Jennifer Bordonaro

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2012

A Connecticut native, I attended the University of Connecticut and majored in molecular and cell biology. Upon graduating, I was undecided as to which career path to choose and began working as an EMT in Hartford and New Britain. Through that work, I became fascinated about the need for health care services and the special circumstances facing urban communities. Every day, I would be called to homes for not only life-threatening emergencies, but also the more “everyday” complaints that one would likely see in a primary care office. Since many of these patients were uninsured or underinsured, they had no primary care physician and sought care in the emergency department. Limited or no access to the hospital led them to call an ambulance for transport. In addition to my EMT experiences, I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti this past summer. Witnessing living conditions of the poor and their lack of health care access opened my eyes to the realities of life that have a direct impact on health. My work studying the ProHealth House Call Program, which serves elderly patients with limited access to health care, added to my previous experiences working with underserved populations and interdisciplinary teams.

With UST, I am excited to operate as part of a team, learning from the other students and gaining a better grasp of others’ perspectives. I have witnessed that different disciplines do not always understand or respect one another’s point of view. In the future, I will use these experiences to work alongside students and colleagues toward a common goal: the very best patient care.