Meet 2026 Award Recipient
Rachel Kasdin
Rachel came to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai from Princeton University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. She holds a Master of Science in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Rachel entered the MD program in 2022.
At Icahn Mount Sinai, Rachel engaged in a wide range of outcomes- and equity-focused research projects and served as the research coordinator for East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), the student-run, physician-supervised free clinic. She also trained to be a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provider at EHHOP, co-led the CBT program, and co-organized an international conference focused on anti-racist transformation in medical education. She helped lead a cohort of the Icahn Mount Sinai Human Rights and Social Justice Program, served as a student representative for the Art and Science of Medicine course, and was a member of the MD Program Professionalism Guidelines Working Group. As a first-year medical student, Rachel was selected for the Sinai Splash Award. She was recently inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society and will graduate with distinctions in research and in medical education.
Rachel is deeply grateful for the mentors who guided her during her time at Icahn Mount Sinai. Drs. David Muller and Leona Hess were constant sources of guidance and inspiration, allowing Rachel to learn and grow in ways beyond what she expected from her medical education. Drs. Craig Katz, Jacob Appel, and Vicki Gluhoski were tirelessly supportive of her future as a psychiatrist while sharing their warmth, humor, and wisdom. It is hard to imagine research mentors more attentive to a student's own goals, generous with their time, and passionate about improving healthcare systems than Drs. Anthoney Lim, Mabel Yau, and Timothy Rice. Drs. Meredith Grossman and Lauren Linkowski believed in Rachel and cheered her on even when her own confidence faltered. Finally, Rachel would like to sincerely thank her family, partner, and friends for their patience, love, and encouragement throughout all of the ups and downs of medical school.
After graduation, Rachel will begin her Psychiatry residency at Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital, where she'll be part of the Child Track.