Just like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. service is a big part of UConn School of Medicine’s mission.
That is why once again with its medical students help, UConn is hosting a weeklong Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture Series for its medical students January 20-28. The MLK Jr. Lecture Series will highlight community organizations and experts that reflect the spirit of service and outreach championed by Dr. King.
The week of events will culminate in the second annual Service and Advocacy Summit on January 26 in Low Auditorium at UConn Health from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with a keynote lecture delivered by Connecticut-based psychiatry expert Dr. Carmen Black, MD MHS-Med Ed on the topic: “Already to Action: A Critical Appraisal of Health Equity Change Agents within Medical Professionalism.” The keynote event is open to the UConn and UConn Health community wishing to attend.
As we mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026, some of the many UConn medical students organizing and participating in the special MLK Jr. Lecture Series shared their personal reflections on MLK, Jr. and the importance of carrying on his legacy of public service.
“Getting to intimately know our community by serving those in need is the cornerstone of healthcare. As physicians, it is our imperative to be advocates for all aspects of patient, well-being, including social, emotional, and spiritual, and we can only do so by immersing ourselves in our community through service,” says Christine Kao, SOM Class of 2026, of Stamford, Conn.
“Carrying on MLK Jr.’s work and legacy to me as medical student means pursuing opportunities that were only made possible by those that came before me and fought for my right to be in these spaces. It also means keeping the patients and communities that look like me at the forefront of my mind as I continue my educational journey so that I can ensure that I’m making a difference, as a representative of not only UConn School of Medicine but as a reflection of my personal and professional values around justice,” says
Olasubomi Ayomini Ajayi, SOM Class of 2028, of Washington, New Jersey.
“To me, honoring Dr. King’s legacy means serving my community, continuously fighting for equity in all facets of life, and amplifying voices that have long been marginalized. As students and future physicians, it is essential that we learn with and work alongside community organizations,” says Katrina Jackson, SOM Class of 2027, from Santa Cruz, California.
“Carrying on Dr. King’s legacy means helping build a culture that values justice for all—across education, medicine, and every form of equity. Bringing together and working alongside our local community organizations has been a constant source of inspiration in that journey,” says Uma Mehta, SOM Class of 2027, from Simsbury, Conn.
“To me, carrying on Dr. King’s legacy of racial equity and justice as a medical student means pursuing legislative advocacy that protects the health of communities most vulnerable to severe climate events, and joining our voices with patients whose health is closely linked to their environment in order to bring about change that targets root causes of chronic diseases,” says Stefan Marczuk, SOM Class of 2027, of Durham, Conn.
“As a future physician being trained in a moment when intolerance is brazenly spoken aloud without apology, I’m reminded that now more than ever our calling is to choose love and community over the fear and hatred systems of power still try to sustain. Carrying forward Dr. King’s legacy means honoring his courage by continuing the work of showing up, listening deeply, speaking out, and building alongside those most harmed by injustice,” says Ryan Hannon, SOM Class of 2026, from Cheshire, Conn.
