Featured Clinician: Rebecca LeLeiko

Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Boston but grew up in New York. After going to Michigan for university and living abroad for a year, I went to NYU Medical School. I completed my internship and residency at Emory before moving to Boston to train in cardiology and vascular medicine.  While there I also completed a Master’s of Science at Boston University.

For the past four years, I’ve been working at the Boston VA doing general cardiology and vascular medicine. I loved working with veterans, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to come back to Emory. I am looking forward to returning and expanding my practice.

Why did you decide to go into medicine?
I was always inspired by my father, who is a pediatric gastroenterologist. He has had a long and fulfilling academic career, and seeing his job satisfaction when I was growing up had a large impact on me. I’ve always loved the biological sciences, and I was also drawn to the problem-solving challenges of clinical medicine. Combining these with the chance to connect with people makes medicine the right choice for me.

What does “clinical excellence” mean to you?
To me, clinical excellence is about more than just getting the right diagnosis, it is about being a true healer.  Sometimes that means prescribing medicine, but sometimes it is just as important to sit down and listen to our patients. The best clinicians I know combine great medical knowledge with a true interest in people, and an ability to connect with them.

Dogs or cats?
Dogs, for sure. We have a 14-year-old rescue mutt that we adopted when we first lived in Atlanta. She has been with us for so long, and we are excited to bring her back ‘home’.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have two young children, and they take up the majority of my spare time. We try to spend as much time being active as possible.  I like to exercise when I can. I also enjoy baking. During school and work breaks my family does a lot of traveling, within and outside of the country.

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Emory Department of Medicine
The Department of Medicine, part of Emory University's School of Medicine, promotes excellence in education, patient care, and clinical and basic research.

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