The beginning of a new academic year brings new resident leaders alongside the class of 2027 interns. This year, Rachel Streckert, MD, and Abbie Whitman, MD, will serve as co-chief residents of the Pediatrics Residency Program. In their roles they will provide administrative, clinical, and educational leadership for the residency program. One of their initial responsibilities as chief residents was to welcome the resident class of 2027 with a warm message sharing insights into what new residents can expect and highlighting aspects of the program they particularly value. Read the Q&A below to get to know Streckert and Whitman better.
Q: What inspired you to become a chief resident?
Rachel Streckert: I love this program! I am so thankful for the many people — patients, families, supervisors, and colleagues — with whom I have had the opportunity to work. I am grateful for how the program has prepared me to become a doctor, and I want to give back in any way I can to the program that has given so much to me!
Abbie Whitman: I really wanted to develop my teaching skills and through that continue to learn and solidify as much pediatric knowledge as I am able to. I also wanted to start to learn some of the administrative side as I am interested in this in my future career.
Q: What’s one thing you hope your residents will learn from you?
Rachel Streckert: I hope residents learn that we can support each other through imposter syndrome! I am still learning about it (and will likely never stop learning), but I hope to help residents by sharing what I have learned from the leaders who have been great examples during my residency experience.
Abbie Whitman: I want residents to learn that we get to take care of patients who are the most important people in their family’s life, and that’s a true gift. We should strive to be better at that job every day!
Q: What career would you be doing if you hadn’t gone into medicine?
Rachel Streckert: Zookeeper!
Abbie Whitman: I would have been a college chemistry professor or cancer researcher.
Q: What are you most likely to be famous for?
Rachel Streckert: Being the fastest speaker (especially if I’m nervous)!
Abbie Whitman: Eventually adopting an outrageous number of rescue dogs.
Q: Who inspires you?
Rachel Streckert: My parents inspire me! They raised my little brother 20 years ago with complex medical issues and without much support from the local medical system at that time. My parents and brother would have benefited greatly from a Complex Care team!
Abbie Whitman: My mom. I am very proud of how much work she did going to school and building her career while raising me.
Q: Why Wisconsin?
Rachel Streckert: My husband and I have loved living in Madison! It’s a great combination of having access to anything and everything you could want to do while also not feeling like you live in a big city that is always overwhelming and has horrible traffic.
Abbie Whitman: I love the Midwest, and all of the beautiful water in Madison was really a big draw.
Follow @WiscPedsRes on Instagram to learn more about our residency program.