What’s your major and why did you choose it?
I thought medicine would be a career that would challenge me to be not only skilled in observation but also intervention at the individual and systems level of health. I also considered that it would allow me a career with opportunities to be a learner, to be an educator, to work with people different from myself, and through which I could find meaning in work on most days. I have so far found this to be true of my experience with medicine as a medical student – I wonder if I will uncover new reasons that I chose medicine as I start my formal training.
What was your favorite class and why?
My favorite class at UConn School of Medicine is the Delivery of Clinical Care course taken during first and second year. In this course, we learn the clinical application of our physiology, pathophysiology, anatomy, and public health courses. We practice our clinical skills with diligent patient instructors and meet in small groups to reflect on our experiences learning medicine. My classmates in these groups became important friends to share in the challenges, amusement, and awe of those initial years. When I look back, that course was an essential time to exhale and reconnect to the purpose of all the work.
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I’ll move to Boston to start a three-year Internal Medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
What’s your favorite thing about UConn?
My favorite thing has been my classmates from the School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine. My bright and fun classmates have been wonderful friends, dedicated teammates, thoughtful listeners, and awesome sources of inspiration, humility, and humor on a daily basis for the past four years.
What activities were you involved with on campus?
The student-run free clinic at South Park Inn, which serves those individuals who are homeless in the Hartford area, became a priority during my time at UConn. Most medical students at UConn volunteer their time at one of our three clinics (general medicine, women’s health, or dermatology) or in health education sessions for shelter guests. Over the years, I learned a lot from working with South Park Inn staff, UConn faculty and staff, and other UConn School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy students in clinic leadership. I co-edited UConn Health’s literary magazine, Anastomoses, which features creative works of our students and faculty. I had other meaningful experiences in primary care innovation, addiction medicine, global health research, and medical education.
What’s something you learned in a class that you’ll always remember?
The opportunity to train in medicine initiates a fairly traditional timeline of education, training, and entry into practice. Despite this structure, and the imperative that our education be based in evidence, at UConn I learned that in medicine, I need to cultivate comfort with uncertainty. I found that in every class, our teachers introduced this as a skill requiring reflection and practice. To assist, some showed us probability tools, others emphasized the importance of broad and repeated experience, while others made space for self-contemplation. I know that in the future, this lesson about practicing comfort with uncertainty will accompany me as I engage in patient care, communication, finding meaning, and designing a career.
