Katharine Freeman Michel, MD, MSHP

Kara is a fourth-year medical student here at the University of Pennsylvania.  She is originally from the town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts.  She graduated in the class of 2015 from Yale, where she rowed on the varsity crew team for four years while completing her premed requirements and majoring in Medical Anthropology.  Her anthropology work led her to recognize her interest in the cultural and socioeconomic determinants of health and the variations in healthcare delivery around the world.   After starting medical school at Penn Kara found herself drawn to continue learning about healthcare systems.  She hopes to blend this interest with a newfound love of surgery, building a career of clinical practice and research.  Her specific research interests surround healthcare costs, including the creation of a value-based payment system, medical device and technology development, and improving the quality and safety in operating rooms.