Jacob Garrell

UConn School of Medicine

I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. I received a B.S in Biology and a B.A in Community Health from Tufts University in 2018.

My medical work and volunteer experiences as an undergraduate were instrumental in shaping my desire to work with underserved communities. Volunteering at Bridgeport Hospital provided me insight into the challenges faced by patients lacking access to primary care from an urban population minutes from where I lived. I gained further insight into such challenges through my research at Yale-New Haven Hospital and at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Through research, I had the unique opportunity to work with the immigrant community in Medford, Massachusetts, another population that faces day-to-day challenges including but not limited to access to health care. This work with immigrant communities allowed me to both make a difference and to grow as a person.

The Urban Service Track will give me the chance to continue developing the skills a physician needs to properly serve an urban population. The ability to build rapport with and provide appropriate care to an underserved community cannot be acquired but through a lengthy, difficult process, and I believe that the Urban Service Track will be the best possible guide through this process.