Abigail Tulchinsky

UConn School of Medicine

I was born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut. I attended Hamilton College and graduated with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry.

In college, I volunteered as an EMT, at a clinic for the underinsured, and as a reading tutor in a nearby city. After graduating, I moved to Boston where I worked in clinical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and volunteered as a mentor for youth with disabilities.

I am interested in the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program because I have seen so many individuals and urban communities who have been failed by the healthcare system; this has motivated me to strive to make a difference in medicine. Having worked in health care, I realize how important it is to tailor treatments to fit an individual’s specific needs. Not every patient is the same, and not every treatment will have the same effects: a variety of social determinants impact health care. I have learned that treatment is not one size fits all, and that the only way to offer the best treatment is to understand patients via their beliefs, their environments, and any other factors affecting their health.