Regina Jacob, MD, joined Northwell Health in November 2022 and specializes in internal medicine. She is also an associate professor at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.Although Dr. Jacob always been driven to help people, her career path didn't start with medicine. Instead, she studied engineering, but soon realized that profession lacked a more direct impact on people's lives. After making the pivot to medical school at George Washington University, followed by residency at Temple University Hospital, she found that her earlier education wasn't wasted."Once I switched to medicine, I discovered that the way engineering focuses on problem solving and finding new solutions was very relevant to patient care, and I still bring those skills into what I do every day," she says. Dr. Jacob chose internal medicine because she wanted to see the widest range of patients and conditions, with a particular interest in cancer survivorship topics, based on personal experience."I have a family member who was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and I saw there were gaps in her care after she completed treatment," says Dr. Jacob. "I wanted to put all my resources and efforts into closing those care gaps." Often, after the intensity of cancer treatment, patients may feel abandoned, not just by medical professionals but also by family, friends, and other parts of their support community. That can lead to significant psychological challenges. Dr. Jacob chose Northwell in large part because of its comprehensive and meaningful approach to cancer care. She brings that compassion into other types of patient care as well, offering a holistic perspective that takes all aspects of an illness, injury or trauma into consideration. That means listening to patients so they feel heard, and helping to untangle the complexity of a diagnosis."Part of a good health outcome means maintaining the very real, very close relationship that a physician has to a patient," she says. "That's based on human connection and recognizing the mental health aspects of a specific diagnosis and treatment plan. Physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing are tied together, so addressing both is what a holistic approach to care is all about."