Christopher Sinclair

School of Medicine Class of 2015

I was born in New York City and have also lived in Conn,, Mass, and N.J. In 2007, I obtained my B.A. from Pace University with a double major in philosophy & religious studies and environmental studies, after which I took post-baccalaureate, pre-medical classes at the UConn Storrs campus. During my time at UConn Storrs, I volunteered at Norwalk Hospital and worked as a volunteer EMT at Windham Hospital. After finishing my post-baccalaureate classes, I spent a year working as a Patient Care Associate (PCA) at Hartford Hospital on CB5, a large, bustling, and challenging medical floor. Working on CB5 exposed me to many of the health care hardships of urban life, including insufficient continuity of care, being un- or under-insured, and language and cultural barriers between patients and providers. It also showed me the value of preventive medicine – Many of our patients suffered from conditions that, given simple and regular treatment measures, probably would not have progressed to the debilitating and devastating levels at which they presented. I learned at Hartford Hospital that, in no uncertain terms, preventive medicine is not just about eating more fruits and vegetables—it’s about taking your metformin to avoid bilateral lower leg amputations. Through UST, I will be able to apply both the skills I learned at Hartford Hospital and the education I’m receiving at UConn to help create positive health care outcomes for the underserved. Corollary to this, UST will introduce me to students of different health professions, allowing me to develop the skills involved in being part of an integrated health care team. Health care is a right, not a commodity, and I believe we have a professional duty to work toward making it available to those in need.