AAMC Reporter: November 2007

A Fiery Spirit

Reis (far right, in blue helmet) helps put out the flames of a suburban Pittsburgh fire.

As associate vice chancellor for clinical research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Steven E. Reis, M.D., often suits up in a lab coat for work. But after hours, he opts for a different kind of outfit. Something a little more durable. At least, something that's going to protect him as he extinguishes neighborhood blazes as a member of suburban Pittsburgh's Guyasuta Volunteer Fire Department.

Reis says his interest in fighting fires took root in high school more than 20 years ago, when he was working as a photojournalist for a small New York City newspaper. One assignment featured a local firefighting unit.

"When I was gathering information for the story and taking photographs of the firefighters, I realized just how essential a service it is," he says. "So, I decided to volunteer."

He kept it up during breaks in college and medical school, and upon moving to Pittsburgh for his first faculty appointment, Reis joined the Guyasuta squad. As a volunteer, Reis's doctoring skills obviously come in handy when rescuing individuals trapped from burning buildings or cars, as well as other situations. With the firefighting team, he medically stabilizes them until they are handed off to the paramedics.

Reis says that the knowledge he's amassed has helped him advance as a clinical investigator. For one, working with other members of a fire department has prepared him for the increasingly popular team-oriented approach to laboratory research. Firefighting has also taught him to expect the unexpected.

"The ability to improvise when circumstances don't go as planned is something that I've learned over decades in the fire service, and it really has impacted how I approach problems from research and administrative perspectives."

—By Elissa Fuchs

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