On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service

Fauci’s career spans over 50 years, from the time he finished his medical training at Cornell University in 1966 to his retirement, in 2022. His work intersects with some of the most significant health crises in modern history, from the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. Each era tested the US’s healthcare infrastructure, exposed social disparities, and required scientific leadership and a reconfiguration of the public health system. Thus, Fauci’s memoir serves as a testament to the ways public health both influences and reflects societal values, and how, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, Fauci’s role became emblematic of the struggle between science, politics, and public opinion.

As the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Fauci became a public figure and a source of guidance during a period of fear and misinformation. In 2020, the pandemic’s spread and the unprecedented, global lockdowns brought new levels of public scrutiny and attention to scientists, particularly those tasked with communicating complex and often evolving health guidelines. In this role, Fauci had to balance scientific clarity with public assurance, attempting to convey emerging data on masks, vaccines, and social distancing in real time.