How a youth trip to Kenya shaped the physician leader she is today: a conversation about caring for physicians, advancing medicine, and leading together.
BY ERIKA MCCARTHY, MMS SENIOR EDITOR AND WRITER
Dr. Rebecca Brendel
VS: You have both an MD and a JD. How did that happen?
Dr. Brendel: I studied philosophy in college and became intrigued by the ethical questions surrounding health care. I knew I wanted to care for patients, but I also wanted to understand how law and public policy
shape the way medicine is practiced. Pursuing both degrees gave me the opportunity to think about health care from the bedside to the broader systems that affect every patient and physician. I’m so glad I took this route because it prepared me to
be part of the critical conversations, ethical considerations, legal framework development, and policy implementation that has shaped and continue to shape how medicine is practiced and how we care for our patients.
VS: What experience in your career has most shaped the kind of physician leader you are today?
Dr. Brendel: The experience that has most shaped my work, at the bedside and as a physician-leader, is one that I had long before I had a formal “career.” When I was 16, I raised money to participate in a service
trip to Kenya, where I joined a group of teens from across the U.S. to build a schoolhouse for children to learn and a sustainable business for women to run in a remote village. During my time there, I became acutely ill and sought treatment at an
American missionary clinic. When I got there, I was able to receive timely care because I could pay the fee of $1. I was relieved to receive care and, at the same time, disheartened by the many people in line, especially the obviously ill babies and
children, who were left to wait because they didn’t have the means — one dollar — to pay for care. From that time, I have been committed to advancing access to health and health care.
Dr. Brendel in Kenya
VS: You’ve been active with the MMS throughout your career. What has kept you engaged?
Dr. Brendel: Medicine has always been about more than caring for the patient in front of us. It’s also about improving the health of our communities and advancing our profession. The Society brings physicians together
to do what none of us can do alone, advocate for patients, shape public policy, advance science, and strengthen the practice of medicine. Through MMS, I’ve had the opportunity to help shape the future of medicine with service on our committee on ethics,
grievances, and professional standards; advocacy at the State House; and work with my professional society and at the AMA. Working together, physicians can accomplish far more than any of us can alone.
VS: What are physicians telling you today?
Dr. Brendel: What I hear most is that physicians still love being physicians. They remain deeply committed to their patients and would choose this profession again, even with the challenges we face today. But they’re
also frustrated by administrative burdens, financial pressures, and barriers that make it harder to provide the care they know their patients need and deserve. Supporting physicians so they can focus on medicine is one of the Society’s most important
responsibilities.
VS: What gives you hope about medicine right now?
Dr. Brendel: We’re living through a time of tremendous change, and while that can be unsettling, it also creates opportunity. We have the chance to rethink how we deliver care, embrace innovation responsibly, and build
a health care system that better serves both patients and physicians. I believe physicians can and should lead that transformation and that as a united group, we have more power than we realize.
VS: What advice would you give to new physicians?
Dr. Brendel: In our hyperconnected digital world, stay connected to colleagues in real life. Build relationships and partner to bring physician advocacy to our patients, communities, and society. Show up IN PERSON.
The work we do as physicians is even more meaningful when we share in and advance our work alongside people we learn, care, and, especially, laugh with. With every generation, “joining” has often seemed less important because we can connect with people
in any corner of the world with the tap of a smartphone any time. But being part of a profession and its organizations is both a privilege and a responsibility. It brings the benefit of collegiality and greater purpose to tackle today’s challenges
to advance health in the future.
VS: If you could accomplish one thing during your presidency, what would it be?
Dr. Brendel: I’d like every physician in Massachusetts to feel that MMS is their professional home, that MMS is advocating for them, listening to them, and helping them navigate an increasingly complex health care
environment. When physicians are supported, they’re able to provide the best possible care for their patients, achieve professional fulfillment, and build lives with purpose and joy. That’s how we strengthen both our profession and the health of our
communities.
VS: Why should busy physicians stay engaged with the Society?
Dr. Brendel: Because our collective voice matters. Health care decisions are made every day that affect how physicians practice and how patients receive care. The Society ensures that physicians have a seat at the
table and are in every room where critical decisions happen. The more members engage, through advocacy, leadership, education, or simply sharing their perspectives, the stronger our profession becomes.
VS: What would surprise physicians about today’s MMS?
Dr. Brendel: Many physicians don’t realize how often MMS is working behind the scenes. The Society is involved wherever health care policy is shaped: working with lawmakers, regulators, health systems, and physician
leaders to advocate for evidence-informed policies and protect the physician-patient relationship. Much of that work happens quietly, but its impact is everywhere in the Commonwealth every day.
VS: Finally, what message would you like to leave with members?
Dr. Brendel: Gratitude. Every day, physicians across Massachusetts make an extraordinary difference in the lives of their patients and communities. It is a privilege to serve as your president. I look forward to
working alongside you to strengthen our profession, improve the health of the people we serve, and help physicians spend more time doing what they do best: caring for patients.
