Rachel To

Rachel (She/her/hers) grew up in the frigid plains of western Canada in Calgary, Alberta before relocating with her family to sunny San Diego. She attended the University of California, San Diego for her undergraduate and graduate studies where she majored in Human Biology and completed a research-based Masters studying HIV-associated chronic inflammation. Moving out to the Midwest, Rachel completed her medical degree at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. She was involved in initiating diabetic eye screening for her school’s community clinic and volunteered weekly at the food pantry with her church. However, most of her time was dedicated towards student leadership, most notably serving as Student Dean and president of her Alpha Omega Alpha chapter. She was chosen to be a participant of the AMA Leadership Development Institute, a selective fellowship for fourth-year medical students interested in healthcare leadership.

Rachel first heard of Med-Peds from one of her mentors, a pediatric infectious disease physician. Not only did she love the spectrum of medicine from newborns to geriatrics, but she also discovered that her desire to serve in limited-resource settings and improve community health could be found in the field of Med-Peds – a specialty historically dedicated to bridging healthcare gaps through primary and transitional care medicine. During the residency interview season, Rachel immediately fell in love with UCLA Med-Peds. She was drawn to the authentic camaraderie of the residents as well as the program’s values and emphasis on conscientious and equitable quality of care through advocacy and innovation. Now at UCLA, Rachel intends to pursue the Health Systems and Management pathway and bring her passion for increasing health equity through sustainable system changes and quality improvement.

Rachel loves binge-watching reality TV shows, Netflix docuseries, and cooking/baking competitions. She enjoys being active and plays in a soccer league with her co-residents. Some of her favorite things about LA thus far include outdoor live music, summer movie nights at the Culver Steps, and exploring the amazing, culturally diverse and rich food scene.

Education:

Medical School – Rosalind Franklin University
Undergrad – University of California, San Diego