Rheumatologist in
St. Louis, Missouri
Donica Liu Baker, MD, FACR is a rheumatologist practicing the art of medicine in her beloved hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. With roots in the field of Kinesiology, she developed an early passion for helping patients improve their mobility, which evolved into an interest in arthritis and autoimmune diseases.
For her, the best part of being in medicine is having a window of perspective to understand humanity from all walks of life, and getting to see points of view that are different from her own. She enjoys listening to her patients' stories and offering as much healing for the mind, body, and spirit as she is able to.
Dr. Baker is involved with training the residents at her hospital, giving noon conference lectures on rheumatology topics, and teaching an annual rheumatology board review course every summer. As a medical honoree of the Arthritis Foundation, she is involved with patient advocacy and raising awareness about arthritis. She loves writing and is a blog writer for arthritis websites.
The Rheumatoid Arthritis Roadmap:
Navigating an Integrative Approach
Are you feeling lost after a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis? This book will answer all your questions about rheumatoid arthritis and takes an integrative approach in honoring the mind, body, and spirit connection in managing chronic pain and fatigue.
Available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.
Psalms for a Season of Grief
Grief is a universal experience, but so rarely talked about or expressed. After a prolonged hospitalization and the loss of her young son to a devastating illness, the author experienced a journey of grief and mourning that left her broken, but also gave her a spiritual awakening and a renewed sense of purpose towards life.
In her book, she shares the verses from the book of Psalms that shaped her transformation, and offers hope and healing for others who are experiencing grief and loss in any form.
Available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.
Rheumatology Drug Review:
for Boards and Clinical Practice
With all the new biologics coming out, who can keep track of them? Stay up to date with the mechanism of action, indications, side effects, and dosing of rheumatologic medications.
Whether you are starting your rheumatology fellowship, finishing training, or are already an attending in practice, this will be a useful book throughout your career. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Current Writing Projects
"The Two Halves of St. Louis"
As a young girl who immigrated with her parents from northeast China to a poor neighborhood in downtown St. Louis, the author always wondered what life was like "on the other side." As her parents advanced at Washington University and their family moved to West County, she discovered that life there had its own challenges and wasn't exactly what she thought it would be. In a coming-of-age memoir about socioeconomic divisions, generational trauma, cultural assimilation, and the hedonic adaptation, the author begins to create her own definition of what it means to leave a legacy, apart from what was always expected of her.
"The Evolution of Arthritis: Human Joints from Neanderthals to the COVID-19 Pandemic"
Is osteoarthritis a modern problem or an ancient one? Did cave men have arthritis, or did they not live long enough to get it? When did autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis start to be recognized, and how did that change the diagnostic landscape? How did pandemics change our understanding of the immune system? Will there ever be a cure for arthritis?
Get in Touch
Medical Specialists of St. Luke's
"St. Luke's is a faith-based, non-profit healthcare provider committed to improving the quality of life for our patients and the community. Our compassionate healthcare team furthers this mission by providing high quality, nationally-recognized care and achieving excellent patient satisfaction."
