Visiting student spotlight: Rebecca Mindel
Our Visiting Scholars Program welcomes Rebecca Mindel, 4th year medical student at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who begins her four-week internal medicine elective at UW Medicine this week.
As part of this program, visiting students care for a variety of patients in our tertiary care centers and will be able to meet with various residents and faculty to gain experience with and exposure to the UW’s training program.
Education and research
Rebecca graduated from Princeton University with an undergraduate degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.
Before beginning medical school at Thomas Jefferson, she worked for a short time as a biologist in Yellowstone National Park, measuring effects of weather patterns on flora and fauna. During this time “My best friends were bison and moose,” she joked.
Her interest in ecological research ultimately morphed over time into an interest in the way the environment affects human health.
Rebecca has interned and worked on several research projects that focus on bridging environmental health and clinical medicine. She received an NIH grant to serve as public health research intern at Mount Sinai Hospital, Dept. of Environmental Medicine in New York City. There she investigated the effects of bright light exposure on circadian rhythms and outcomes in cancer patients.
She also worked as a research assistant at the Asthma Center in Philadelphia, where she focused on hypersensitivity reactions and asthma education.
Most recently, she completed a fellowship at NIH/ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences where she studied the impact of inhaled pollutants such as smoke, ozone, and dust on lung function.
Notably, she was selected to participate in Thomas Jefferson University's Health Design Lab during medical school. In this role, she has worked on several QI projects helping to improve healthcare delivery during COVID and redesign care with a user-centered approach.
After medical school, Rebecca is pursuing a residency in internal medicine and aspires to practice primary care or allergy/immunology, with a focus on prevention.
“I am especially interested in practicing in a rural area to increase access to care,” she said. "I look forward to working closely with patients over many years to identify chronic exposures, mitigate risks, and achieve shared health goals.”
Visiting UW
Rebecca chose UW Medicine for her visiting elective because of the strong focus on primary and preventative care as well as the emphasis on clinical research.
She is particularly excited about community interventions for clean air being implemented through DOEHS to improve cardiovascular and pulmonary health.
“Four days in, I’m already inspired by UW efforts to serve patients across urban and rural areas throughout the state,” she said.
During her time in Seattle, she is excited to explore the surrounding outdoors and is eager to spend time after her rotation on the Olympic Peninsula where she is hoping to see a jumping Elwha Chinook at the Salmon Cascades.
She is also looking forward to trying out Seattle’s famous coffee scene. “I’ve heard there’s no such thing as a bad cup of coffee in Seattle” she said. “I can’t yet confirm one way or another, but Fulcrum, the only place I’ve tried so far, was delicious. Please reach out if you have roastery recommendations.”
Personal life & interests
Originally from South Jersey, Rebecca’s family is Jewish and Cuban, “or as my family calls it ‘Jewban’” and growing up, her childhood was a fun collection of accents, customs, and foods.
She got married this past spring in a small ceremony in her parent's backyard. Rebecca and her partner currently live in Philadelphia and in their free time enjoy playing board games and love to host potluck Shabbat dinners with friends.
Rebecca played electric guitar (and sometimes keys) in her college rock band PURE. “We still play together every so often, and this is usually my highlight of the season!”