Irfan M. Rahim, MD, FAAP

Irfan Rahim is the founder and medical director of Start Line Pediatrics.  After getting his B.A. in Chemistry from California State University, Fresno, and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he entered the United States Air Force and completed his residency at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, California.  He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1998.  Dr. Rahim is a Veteran of the United States Air Force.  After serving military families for seven years, he spent 17 years working in private practice in Suburban Boston and the Boston Metrowest.  Opening Start Line Pediatrics in 2018 was the next step for Dr. Rahim in providing quality medical care that aligns with his own set of core values, namely, be approachable, be accountable, be flexible.

Dr. Rahim enjoys teaching and has trained medical students, pediatric residents and nurse practitioner students throughout his career.  He is a member of the Community Medical Staff of Boston Children’s Hospital as well as the Active Medical Staff at Metrowest Medical Center.

Dr. Rahim is married and is the father of a daughter who recently finished college and a second teenage daughter.  He has a breadth of personal experience with many of the issues and dilemmas that his patients face which fully complements his professional experience and qualifications.  Dr. Rahim speaks Farsi, is an avid sports fan, enjoys family time, gardening, traveling, the beach and any competitive board or card game!

Hallie Pearl, MD

Start Line Pediatrics is thrilled to welcome Dr. Hallie Pearl. She will complete our team and hails originally from Potomac, Maryland. Dr. Pearl received her B.S. in Biology with a Physiology and Neurobiology specialization from the University of Maryland, College Park. As an undergrad, she was very involved in the Gemstone Honors Program, a multidisciplinary four-year undergraduate research program. From there, she continued on to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and graduated in 2018. Dr. Pearl left her home state to come to Massachusetts for residency. She completed her Pediatric residency this year at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center.

As a pediatrician, Dr. Pearl enjoys building longitudinal relationships with her patients and their families, focusing on preventative care and creating healthy habits. Her special interests clinically include asthma care and pediatric nutrition. She views herself as both a lifelong learner and as a teacher, educating her patients about their health.

Dr. Pearl is a member of the Community Medical Staff of Boston Children’s Hospital. She also works as a pediatrician with courtesy privileges at the UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Room Urgent Care.

Dr. Pearl lives locally with her husband and two dogs. She enjoys playing basketball and spending time outside hiking in the woods with her family.

Rachel Tay, Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Rachel Tay is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.  She received a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University in 2014 and then worked in pharmacogenomics clinical research at the University of Florida – studying the role of patient genetics in drug response.  Knowing that her final goal was always to work in pediatric primary care, she moved to Boston and obtained a Master of Science in Nursing from Boston College, specializing in pediatrics, in 2018.  Rachel worked as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at two busy clinics in the greater Boston area before coming to Start Line Pediatrics.

Rachel is passionate about partnering with patients and families to develop easier ways to manage their heath. As the oldest of four siblings, caring for one sibling with Crohn’s disease and another on the Autism Spectrum, she understands firsthand the challenges that families face when dealing with chronic diseases, behavioral and psychological issues. Perhaps because of her experiences, she strives to develop treatment plans that are manageable and most likely to lead to successful outcomes.  Rachel prioritizes relationships and making her patients feel comfortable at any age – whether that is by having light up toys on her stethoscope for the little ones or by spending extra time listening to home or school problems with the adolescents.

Rachel currently lives in Boston with her significant other and (hopefully) a pet in the near future. In her spare time, she enjoys running, playing intramural sports, kayaking, skiing, and game nights. She is also an avid University of Florida sports fan and loves to visit her family in Florida to cheer on The Gators!