Passionate pre-med students = passionate future physicians

Meet our next generation of future docs!

If you’ve ever visited our practice, called in with a question, or messaged us over the patient portal, chances are you’ve encountered one of our wonderful medical assistants: Grace, Hayley, Amaris, Chiemerie (AKA MeMe), or me (Audrey).

As MAs, we serve as the vital link between you — the patient — and your physician. Think of us as your vocal advocates and biggest champions, ensuring that your care is as seamless and personalized as possible!

Hayley, MeMe, Grace, Amaris, Audrey (left-right)

We are all pre-med students taking gap years after graduating college (or for Hayley and Amaris, graduate school). While the MAs share the goal of one day attending medical school, each of us brings unique experiences and strengths to this practice. 

Hayley, who previously worked at a urogynecology clinic in Minnesota, brings solid experience caring for patients with pelvic and urinary dysfunction. However, she specifically sought out our practice in order to deepen her knowledge of female sexual medicine, a topic largely neglected in medical school curricula. 

For myself (Audrey) and Grace (our lead medical assistant), our respective journeys to Rachel Rubin MD began with newspaper articles that mentioned Dr. Rubin. 

When Grace read about Dr. Rubin in the New York Times article “Half the World Has a Clitoris. Why Don't Doctors Study It?,” she knew she had to get involved: “I was hooked.”

Similarly, I was blown away by an article in The Guardian highlighting how local vaginal hormones can prevent recurrent UTIs. Having seen family members deal with chronic UTIs (and having been plagued with them myself), Dr. Rubin’s voice felt like a beacon of hope.

MeMe, a Maryland native and recent Columbia University graduate, says that seeing patients regain hope after visiting the practice is her favorite part of working at Rachel Rubin MD. As MAs, we have the chance to be first-hand witnesses to these moments. Often, patients join our practice after disappointing experiences with other healthcare providers, citing dismissive attitudes or even exploitative practices. 

For example, MeMe says that she’ll never forget “watching a patient who had spent years traveling across North America in search of answers for their genital dysesthesia finally find clarity and relief.”

To be clear, our doctors don’t have magic wands – it is their compassionate, evidence-based approach to patient care that sets them apart as physicians and educators.

“Watching our providers take time to build trust and connection has emphasized that excellent outcomes often begin with strong relationships,” Hayley tells me. “I’ve realized that even on the most challenging days, that connection is what makes the work both meaningful and fulfilling.”

For all of us MAs, the mentorship of Dr. Rubin, Dr. Klos, Dr. Vaccaro, and Dr. Winter has deeply shaped our approached to medicine. 

According to Amaris, who joined the practice after completing her master’s degree in Clinical and Therapeutic Neuroscience, watching them navigate complex cases with empathy, humility, and expertise has been quite impactful.

“It is incredible to observe sensitive healthcare conversations and learn how doctors educate patients on stigmatized topics,” Amaris tells me.

Throughout her year and a half of working as a MA, Grace has also been inspired to carry on Dr. Rubin’s legacy of education and advocacy as a future physician. 

“My favorite ‘Rubin-ism’ is: ‘When you educate patients about all of their options, they make excellent healthcare decisions for themselves,’” says Grace. “I will never forget the first time she said this to me, and I plan to take care of my future patients with this mindset.”

I am so thrilled to work with such passionate, thoughtful individuals — and how lucky are we to have these women working hard to help our patients every single day? The future of medicine is in good hands. 

If you are a pre-medical student interested in the medical assistant internship program, read more HERE. If you’d like to learn more about the MAs, check out their bios HERE and read on for some fun facts! 

-Audrey

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MA Fun Facts

Audrey & Grace (standing) MeMe, Hayley, Amaris (sitting)

What is your dream job (if you didn’t go into medicine)?

Grace: marine biologist

MeMe: astrophysicist

Hayley: photojournalist for National Geographic

Audrey: painter

Amaris: neuroscientist

What is your favorite food?

Grace: mac and cheese

MeMe: jollof rice and pho

Hayley: sushi

Audrey: quiche

Amaris: jambalaya

What was your favorite class in college?

Grace: Gender, Race, and Health 

MeMe: First, I loved my Precision Pedicine class, which was taught by a biochemical scientist, an english professor, and a bioethics lawyer. I also loved my Salsa, Soca, Reggae class, through which I was able to see live salsa in different spots of New York City!

Hayley: Neurobiology of Disease (where we learned about neurological disorders and their pathophysiology)

Audrey: Reproductive Healthcare and Bacterial Stress Responses

Amaris: The Changing Face of Mental Illness in Women: Historical, Artistic, Literary, and Medical Approaches

What character from books/movies/TV did you identify with as a kid?

Grace: Nancy Drew

MeMe: Anne of Green Gables! She's everything I always worked to be: people-oriented, goal-driven, and optimistic

Hayley: Violet Baudelaire (Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket)

Audrey: Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle

Amaris: Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter