Rachael Ward Bush, MD, MPH, FAAD

Dr. Rachael Bush is a dermatologist, public health advocate, mentor, and community builder whose career has been shaped by a deep commitment to expanding access, opportunity, and representation in medicine and dermatology.

Originally trained in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Science at the University of Michigan, Dr. Bush went on to earn her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology before obtaining her medical degree at the Duke University School of Medicine. She completed her dermatology residency at the University of Washington Department of Dermatology, where she was selected to serve as Co-Chief Resident.

Her path in medicine has always intertwined clinical excellence with service and advocacy. During her public health training, Dr. Bush worked in Ghana developing a community-based maternal mortality surveillance tool in collaboration with local physicians and health leaders — work later adapted to improve government reporting and prevention strategies. This early experience solidified her passion for addressing disparities in healthcare systems and ensuring vulnerable populations are not overlooked.

Throughout medical school and residency, Dr. Bush remained deeply engaged in mentorship of students underrepresented in medicine, leadership within the Student National Medical Association, and organizing initiatives designed to expose young students of color to careers in healthcare.

Academically, Dr. Bush’s interests include chronic skin disease, Skin of Color, and cosmetic and procedural dermatology. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations spanning dermatology, cardiology, and public health, reflecting her multidisciplinary research background and commitment to advancing patient care through evidence-based practice.

Dr. Bush is actively involved in national dermatology leadership through the American Academy of Dermatology and mentorship initiatives through the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. She has also organized dermatology education programs for women’s shelters, food insecurity initiatives, and youth career-exposure programs designed to make dermatology more visible and attainable to the next generation.

Dr. Bush is married to her husband, Hobert, and is the proud mother of two beautiful little girls.

As a board member of the Derm Elevate Scholarship Initiative, Dr. Bush brings a passion for mentorship, a lifelong commitment to equity, and a belief that representation and opportunity are essential to shaping the future of dermatology. Her work reflects a consistent mission: to lift others as she climbs and to ensure the pathway into dermatology is broader, more inclusive, and more accessible than when she entered it.