Rachel Smith, MD, MS

Plastic Surgery Resident

Born and raised in the sunny Arizona desert, Rachel is excited to be in Madison where she is now surrounded by water and about to experience her first real winter.  Rachel studied nutritional sciences at the University of Arizona, earning both her B.S and M.S.  Prior to medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University, she worked as a nutritionist with WIC, a nutrition program for low-income families, where her humanistic and contextual approach to caring for patients began to take shape.

Rachel was drawn to many facets of plastic surgery but most poignantly was the way reconstructions not only fix physical defects, they restore a patient’s self-worth and humanity. She is preparing for an academic career and is specifically interested in creating just and equitable spaces for both patients and learners. When not in the hospital, you can find Rachel exploring the many Madison farmer’s markets, kayaking on Lake Monona, or shaping clay at her local pottery studio.