Dr. Rachel Green grew up in Dallas, Texas, but spent much of her childhood traveling around the world. Philosophical conversations around the dinner table led to her interest in the brain and ultimately neurology. The supportive environment she has found at VUMC has helped her grow as a physician while also caring for her young family. When she’s not working, you’ll find Dr. Green spending time with her family at one of Nashville’s many scenic parks.
Tell us about your background and how your path led to Vanderbilt.
I grew up in Dallas, and I was homeschooled. My mom was from Malaysia and we did a lot of traveling across the world while I was growing up, so that was a very important piece of my childhood.
I did both my undergrad and medical school in Dallas. When it came time to go through the interview and match process for residency, I was pregnant with my first child. I was looking for a program that was supportive of families. While looking at Vanderbilt, I interviewed with Lisa Wang [former Vanderbilt Neurology resident] who also had a child in residency. That sold me immediately. I also loved that the residents here seemed to get along and have camaraderie with each other, and that the faculty were very approachable.
When you traveled during your childhood, is there a trip that sticks out as particularly memorable or meaningful?
One year we went to Vietnam, and we went to the more rural areas and did some sightseeing. We kayaked on the river, rode bikes through the villages. It was such a different pace of life than I was used to and a different way of living. It struck me how different cultures can look. For that reason that trip sticks out in my mind.
How did your path lead to medicine, specifically neurology?
I was always interested in the brain and related fields like psychiatry and neurology. My dad was a philosophy professor, so conversations around the dinner table while I was growing up were centered around questions like, “What makes people human? What makes me myself?” In high school I was taking an AP class and we learned about neurology and stroke symptoms and whatnot, and it called me back to those dinner table conversations. The brain and nervous system really make us who we are. That drew me to wanting to take care of patients with neurologic disease. In medical school, I had further experience learning more about those patients and how neurological disease impacts them, and I found myself really drawn to the patient population as well.
What subspecialty do you plan to pursue and why?
I’ll be staying on at Vanderbilt next year as the neuromuscular fellow. I enjoy the different approaches we take with neuromuscular patients. Much of that is clinical neurology–focusing on the exam and looking at the patient. There is also the added component of EMG and the nerve conduction studies we do. Those elements add a different level of information for the patient and I find them fun to participate in. It’s interesting to be able to localize the symptoms to a specific lesion or nerve. It’s also an exciting field because we have new therapies emerging where we used to not have any therapies.
What have been some of the highlights of residency so far?
I think it’s been great getting to know the other residents and faculty, who are all very approachable. It helps the day go by quicker when you’re working with friends! Seeing how our cohort has developed and how the careers of my coresidents are shaping up has been a privilege. I’m grateful to have access to faculty with various subspecialty training who are also approachable and willing to talk to us about patients. Getting together outside of work with my co-residents has also been a highlight. My suspicions about Vanderbilt having a supportive environment that I first saw during my interview have been confirmed. I actually had my second child during residency. I felt like I had the support I needed to go through that season of pregnancy and postpartum while in the midst of residency.
What have been some challenges? What helps you meet those challenges?
We underestimate how challenging it is to be a learner. We’re getting a ton of information at once, making mistakes, and those things aren’t easy. "Imposter syndrome” was real for me. What’s been really helpful is the faculty–they are very down to earth and always willing to talk us through these challenges and give us reassurance. They’re really good about giving useful feedback, while also being encouraging. That carries us through—the knowledge that our education is working and we’re growing as physicians.
Who have been some key influences or mentors in your life?
My husband is number one. He has definitely been a big encouragement to me as a mom and wife but also as a resident and doctor. He helps me talk through issues and difficulties I’ve had.
Two people that I look up to a lot professionally are Dr. Jill Berkman and Dr. Amanda Peltier. They are wonderful doctors; their patients love them. They are also moms. They’ve been a big source of encouragement for me, seeing their careers take shape and their family lives as well.
How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
We spend a lot of our time at the zoo, playgrounds and doing things like that with the kids. I love to be outside, doing any sort of hiking or going to the parks here in Nashville. My guilty pleasure is reality junk TV to help my mind decompress from the day!
What are some of your favorite Nashville spots?
I love Radnor Lake and Percy Warner Park. I live in Donelson, so I also like some of the parks nearby like Two Rivers and Shelby Bottoms.