Fighting Infectious Diseases: Rachel Burgoon
Rachel Burgoon didn’t just choose pharmacy — she chose a mission. As an infectious disease pharmacist, her work is ministry through medicine. Every treatment she recommends is driven by a deep desire to serve others and honor Christ.
Her journey began in Maryland but found clarity and calling at Cedarville University, where the integration of faith and science in Cedarville’s Doctor of Pharmacy program shaped her purpose.
“It wasn’t just about becoming a pharmacist,” Rachel explains. “It was about becoming someone who could serve the Lord by serving patients — especially the most vulnerable.”
Today, Rachel works in the high-stakes world of infectious diseases, tackling complex cases involving antibiotic stewardship and life-threatening infections. Her work demands both clinical precision and heartfelt compassion.
“This is critical work,” she says. “If we don’t use the right therapies in the right way, we risk resistance and harm. It’s a space where science must be excellent — and so must our care.”
Beyond her clinical responsibilities, Rachel invests deeply in mentoring students and residents — a passion born from her own experience. She recalls Cedarville faculty pouring into her life as a student, and she desires to mirror that service with the people she interacts with each day.
Recently, Rachel shared her story on the Cedarville Stories podcast, offering listeners a glimpse into the heart behind her profession — a heart committed to glorifying God through healing and hope.
Through every patient she treats, every student she mentors, and every advancement she makes in infectious disease research, Rachel Burgoon is faithfully living out her calling to reflect Christ by caring for the sick with excellence and compassion.
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