Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Ancar.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Imagine walking out of a clinic and knowing that your voice was heard throughout the entirety of your wellness visit and that you have an active role in designing and utilizing your health plan alongside your health care team. If this were your experience with healthcare, then would it be something you would avoid, or instead be something you would actively seek out due to feeling heard, involved, and able to have a direct impact on your own health? My name is Rachel Ancar, and this is the healthcare alliance I hope to inspire as a future Physician and Health Policy Designer. I believe that by directly involving the patient who is seeking health care into their own treatment plan, we can better the health and wellness of all people and design a more creative, human-centered healthcare alliance.
In 2020, I witnessed the value of strong, trusting patient-physician relationships as I shadowed the physician who would become my stepfather’s oncologist. I found that overcoming the obstacles of his diagnosis and subsequent care only drove me closer to medicine. As my stepfather underwent treatment for his cancer, I realized he would succumb to this disease. I knew that I needed to follow through and be present for him and the rest of my family just as he had been present for me. Having an active role in designing his care and treatment plan helped me to envision my role as a future physician, but it led me to wonder why his own voice was not utilized throughout his treatment plan. This thought propelled me into community-based medicine, where I learned more about human-centered care and its impact on the health of patients.
Helping to ease my stepfather’s anxiety and the pain associated with his chemotherapy showed me what it meant to practice creative, patient-centered care. A patient’s quality of life can be improved by connecting with them on a deeper level through the arts rather than just medically treating them. These moments with my stepfather motivated me to use my passion for art to speak about diverse health experiences for the betterment of public and community health. I realized that through my art, I could tell stories about mental health and I could make a difference in someone’s life by acknowledging the parts of health that are frequently met with bias and judgment. Seeing my stepfather’s fears ease before he passed taught me the true impact that creative care could have on health and a person’s quality of life. Having cared for my stepfather drives me to become a physician who uses both my passions for design and medicine to increase a patient’s quality of life by incorporating diverse narratives alongside evidence-based treatment plans.
It’s become apparent to me through my own experiences as a healthcare worker that revolutionizing the way in which we deliver health care for better outcomes takes a village. That’s why I started using social media to build connections within the medical community with the hopes of starting my own healthcare alliance. I imagine a new way of delivering health care to those who need it most, specifically the populations that currently experience a lack of accessible, equitable, and high-quality, human-centered care in the United States. Through my platform, @theartsymed, I aim to advocate and offer support and guidance for those on their journey to and in health care.
The future of health is not in my hands alone–it is in everyone’s hands, including your own. Learn more about myself, how to support my cause, and about our growing community on Instagram and TikTok, and email me [theartsymed@gmail.com] if you have any inquiries!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In addition to my stepfather passing from cancer in 2020, I struggled with being undiagnosed with ADHD and Dyscalculia (a math disorder) until I was 20 and 21 years old, respectively. Both have significantly impacted my life, but I have never stopped chasing my dreams of becoming a physician because of them. Even while struggling through college, I learned how to study as best as I could and I sought out help as much as possible in order to do my best. This has made me into the resilient and empathetic physician that I will practice as for my future patients.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I am finishing up my Master’s degree in ‘Design in Health at the University of Texas at Austin, where I will graduate in May 2022. After this, I will start medical school and continue on my journey to become the physician that I aspire to be. When I am not working on projects or enjoying time with my friends and family, I am creating content for social media! I love creating content and making hard concepts easier to understand, such as the premedical process, becoming a physician with mental health struggles and learning disabilities (and destigmatizing these things in the process!), as well as what being a first-generation student is like. Navigating all of these areas is difficult alone, but it does not have to be this way: you are not alone on this journey, no matter at what point you are at! I am most proud of staying true to myself and being as authentic to me throughout my medical school application cycle, as I chased my dreams and shared myself as authentically as possible and I was able to gain acceptance into medical school. If I’m not posting on social media, then I’m probably making art. I love to paint, specifically with acrylic on canvas! I primarily make abstract art and have leaned into creating art about my struggles with my mental health, as well as my interest in the spiritual and energetic side of myself that art brings out of me.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a HUGE Marvel nerd! I absolutely love all of the movies and TV shows, and I can’t wait to watch the newest movies coming out this summer, as well as “Moon Knight” every Wednesday.
Contact Info:
- Email: theartsymed@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartsymed/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartsymed
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theartsymed?lang=en
Image Credits
Photo Credits: Rachel Ancar, @theartsymed
