On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service

“One of my few memories of those early years is the sensual impression of warmth, security, and sunlight on my face as my mother pushed me in my stroller through the streets of Brooklyn while she shopped for the evening meals. I also remember an array of delicious smells that enveloped me as my mother and I went in and out of Italian delicatessens, or salumerias, as they were called. Another impression that stays with me to this day is my lying in bed on a foggy night and hearing the extraordinarily soothing sound of the long, slow foghorn blasts of large vessels coming from the Atlantic Ocean and passing through Gravesend Bay on their way through the Narrows to their destination in New York Harbor. Life in Brooklyn was good, even at that very young age.”

Fauci reflects on his earliest memories in Brooklyn, drawing on sensory details to evoke a strong sense of warmth, security, and community. These memories emphasize how deeply connected he felt to his heritage and neighborhood. His recollections express an enduring sense of comfort and belonging, as these impressions have remained vivid throughout his life. In rare moments of relaxation with his family, he always returns to his heritage, mainly through food and sensorial experiences.

“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.”

In this reflection, Fauci illustrates how early discipline and high expectations shaped his academic drive. The education received from the Dominican nuns, combined with his mother’s emphasis on excellence, fostered a sense of responsibility and self-motivation in him. Fauci also underlines the intrinsic enjoyment of learning, which became the core of his educational pursuit. Fauci was always at the top of his class and graduated as the first one in his year from Cornell University Medical School.

“I felt numb, but for the first time I was thinking about my mother both as a son and as a physician. What next? She needed surgery for a definitive diagnosis, so the attending surgeon, Dr. Henry Mannix, did an open biopsy. Again, a call that I kind of expected: ‘Tony, your mother has a liver full of tumor, and the prognosis is really very bad.’ The only thing to do for my mother was to keep her comfortable. I was training to be a physician, and here I was, helpless. I took the subway to Brooklyn and told my father. It was one of the most painful moments in my young life. He was crushed.”

Here, Fauci confronts the intersection of his roles as a son and a medical professional, grappling with the helplessness of facing his mother’s diagnosis. Despite his medical training, he finds himself unable to change the outcome, illustrating the limitations and vulnerability that come with being a physician when loved ones are involved.