Cheryl Cohler

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2012

As a first-year medical student and Connecticut native, I am excited to expand my experiences through the UST.  During high school, I began work with diverse populations at Yale-New Haven Hospital’s pediatric psychiatry and oncology wards.  Later, I broadened my clinical and research exposure at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  There, I worked with in- and out-patient services; conducted research on the use of antibody immunotherapy as a first-line lymphoma treatment; and undertook a study on evaluating transformed lymphoma.  While obtaining an undergraduate degree in the biological basis of behavior and Hispanic studies at the University of Pennsylvania, I taught health and biology at an inner city high school.  I have taken this interest to the international level, helping to set up free walk-in clinics in rural Belize.  Through that experience, I learned such technical tools as performing medical histories and physicals. Most importantly, I witnessed the need for teaching health care basics in areas devoid of educational and financial resources.  Over the next four years, I plan to channel my passion for medicine and my scientific curiosities to reach those patient populations that need quality care the most.