Verena Faehling, MD
Growing up in southern Germany as one of four kids, I stayed close to family for the first part of my medical training, studying Medicine at the University of Heidelberg—where my two younger brothers joined me later. Still, international experiences have always shaped my career choices: I first discovered my fascination with medicine and the human body during an anatomy class I took as an exchange student in Australia, and later, while studying abroad in Lund, Sweden, I realized that I wanted to specialize in Infectious Diseases.
After finishing med school – along with some lab research into colorectal cancer at the German Cancer Research Center – I initially chose to stay in Heidelberg to work in Internal Medicine and later Infectious Diseases, largely due to the wonderful mentorship from a BIDMC alum at the Heidelberg University Hospital. It was this connection that later gave me the opportunity to pursue an observership with the Infectious Diseases department at BIDMC that I enjoyed immensely. I was beyond impressed not only by the high standards of care delivered, but particularly by the extraordinary teaching across the department, and everyone’s willingness to support and mentor young trainees. I knew this was where I wanted to continue my training!
I ended up making a professional pit stop in London to achieve my master’s degree in Tropical Medicine and International Health before being lucky to be able to come to Boston in 2025. During residency, BIDMC has continued to exceed my expectations. I learn something new every day – whether it’s in clinic, on the wards or in the amazing conferences. But most of all, I’m grateful for the support given by so many wonderful people during what can be a challenging stage of training – whether it’s an attending taking time out of a busy day to supervise a procedure, the resident covering my list so I can catch a break, or one of my co-interns doing a coffee/snack run.
To balance the many hours spent at the hospital, I rely on regular exercise – you’ll find me road cycling or trying to convince my colleagues to go bouldering. I also sing in a choir and like to cook or bake (ask my colleagues about my banana bread!). I’m hoping to explore more of the area around Boston during the next years!
