Brooke Cunningham

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2018

I was born and raised in West Hartford, CT. I graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2013 with a B.A. in Spanish, and a minor in chemistry. I spent my entire junior year studying abroad in the small city of León in the north of Spain. Studying abroad while in college was important to me, not only for providing experience living in and understanding other cultures, but also for improving my confidence in using Spanish, an important skill for communicating with a diverse set of patients.

During my three years on campus, I volunteered each Friday evening at a youth group in Worcester, MA, through the group: Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD). I was also the youth group’s program director for two years. SPUD provided many opportunities for interactions with the children, teenagers, and parents in the youth group, where I learned about the struggles faced by different urban populations.

As a part of the UST I hope to learn how to better serve the urban population as a physician. Healthcare access is often viewed as a privilege in the world today; I strongly believe that every person, regardless of their cultural background, socioeconomic situation, or religious belief, has an equal right for healthcare. As a UST Scholar, I look forward to collaborating with other healthcare professionals to learn how we can work together to help improve healthcare for urban underserved populations.