Aliana Castro

Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program

I was born and raised in Old Saybrook, CT. In May of 2024, I graduated from Quinnipiac University with a bachelor’s degree in health science studies and a minor in global public health.

I began my healthcare career volunteering as an EMT, working as a patient care technician in the emergency room, and serving as the director of first aid for various summer programs. Throughout this time, I also served my community through organizations like Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) as part of their Move Ahead Program and the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) in New Haven. During my collegiate career I was a founding member of Quinnipiac University’s Friends of MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders) chapter.

Upon hearing about the UST/AS program, I knew that it would be an amazing opportunity to better serve my future patients. As rising healthcare providers, we have a duty to educate ourselves in such a way that we can become advocates who work alongside our patients to ensure that they receive individualized care specific to their own social determinants of health. Learning about and volunteering to help address some of the social determinants different patient populations may face will allow me to become a more patient-aware physician assistant who can offer holistic care to my patients. My passions align with learning how to support and mitigate barriers that patients face relating to immigration status, cultural background, and language. My hopes are to further my knowledge with UST/AS!