Chris Belknap

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2012

I grew up in Stonington, an upper middle class town in Southeastern, CT. I went to a small, private high school in New London, CT and then attended Yale University.  I graduated in 2008, armed with the following: a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry; some experience in biomedical research; and very different reasons for wanting to be a doctor than those I had originally.  I also gained a solid background in medical ethics and comparative health policy through some of my courses and projects.

I am interested in the UST because, as a doctor, I want to work where I am needed most. I want to help populations who might not be able to get the health care they need if I were not there. I also want to build relationships with students in other health care fields, and learn how to work with their disciplines to deliver care in the most efficient way possible. I bring to the UST research experience in places such as rural Nepal and inner city Baltimore, where I began to understand the social, economic, educational and cultural barriers that prevent poor people from receiving good medical treatment. I also bring a strong interest in working with everyone else in the group to build solutions to overcome these barriers.