Bhavana Gunda

School of Medicine

I was born and raised in South Windsor, Connecticut. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in physiology & neurobiology and a Bachelor of Arts in global health from the University of Connecticut in 2022. 

I volunteered at Hartford Hospital in high school, which motivated me to start working there as a Patient Care Associate during 2020. I also volunteered with the UConn Health Leaders program. Through this program, we addressed social determinants of health by helping connect patients with appropriate resources to decrease health care disparities. In college, I was part of UConn’s undergraduate chapter of Medical Minds Matter, where we worked to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the medical field. Through Global Health Spaces on Campus, I coordinated and moderated a panel for our annual symposium as a member of the executive planning committee. I also helped to coordinate our annual fundraising initiatives for HuskyTHON, UConn’s dance marathon benefitting Connecticut Children’s.

I applied for the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program because of my interest in working with urban and underserved populations. I want to continue contributing to community health as part of a medical team while also connecting with my patients. I believe that preventative health care and the dismantling of barriers to health care are necessary for universal good health, and I believe that the UST/AS Program will help me concretize these beliefs and passions into practices.