Developing that immunology spidey sense

“It’s not about knowing each one. It’s about knowing the patterns, the warning signs, the general pathways, and knowing when to ask a friend when you’re a little bit lost.” —Dr. Tamar  Rubin

On this episode of The Allergist, Dr. Mariam Hanna turns the focus to how allergists LEARN to recognize when common presentations may signal a deeper immune problem — and how that diagnostic instinct is built, taught, and sustained.

She’s joined by Tamar Rubin, pediatric allergist and clinical immunologist, Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, and a national leader in immunology education. Dr. Rubin makes the case that inborn errors of immunity are not a fringe interest, but central to understanding immunology across allergy, asthma, infection, and biologic therapies — and that allergist-immunologists are the specialists uniquely trained to recognize and teach this.

On this episode, they discuss:

• Why allergist-immunologists “own” inborn errors of immunity, and why teaching these conditions is part of the specialty’s responsibility
• Moving trainees away from memorizing rare syndromes and toward recognizing immune pathways, patterns, and warning signs
• How patient-based teaching, case discussions, OSCEs, and national academic half-day curricula help trainees develop diagnostic “spidey sense”
• What happens when you build dedicated immunology clinics, and how volume and exposure increase once you start looking
• The importance of national collaboration and collegial networks when managing ultra-rare immune conditions
• Practical ways allergists in community practice can stay engaged with inborn errors of immunity, even with limited volume or access to specialized testing
• Knowing when — and how — to ask for help matters as much as knowing the diagnosis.

Because in the end, inborn errors of immunity aren’t just about rare diseases. They sharpen how allergists think, teach, and listen when the immune story doesn’t quite fit.

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The Allergist is produced for CSACI by PodCraft Productions