Faculty Spotlight: Emily Rosen- Listening First
For Emily Rosen, PA-C, good medicine begins with listening. As a primary care clinician, educator, and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Rosen brings a deep commitment to helping patients and students feel seen, respected, and safe.
“I find out 90 percent of the story in the interview,” she says. “The physical exam and testing usually confirm what the patient has already told you.”
That belief shapes everything Rosen does—as a clinician, as a teacher, and as she prepares for an exciting new chapter in her personal life.
With her wedding just weeks away, Rosen describes feeling “good” and “at peace.”
“My relationship is lovely and easy and encouraging and makes me feel 100 percent safe and 100 percent myself,” she says. “Making it legal just makes me feel more grounded.”
She also reflects on how meaningful it is to work in a place where she can be fully herself.
“I feel really privileged to be in a workplace where I don’t have to hide who I am or who I’m marrying,” she says. “Everyone just treats me with normal human dignity.”
Primary Care as Partnership
Rosen spent more than a decade in outpatient primary care before joining the MGH Institute. Her work in community health centers serving predominantly Cape Verdean and Latinx populations—and later in New Hampshire—reinforced the profound impact of social determinants of health.
“There’s a lot to be said for preventative medicine without medicine,” she explains. “Having your basic needs met—housing, food security, emotional support, and safety—is as important as anything I can do in the clinic.”
What she loves most about primary care is the opportunity to build long-term relationships with patients.
“I like the partnership,” she says. “When someone comes in feeling like their life is out of control, and with education, patience, and a lot of effort on their part, they begin to feel in control again—that’s incredibly rewarding.”
And, she adds with characteristic humor, “Ultimately, I am a yapper, and outpatient medicine is good for yappers.”
Teaching Future Clinicians
Rosen brings the same relational approach to teaching in the Physician Assistant Studies program.
“If I could have students take one thing with them into practice, it would be this: patients are trying their best.”
Even when patients make choices that seem frustrating or illogical, she encourages students to assume good intentions and look deeper.
“If someone is acting in a way that seems inconsistent with their goals, then now you know what your job is.”
Her goal is straightforward but ambitious.
“Hopefully we graduate 50 providers a year who truly listen and care for people well. That drives me in a real way.”
Building Trust
Rosen’s commitment to inclusive and affirming care is central to both her clinical and educational work, particularly with LGBTQ+ patients and others who have not always felt safe within the healthcare system.
“If there is only one thing you accomplish in a visit, it should be establishing trust,” she says.
When patients feel respected and understood, they are more likely to share openly and engage meaningfully in their care.
“Talking about relationships, sexual practices, and gender identity in an open and respectful way is not that difficult,” Rosen says. “And even if it is difficult, you still need to do it because it matters and you care.”
A New Chapter
As a relatively new faculty member, Rosen says one of the biggest adjustments has been learning how to manage her own time.
Still, she says without hesitation that her favorite part of the job is working with students.
“They need to trust you,” she says. “They need to know that you’re here for the right reasons and that you genuinely enjoy helping them learn.”
Rapid Fire
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Most underrated clinical skill: The interview
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Best advice she ever received: “Why does it matter? I am lucky that I can help.”
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Biggest misconception about primary care: It’s mostly healthy people getting physicals
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Coffee order: Black coffee, blisteringly hot, ideally a light roast from Central America
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One thing bringing her joy right now: The explosion of women’s professional sports—and the Boston Fleet’s playoff win
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Something students might be surprised to learn: She used to be severely phobic of needles
Why She Loves This Work
At the heart of Rosen’s work is a simple conviction: whether caring for patients or mentoring students, trust comes first.
Listening deeply, treating people with dignity, and helping them feel safe are not extras—they are the foundation of excellent care.
And for Emily Rosen, that is work worth showing up for every day.
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