Eunice Song

School of Medicine Class of 2012

I am from the Minneapolis suburbs and attended the University of Minnesota as an undergrad, where I obtained a B.S. in biochemistry and physiology. Living in New Haven for the past three years has allowed me to work closely with urban underserved populations. My volunteer experience at New Haven Reads, a community resource center that provides after-school tutoring, has allowed me to work with underserved students. Many of the children have complained of not getting enough attention in their regular classes because of disruptive and lagging students – so the hour or two of time they spent at New Haven Reads is the only dedicated one-on-one attention they received to help reach their potential. I have also volunteered at Leeway, an inpatient nursing facility for those with HIV and AIDS. As a social and emotional support volunteer, I listened to patients’ stories, which provided me with lessons highlighting the importance of outreach and education in urban underserved communities. The patients were a mix of tragic circumstance and/or multiple wrong turns. But regardless of how the patient arrived at Leeway, it was clear in my eyes that any small amount of education and advocacy was and could be enormously beneficial. I wanted to join UST not only for the community involvement, but also for the chance to work with peers of different disciplines and learn from experts of the community. Medicine is evolving and the future of medicine will extend far beyond the doors of hospitals and clinics. From biomedical and clinical research, public health and epidemiology, economics and health policy, the application of medicine is a collaborative effort between numerous fields. UST will provide me with the early interdisciplinary training necessary for a successful medical career in the future. Furthermore, as leaders in the community, I believe it is our duty to work with the most vulnerable populations. Participating in UST presents the opportunity to help lift up the medically underserved, as well as provide the chance to strengthen my abilities as a member of the future health care team.