UCF medical student Rachel Shi is a Renaissance woman whose achievements in science, research, community service and the arts have earned her statewide recognition.
Shi will graduate from medical school next May after completing his master’s degree in public health from Purdue University Global and his bachelor’s degree in pre-medical science and studio art from Bard College in Simon’s Rock, Massachusetts.
She said she was attracted to UCF’s medical school because of its young, pioneering spirit and strong arts-in-medicine opportunities that encourage students, faculty and staff to express themselves through creativity in addition to science.
“I love drawing and playing the piano, which I’ve been doing for almost 20 years,” she says. “In addition to the therapeutic effects of art and music on patients, I appreciated the way in which the visual arts contribute to the practice of medicine, through the power of observation, reflection and understanding. critical analysis. »
Her art has been featured at the College of Medicine’s annual art showcase, in its literary arts magazine, The Script, and in galleries in Massachusetts and Orlando.
She was inspired to become a doctor while in college, after volunteering in hospitals in Peru, where patients in rural areas walked miles to get health care. This experience inspired her to care for underserved communities, and as a medical student, she volunteered and became clinical director of the St. Thomas Aquinas Free Clinic in St. Cloud.
The Florida Board of Medicine recently honored Shi with the President’s Medical Student Recognition Award, which recognizes medical students who exemplify leadership, professionalism, compassion and academic excellence while excelling in clinical practice and community service.
Medical research was also a rewarding part of his experience at UCF. She has studied proteins that affect the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer, the use of ultrasound by paramedics to improve care, and the effects of plant-based diets on blood pressure in patients with the disease. chronic kidney disease. She presented the blood pressure and kidney disease study at the 2024 American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference.
“I enjoy the curiosity, attention to detail and collaboration involved in research projects,” says Shi. “I believe this can be an eye-opening experience for medical students.”
She plans to complete her residency in internal medicine, hoping that her clinical, research and arts training will help her provide excellent long-term patient care.