his mother’s focus on study, helped young Fauci develop a strong sense of duty and an impeccable work ethic. Fauci illustrates the feminine influences in his life as inspiration for his academic interests:

The nuns of the order of Saint Dominic were in charge of Our Lady of Guadalupe School and introduced me to the experience of tough love. They were strict disciplinarians but taught us excellent work habits. Not that I needed this. My mother was keen on striving for excellence and held high expectations for my performance in school. She constantly bought books for me or borrowed them from the public library for me to read. Although my father was extremely bright, he left the academic pushing to my mother. I soon realized on my own how much I enjoyed school and learning even without outside pressure (12).

Fauci’s mother’s encouragement and the disciplined environment of his schooling cultivated a love for learning and set high standards that he carried into his medical training, shaping his commitment to both academic excellence and compassionate care. The sense of responsibility for the community is reflected in his later decision to pursue medicine, particularly in the field of infectious diseases, where he could directly impact vulnerable populations.

Fauci further emphasizes his mother’s influence on his life by highlighting moments in which his mother’s gentle nature, compassion, and deep emotional sensitivity guided his own responses to the world. For example, when young Fauci saw the image of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs’ aftermath, he initially thought it symbolized victory. Yet, his mother’s tears and her explanation—”Anthony, you do not understand now, but this is one of the worst things that could have happened in this world. So many innocent people killed or maimed” (14)—marked his first encounter with the devastating impact of human suffering. This moment has a double significance in Fauci’s narrative: it reveals his mother’s empathy, which contributed to his upbringing, and also serves as an early lesson in the complexity of human experience, shaping young Fauci’s sensitivity toward the suffering of others.

His mother’s compassion becomes an internalized trait that Fauci carries into his medical practice, influencing his approach to patient care and public health. However, his mother’s death presents a different and more personal challenge. Fauci’s recounting of his mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis is marked by duality—he experiences the grief of a son and the analytic distance of a physician. Recalling the moment when he learns of her prognosis from a colleague, Fauci describes the vulnerability he feels: “I was training to be a physician, and here I was, helpless” (27). This juxtaposition highlights The Challenge of Maintaining Emotional Composure During Medical Practice—a central theme that Fauci returns to throughout On Call. Despite his devastating loss, Fauci’s experience with his mother’s illness drives him to focus even more intensely on his training, graduating first in his class at Cornell University. As he narrates the story, Fauci focuses on the resilience that his parents inspired in him, which compels him to transform his personal pain into professional dedication at this pivotal moment. The blend of empathy and strength becomes a defining element of his approach to medicine and public health, guiding him as he transitions from personal loss to a career dedicated to addressing broader societal challenges, Pioneering Scientific Discovery in the Face of Ambiguity.

Part 1 illustrates the evolution of Fauci’s professional identity, laying the groundwork for his eventual rise as a central figure in public health. The values, experiences, and challenges that shaped Fauci’s path in medicine inform the many achievements and discoveries of his career. Fauci’s early life in Brooklyn instills a sense of compassion and commitment to community, which become a guiding force in his professional life. The rigorous education during elementary school and high school, as well as his medical training at Cornell University, sharpen his clinical skills and reinforce his dedication to patient care. The transition to the NIH introduces him to the potential and limitations of specialized medical research. His early journey describes a combination of personal values and professional ambition, inspiring a relentless pursuit of both scientific excellence and a desire to make a meaningful impact on society.