Biography
Dr. Danczyk received a B.S. degree in Engineering and a M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Indiana University School of Medicine. Following her MD degree, she completed a five year residency in general surgery, a one year research fellowship, and a two year vascular surgery fellowship at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, Oregon.
Personal Statement
Since my arrival at the Albuquerque VA in 2015 and serving as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at UNM (University of New Mexico), I have identified myself primarily as a clinician educator and have spent my non-clinical time in a variety of roles to pursue this interest. I have served as the UNM Medical Knowledge Competency Champion, coordinated the weekly VA Vascular Education Conference, administered the UNM Vascular Surgery Skills Lab Modules including “Vascular Anastomoses” and “Introduction to EVAR,” presented bi-yearly didactic lectures on various Vascular Surgery topics for the residents at UNM, and served as the coordinator for the monthly Albuquerque VA Multidisciplinary Dialysis Access Conference.
After my promotion to Associate Professor of surgery in 2022, I transitioned my practice to the University of New Mexico Hospital in August of 2023. At UNMH I serve as Associate Program Director for the general surgery residency program and am the Chair of the Clinical Competency Committee.
In addition to my prior educational activities, I was selected to complete the Medical Education Scholars program (MES) during the 2020-2021 academic year. The MES program provided me the skills required to develop a curriculum, implement that curriculum, and assess my learners and their teachers to optimize surgical education. I am particularly interested in the power of individualized learning plans to optimize resident learning, clinical performance and professionalism.
I continue to contribute to the vascular surgery research community by serving as an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, and as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Cases and Innovative Techniques, and the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
After gaining approval for an integrated vascular surgery residency program at the University of New Mexico, I now serve as the program director with the collaboration of community and academic surgeons in Albuquerque to assure a balanced and robust training environment for potential learners. Using my past experience in education combined with collaboration and community-building strategies, I believe there is great opportunity for providing learners with a vast experience to prepare future vascular surgeons to enter any practice they may aspire to join.
Areas of Specialty
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Achievements & Awards
• Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, UNM Department of Surgery, 2024-2025
• Excellence in Resident Teaching Award, UNM Department of Surgery, 2024-2025
• Curriculum Committee Award for Exceptional Teaching and Exemplary Professionalism in Phase II - Surgery Clerkship, December 2019, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
• Women’s Leadership Training Grant-$5000, April 2019, Society for Vascular Surgery
• Hospital Medicine Outstanding Surgical Consultant Award, November 2018, Albuquerque VA Hospital
• Outstanding Service in Education Award, June 2018, University of New Mexico Department of Surgery
• Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, June 2017, University of New Mexico Department of Surgery
Key Publications
Journal Article
Danczyk, Rachel, Coleman, J, Allensworth, J, Azarbal, A, F Mitchell, E, L Liem, T, K Landry, G, J Moneta, G, L 2015 Incidence and outcomes of intraoperative vascular surgery consultations. Journal of vascular surgery, vol. 62, Issue 1, 177-82
Journal Article
Fatima, Noor, Hanif, Hamza, Le, Tram, Danczyk, Rachel, 2025 Utility of exercise duplex imaging in a rare case of bilateral iliac artery endofibrosis in an ultramarathon runner Journal of Vascular Surgery Cases, Innovations and Techniques, vol. 11, Issue 5 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468428725002059
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
Research and Scholarship
I continue to contribute to the vascular surgery research community by serving as an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, and as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Cases and Innovative Techniques, and the Journal of Vascular Surgery.