Dr. Elham Rahimy empowers through knowledge. Her two facets of research  include resident education and patient education, with an emphasis on the latter. Radiation oncology is a complicated field, especially to a patient who might have limited knowledge on the subject of cancer treatment, let alone radiation. 

“It’s such a simple thing to improve the patient experience and quality of life,” Rahimy said, referring to equipping patients with the proper knowledge surrounding their treatment. “In terms of bettering the patient treatment experience, something as simple as providing them with education on radiation makes all the difference.” 

In school, Rahimy strayed away from the humanities, appreciating the steadfast logic behind scientific subjects instead. To her, a career in science medicine seemed the default; her natural instinct to help people and a love of science made it so.

Growing up, Rahimy and her family frequently moved (she spent the better part of her adolescence spread across seven states). Her father, involved in pharmaceutical research, was the reason for this, but not for Rahimy’s eventual path in healthcare. 

“I really liked science, and even though my dad is in science, there was never much of an influence from that,” she remembered. “It was a field that clicked with me. I liked mechanisms, they just made sense.” 

There wasn’t one particular “a-ha moment” that led to her decision to pursue a career in science medicine, but life’s unpredictability instead. She hypothesizes that many traumas we experience in life are health related, and can be eased with the power of understanding. That is, understanding the prognosis, the surrounding terms, and the nature of the disease/condition the individual is dealing with.  

“With a lot of patients, the majority of anxiety and fear comes from not knowing what to expect throughout the process of treatment. Being able to explain things to patients to quell their anxiety can take a lot of time and it can be difficult, but it’s so rewarding,” Rahimy said. 

Today in the clinic, she gets to see these results first hand. 

After high school, Rahimy’s family moved to sunny San Diego, where she attended University of California, San Diego, obtaining her undergraduate degree in biochemistry. It was there that she first got a taste of oncology, getting involved with a research laboratory that focused on cancer stem cells. 

Subsequently, Rahimy attended Yale for medical school.The move was a stark contrast from the mild SoCal climate, and left her very far from her family. But it was a welcome change, buoyed by the allure of new people, experiences, and culture. It was at Yale that she ventured into the world of radiation oncology through medical oncology rotations. At the time, radiation oncology had a reputation for being a “black box,” something that mystified patients and sometimes those in the surrounding fields as well. She attributes this to its lack of presence in most medical oncology curricula, meaning a majority of medical students simply lack the exposure needed to develop an interest. Rahimy was curious, and rotated there simply for the sake of learning more about it. There, the people and relationships made within the program solidified her choice. She’s been hooked ever since. 

When applying for residency, Rahimy knew she wanted to be closer to home. 

“Being on the opposite side of the country, I really missed my family,” she said. “I applied to multiple places but my priority was really to come back to California.” 

After interviewing with several schools, Stanford rose to the top, not only because of its robust program and reputation, but the people. 

“At Yale, what drew me to Rad Onc was the interactions with people in the field, and I felt like I was getting a similar sense here at Stanford,” she said. 

After four years of residency, Rahimy became a newly minted faculty member, a position that has been fulfilling and frightening all at the same time. 

Still, she has settled into the role comfortably and found her footing. 

“I’ve come a long way,” she said. Today, Rahimy has been a clinical assistant professor of radiation oncology for nearly a year. While an important presence in the clinic, her efforts in radiation oncology stretch beyond treatment. Currently, she is creating educational videos for patients receiving treatment via Cyberknife, explaining the process and debunking any myths and misconceptions about the modality, no doubt inspired by her passion for educating. 

“It feels like a gift to be able to understand these things and to try to help somebody going through [cancer treatment] to understand them too,” she said. “Just knowing can be a therapy itself.”