Claire Trachtman, MD '20, a graduate of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, has long dreamed of being a family doctor.

“The mission — of caring for people from the moment they enter this world until the moment they leave, of following and guiding people through life's ups and downs — is what drew me to medicine in the first place,” Trachtman said.

Her focus of health systems leadership and management has helped prepare her for her future practice so she can put patients first and gain leadership skills that will help her get involved in healthcare policy and advocacy.

Trachtman said that her time at the School of Medicine drove her more toward her interest of primary care, specifically care for the underserved and marginalized.

With pay being lower in family medicine — specifically in a low-resource settings, Trachtman felt the stress of student loans after graduation.

“During my third and fourth years, the primary-care scholarships I received from Netter helped relieve much of that anxiety and allowed me to pursue my career goals - including my dream residency - without having to prioritize finances over the kind of work to which I have been drawn."

She said her scholarship enabled her to care for those who need it the most.

“This scholarship helps others like me who are motivated to work in primary care in low-resource settings — a stressful but rewarding career — to pursue this work without the additional stress caused by massive student loans,” she said.