Rachel Wheeler, MD

About

As a college student at the University of Virginia, the future Dr. Wheeler was drawn to the sciences, particularly biology courses. But she didn’t choose medicine as a career until her third year, when she realized that life as a physician would perfectly combine her love of science with her desire to help people. Later, in medical school, she chose to specialize in women’s healthcare. Up to that point, she hadn’t even considered OBGYN as a specialty, but on the very first day of her OBGYN rotation, she fell in love with the idea of caring for women through every stage of their lives. Intrigued by the procedural aspects of gynecology as well as minimally invasive surgical treatment options that allow for quicker recovery time, Dr. Wheeler is equally devoted to really listening to her patients. “I want them to leave their appointment feeling heard and understood. It’s important to me that they feel supported through whatever issues they are experiencing. I also want to empower them to make healthcare decisions in line with their values and priorities.” Although she enjoys caring for women during all stages of their lives, she particularly enjoys getting to know her adolescent patients. Misinformation can be rampant among teens, and she loves not only being an educator but preparing them to make their own decisions. As committed to volunteering as she is to her patients, she has traveled to southwest Virginia where she worked as part of an interdisciplinary team to offer medical care in a region that desperately needed it. She also spent one month in a remote area of Kenya where she cared for patients with limited access to healthcare, while also training local med students and residents. “It’s exceptionally rewarding to teach and relay knowledge to people in areas where good healthcare is so desperately needed.”