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:
- Systemic Pharmacologic Therapies for Low Back Pain Are Lacking
- Rifaximin Effective for the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Pituitary Adenomas
- PPIs Do Not Reduce the Risk of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Associated With Barrett's Esophagus
- Electronic Cigarette Use May Increase Cardiovascular Risk
- E-Cigarettes and Cigarette Use by Adolescents in the US
- Tobacco Use in the US Tops 25%
- Efficacy of Amitriptyline, Topiramate, and Placebo Comparable for Pediatric Migraine
- Concentrated Regular Weekend Physical Activity Reduces Mortality Risk
- Fenofibrate Therapy Reduces Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk in Statin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes