Community Impact University News

January 22, 2025 | Lauren Woods

UConn Medical and Dental Students Carry on MLK’s Legacy of Public Service

UConn School of Medicine and Dental Medicine students perform community service and share their personal reflections about the inspiration of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of MLK "Health Equity: a Community Conversation” gathered together UConn medical and dental students with the community at the Phillips Metropolitan CME Church in the Hartford North End on Jan. 21.

For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day’s National Day of Service and beyond first-year medical and dental students from UConn joined together to carry on Dr. King’s strong legacy of helping others by performing community service and also participating in special learning activities inside the community. Both efforts were in the spirit of service and community outreach that MLK championed.

Some of the many examples of the health professional student community service activities included:

At Chapel Haven in New Haven an information session was hosted by dental students including Marley Esch on Oral Hygiene for participants, adults with varying abilities learning how to live independent and self-determined lives.

 

An ASDA MLK letter writing service event was led by dental students Carolina Rameriz and Anish Shah to send  letters to Love for Our Elders giving out warm wishes during the winter season.

 

The Pediatric Dentistry Interest Group (PDIG) with Operation Smile led by third-year dental students Desirae Lee, Mohammed Shreiteh and Tommy Perkins teamed to offer an MLK Service Day opportunity. They wrote letters and created dorigami for children undergoing/needing cleft palate/lip surgery. Everything they make is mailed to Operation Smile.

 

Community service was also conducted for Husky Harvest UConn Health food pantry
by dental student Savennah Mendes-Rodrigues.

 

Second-year dental students Joseph Wojtasik, Nicolas Jorden, Matthew Fernandez, Henry Shaffer and others helped sort food at Foodshare, as did Maddie Witt: “Everyone had a great time especially knowing we made an impact.”

 

The Town of Falmouth has an oyster propagation program managed by the Dept. of Marine and Environmental Services.  They install and maintain oyster cages throughout several harbors to grow oyster from seed that help filter the water and provide harvesting opportunities to local residents. The Department relies on volunteers for much of the work. “I have been volunteering since the summer to rotate the cages and keep them in good repair. This weekend, the immature oysters were to be removed from the water before temperatures drop significantly so they can hibernate until Spring. I was part of the crew that brought the cages to shore, moved 300,000 one-year old oysters to bins and transported them to a Town facility to be stored in temperature controlled units until Spring,” shared second-year dental student Christopher Thompson.

 

Dental student Elizabeth Tran volunteered at a local church.

 

On MLK Day 2025 UConn dental students Tori Pascoe and Sadhana Sarkar volunteered at dental practices in the community.

 

Also, Kelly Gonzalez, deputy director of the South Park Inn homeless shelter and homelessness services organization spoke to UConn medical students about the importance of equal access to shelter.

 

Additionally, Julia Silverman, 4th year medical student and Dr. Crystal Salcido, psychiatrist discussed the latest in incarcerated patient care and how to limit shackling in unnecessary situations.

One of the special community learning events held in honor of MLK was “Health Equity: a Community Conversation” hosted at the Phillips Metropolitan CME Church in the Hartford North End on Jan. 21. It included the medical and dental students’ discussions and advice from community members about the health and longevity in these vibrant neighborhoods and how to build trust in health care partnerships.

“The community experts were captivating and inspiring. It was a powerful experience to hear about the unique issues facing our local, marginalized communities directly from the community leaders themselves. I speak for the class when I say that we collectively enjoyed the experience and we hope for more opportunities for students to learn alongside the local community,” shared first-year medical student Fabio R. Saccomanno, the president of the Medical-Dental Student Government at UConn Health.

UConn medical and dental students listening to the opening speech at the Health Equity panel event on Jan. 21 at the North End of Hartford’s Phillips Metropolitan CME Church.

Other first-year UConn medical and dental students also shared their personal reflections on MLK, Jr. and their special public service performed in his honor:

“It was a privilege to hear from the North Hartford community members at the panel. Listening to their efforts and hearing their passion highlighted why it is so important that we, as healthcare professionals, need to engage and learn about our local communities so we can best serve them. Engaging in the panel and MLK service day reminds me why I chose this profession and how I hope to dedicate my time in the future towards service, both in and outside of the clinic,” shared Ananya Aggarwal, UConn dental medicine student.

“The panel made our medicine feel more applicable to the surrounding community. We got to hear directly from the community the help they need from us as future providers,” shared Abigail Holmes, UConn dental student.

“We heard from a wonderful panel of speakers who have been making positive contributions to their communities across multiple disciplines. Their passion for their work, ranging from advocating for legislative protections against pollution to educating community members about maternal health, was an absolute inspiration. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from them,” shared Anna Friedman, UConn medical student.

Students listen to Denise Holter, Chair of the Community Action Task Force for the Hartford Health Hub, discussing the food swamp in North Hartford and the community’s effort to have a full supermarket build in the community.

“It was inspiring to interact with community organization leaders to learn about current initiatives that we could be a part of and a privilege to hear about the lived experiences of those in the Hartford community,” shared UConn dental student Wendy Zhan.

“Getting to talk to people who work daily with residents of the neighborhood was helpful to put what we learn in class into context and supplement the basic understanding we have about inequities,” shared medical student Emma Triantafyllou.

“MLK day and its associated activities are a wonderful time to remind me of the context in which we are becoming healthcare professionals — in this day and age, healthcare means service within a larger community and helping those in need. Gratitude for service through reflection is a defining activity of MLK week that I love and hope to continue engaging with throughout my career,” shared medical student Neal Krishna.

“To me, MLK emphasizes uniting people together despite differences. To carry on his legacy, I plan to practice dentistry with empathy and will continue to educate myself and others about disparities in healthcare we need to take action to address,” said dental student Hannah Ceva.

Students viewing posters highlighting food insecurity in North Hartford.

“MLK Jr. inspires me to pursue justice, compassion, and service in my work and life. In dentistry, I hope to honor his legacy by advancing health equity through affordable care for underserved communities, volunteering at free dental clinics, and ensuring every patient, regardless of their socioeconomic background, is treated with dignity and respect,” said dental student Christine Khalil.

“Meeting all of the panelists who have so selflessly dedicated their lives to fighting for the futures of their neighbors and community members was nothing short of inspiring. I think it was the best possible reminder of why many of us came into this field in the first place: to help people and make a meaningful difference,” said medical student Lila Medeiros.

“MLK to me represents the spirit of service and advocacy that I believe is at the heart of being a doctor. A person’s livelihood is manifested in their health, and as a learning professional whose mission is to heal, that duty encompasses all sources of wounds—even the ones that can’t always be tackled inside the clinic. I hope to continue legislative advocacy through my career, especially in civil infrastructure, for the people who have been overlooked time and time again,” shared medical student Karina Patel.

Medical and dental students talking with community members.

“I appreciated the chance to speak with members of various community organizations and learn from their perspectives. It was inspiring to see the passion and dedication of people committed to making a positive impact in their community,” shared medical student Peer Fish.

“It was refreshing to see so many people actively working for the welfare of others on MLK day,” said dental student Marley Esch.

“I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what makes Hartford really special, and the North End in particular, with its combination of past and present struggles, joy, and resilience,” shared dental student Colin McMullan.

On Jan. 30 a special Service & Advocacy Summit will be held at UConn Health for the medical and dental students and the UConn Health community from 4-6 p.m. at Keller Auditorium. A keynote address about Community Based Participatory Research Advancing Health Equity will be shared by Dr. Linda Sprague-Martinez, director of the UConn Health Disparities Institute.