Hans

Vitzthum von Eckstaedt

MD

education

Medical School: University of Virginia

Residency: University of Chicago

biography

Dr. Vitzthum von Eckstaedt grew up just outside of Boston, spending his formative years on the soccer pitch and ski hill with his twin Klaus. Always a nature boy, Hans exasperated his mother with his proclivity for becoming covered in dirt and sunburned while searching for different marine and terrestrial critters. His fascination with the natural world gradually distilled into a plan to pursue medicine. He attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine, following which he completed residency at the University of Chicago. Hans aspires to pursue a career in academic medicine, focusing on disparities and access issues in rheumatology as well as the overlap of rheumatology and oncology. In his spare time, Hans enjoys cooking, mixology, trail running, and has an avid appetite for the outdoors, specifically mountaineering. If he has a spare moment, you will likely find him tramping through the mountains regardless of the weather (getting dirty, still to his mother’s chagrin).

Why UW? 

"UW appealed to me for a number of reasons. Chiefly, UW is a renowned, large public institution and thus has the ability to care for nearly anyone, both on the inpatient and outpatient side. I am also looking forward to providing care to the WWAMI region as a whole, which has a dearth of rheumatologists. From a personal standpoint, the access to the numerous wilderness areas is massively attractive."

Why Rheumatology? 

"While the pathophysiology behind rheumatologic diseases has always been of interest, additional personal reasons drove me to pursue rheumatology. Several members of my family deal with rheumatologic diseases. They are well controlled. My mother and sister compete in 100-mile bike races, have played soccer at a collegiate level, and ski throughout the winter. This stands in contrast to so many of the patients without access to the medications and resources my family has. My hope is to bring care to those patients."