Barbara Shehata

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and moved to Milford, Connecticut when I was three years old. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health, with minors in Spanish and molecular and cellular biology, from the University of Connecticut in May 2020.
My volunteer experience includes acting as a group leader for the Sandwich Run Service of New Haven, Connecticut distributing food, essential supplies, and hygiene products in care packages to the homeless population in the area. I have also been a tutor and counsel for high school students from Hartford and Windham who are the first generation in their families to attend college or come from a low-income family background.
I hope that the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program will enable me to assume a more open-minded perspective, gain a greater level of cultural competence, and increase my ability to work on interdisciplinary teams and with underserved populations. I want to achieve a greater understanding of the barriers that prevent all patients from accessing the same level of quality care, as well as how I, as a future dentist, can eliminate these disparities.