We hope that you find this course helpful and that you enjoy learning about the rheumatic illnesses. There are 12 lectures which will cover the main diseases we treat in Rheumatology. Your corebook has a handout for each lecture. The ANGEL site has the PowerPoint handouts for each lecture, as well as a short quiz about each topic so you can have a chance to practice taking a test. Although you will not be tested on the therapy of these illnesses, most of the lecturers have included either slides at the end of their ANGEL presentations or additional information at the end of their handout that address therapy. During a week in September each of you will spend an afternoon with us. During those afternoons you will learn about the musculoskeletal exam and have a chance to examine a patient with inflammatory arthritis. You will also meet with Dr. Jacobs, the course director, and review 15 case vignettes which will allow you to review the lecture material using a case study. The case vignettes are in the back of the corebook so you should bring the corebook to these sessions. Each student is assigned to one afternoon and you should come professionally dressed and in a white coat. We have arranged for a number of different patients to meet with you and discuss their illnesses. Medical students feel this is a very helpful way to remember these illnesses and their manifestations.