David Rakel MD, FAAFP
Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WisconsinDr. David Rakel is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin. 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.
After residency training in family medicine in Colorado, Dr. Rakel worked in private practice in rural Idaho. His burgeoning interest in the relationships across health, the human experience, and the environment led to a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona.
An author of both academic and popular writings, Dr. Rakel says one of his missions is to communicate medical information in a way that is accessible to people of all backgrounds.
Recent Contributions to PracticeUpdate:
- Association of Optimism With Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality
- 2019 Update on Medical Overuse
- Association Between Soft Drink Consumption and Mortality
- Polypill Effective for Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases
- Drug Effects on the Thyroid
- Association Between Primary Care Practitioner Empathy and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
- Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Safety of Testosterone-Replacement Therapy Among Aging Men With Low Testosterone Levels
- Prucalopride in Gastroparesis
- Association of Methylation Status With Brain MRI Measures and Risk of Dementia
- Sugary Drink Consumption and Risk of Cancer