David Rakel MD, FAAFP
Esther Millard Endowed Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health; Chair, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WisconsinDave Rakel is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin. He joined the faculty of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in 2001 as an assistant professor of family medicine. During his time at UW–Madison he founded the Integrative Medicine Program (now known as the Integrative Health Program) and received the Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, the school’s highest honor for excellence and compassion in care. His team worked with more than 50 clinical systems within the Veterans Health Administration to implement changes to make care more personalized, proactive, and patient driven.
An author of both academic and popular writings, Rakel says one of his missions is to communicate medical information in a way that is accessible to people of all backgrounds. He has published 11 books, including the Textbook of Family Medicine, Current Therapy, and Integrative Medicine, as well as peer-reviewed research on the impact of measures such as mindfulness meditation and the power of the therapeutic encounter. He serves as editor-in-chief of Practice Update, a website devoted to commentaries on primary medical care research. His 2018 book The Compassionate Connection focuses on how relationship-building can influence health outcomes.
Rakel obtained his undergraduate degree from Colorado College and graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1991. After residency training in family medicine in Colorado, he worked in private practice in rural Idaho. His burgeoning interest in the relationships between health, the human experience, and the environment led to a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona.
Disclosures
Dr. Rakel has nothing to disclose.
Recent Contributions to PracticeUpdate:
- Ten Most Important Things to Know About Caring for Transgender Patients
- Gut Microbiota Metabolites and Risk of MACE and Death
- Tramadol Extended-Release for Opioid Withdrawal
- Brief Mindfulness Practices for Healthcare Providers
- Acupuncture Does Not Improve Fertility in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Complications of Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy
- Dr. Joseph Scherger on Lifestyle Medicine
- Prebiotic Reduces Body Fat and Alters Intestinal Microbiota in Overweight or Obese Children
- Cooking Methods for Red Meats Associated With Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
- New Anti-Eosinophil Drugs for Asthma and COPD