Divya Iyer

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2020

I was Born in Battle Creek, Michigan and raised in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. I am a graduate of the University of Connecticut Honors Program with a B.S. in Structural Biology & Biophysics and minor in Diversity Studies in American Culture.

I seek to join the Urban Service Track primarily because of my involvement with the UConn Migrant Farm Worker Clinic and my 2015-16 AmeriCorps Year of Service. In my five years of volunteering and leadership with the Migrant Farm Worker clinic, I witnessed many of the consequences of the health disparities that exist in Connecticut. I also learned the importance and advantage of collaborating with providers from many healthcare disciplines in providing patients with the best care. My service with the clinic inspired me to work as a teacher and mentor through AmeriCorps New York City. I worked with 8th grade students from underserved communities and learned more about how healthcare and education are integral to ending major health issues facing our society today.

As a member of Urban Service Track, I will gain a greater understanding of how policy, economics, and society come together to create inequalities in the American health care system. Using this knowledge, I hope to collaborate with members of the UST community to understand and address issues with access to care in my home state. UST will help me gain the skills to become a sensitive, collaborative and impactful physician in the urban communities I will serve in the future.