Matt Sparks gave KidneyCON keynote on Friday night. It was an amazing talk.
The legend of Sparks .#KidneyCon pic.twitter.com/AIj8x9DzBb
— Manisha (@nephrosingh) April 7, 2018
Things you don’t see at #KidneyWK
#CallingtheHogs with @Nephro_Sparks because #Arkansas #ARnotAK #PigSooie #KIDNEYcon pic.twitter.com/sWubp4Vkah
— Diana Mahbod, MD, CPE, FASN, FNKF (@DiMiRenalMD) April 7, 2018
John Arthur asked Matt to talk about his career and how he navigated medicine to become an accomplished scientist, clinician, and educator. Matt organized his talk around the mentors that guided him. The theme was that the way he made his way forward was by finding the best mentors available and learning as much as he could from them. It started with Wynton Marsalis
.@Nephro_Sparks telling his story – started in college with the goal to play trumpet in the symphony as a performance major. Ended up in microbiology because it was next to music in the course catalogue. #KIDNEYcon pic.twitter.com/gtTCtsGueB
— Timothy Yau (@Maximal_Change) April 7, 2018
Though he went to the University of Arkansas to play trumpet he transitioned to biomedical science and found Dr Jeannine Durdik, an inspiring basic science professor, who taught him the scientific method.
Next inspiration #KidneyCON @Nephro_Sparks pic.twitter.com/WEayqCnNfL
— Joel M. Topf, MD FACP (@kidney_boy) April 7, 2018
After flirting with a career in basic science he went medical school at the University of Arkansas and matched at Arkansas where also did a chief resident year. The chair of medicine was Dr. Andreoli. I never knew Andreoli, but he sounds like the type of physician they don’t make any more…and you are simultaneously saddened and relieved by that fact. Andreoli was a giant in nephrology and Sparks worked close with him as a resident and closer during his chief year.
Next andreoli #KidneyCON @Nephro_Sparks pic.twitter.com/wP0ZjcVddz
— Joel M. Topf, MD FACP (@kidney_boy) April 7, 2018
Andreoli directed Matt to Duke where he mentored by Tom Coffman. Coffman taught Matt how to write and directed him on his scientific career.
First lab at duke. Measuring blood flow in mice. #KidneyCON @Nephro_Sparks pic.twitter.com/EXBtslafbl
— Joel M. Topf, MD FACP (@kidney_boy) April 7, 2018
Then Matt talked about going to Mount Desert Island and meeting Nate Hellman. Matt was already an avid reader of the Renal Fellow Network, and Nate invited Matt to contribute. Matt really didn’t get involved until after Nate passed away and this ignited his desire to contribute to the Renal Fellow Network. This is how Matt got involved in and ultimately helped forge what would eventually become our online tribe of nephrologists.
Matt felt that he was on a mission to carry on the @RenalFellowNtwk after Nate died. #KidneyCON @Nephro_Sparks pic.twitter.com/mtfd1sJTWg
— Joel M. Topf, MD FACP (@kidney_boy) April 7, 2018
It was fascinating to see the people that mentored Matt, because he is a mentor to so many right now.
Today’s #NSMC. #KidneyCON @Nephro_Sparks pic.twitter.com/5afvXZ3hmW
— Joel M. Topf, MD FACP (@kidney_boy) April 7, 2018
Matt seems to know every nephrology fellow in the country and he takes an interest in promoting them and getting them involved. He is a strong advocate for fellows, both in and outside of Duke.
Even though Matt is younger than me, he is one of my important mentors. He has a wisdom that I don’t have and I often go to him with questions. I also trace my success with social media to his reaching out to me back in 2010. He guided me and really transformed my efforts from a solo project to one that recognizes that we can go further and do better by working together. Its a simple lesson but it has been critical to all of the successes we have found in social media.
Matt,
Congratulations on the Keynote.
Congratulations on putting together an amazing conference.
I am honored to be your friend and mentee.
Joel
