Natalia Tomilina - personality and profession

Abstract

Natalina Tomilina, a pioneer of Russian nephrology, is a clinician, researcher, teacher, organizer, leader, and a real pioneer, who has worked in nephrology from the very beginning of its development in Russia and continues to inspire new generations of Russian nephrologists. Her interests are very broad: from the physiology and pathophysiology of water and electrolyte balance and tubular dysfunctions to the management of transplant rejection, and from nephropathology to the treatment of idiopathic glomerulonephritis and ANCA-associated vasculitis…. to name a few. She implemented peritoneal dialysis, started first ICU for kidney patients in Russia, opened the door for the international communications, initiated a registry of the patients receiving RRT, and she never stopped seeing patients with kidney problems. In the interview on can find not only the story of her professional life, but also standpoint and philosophy of a great personality. Answering the question about emigration she said: "I never wanted to leave - I have to work at home, where I know and understand almost everything about my patients. Don't talk about prosperity, prosperous life sooner or later becomes boring. Prosperity is not the main point, and this is not prosperity, what gives you satisfaction. I feel that one should live in the place where he or she has an opportunity for personal fulfillment ad maximum". Her personal fulfillment is 100 % indeed.

Fig. 1

Natalia Tomilina (right) and Elena Zakarova discussing a clinical case: Mosсow 1983

Fig. 2

Natalia Tomilina as a young doctor (1963)

Fig. 3

Natalia Tomilina, sitting in the middle, and her team, Moscow 1983