Rachel Okine

Graduate Fellowship Recipient, 2024

Rachel Okine is pursuing a physician assistant degree from Feinberg School of Medicine. She grew up in a Ghanian household in South Dakota and credits her family with instilling the core values of problem solving, perseverance, and resourcefulness. Her father became a physician’s assistant in 2007 and Rachel noticed the impact of his work, which has motivated her to follow his path. She has a particular interest in women's health in vulnerable communities. 

This is reflected in her work as a researcher from 2020-2023 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. One of the doctors she worked with wrote, " I have worked with numerous learners at varying levels of training, and I can say with confidence that Rachel functioned at a level that was more advanced than expected for an undergraduate." She has assumed leadership roles in the American Medical Women's Association, and Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, as well as being a Direct Correspondence Tutor for the Northwestern Prison Education Program (NPEP). Rachel is also a Registered Behavior Technician working with autistic and developmentally challenged children.