Johanna Montoya

Quinnipiac Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2017

I was born in Lima, Peru and move to the U.S at the age of 8. I lived and grow up in the suburbs of Chicago. I graduated in May of 2012, with a Bachelor of Science in biology and as an Honors Scholar. In addition to majoring in biology, I also minor in the medical humanities and obtained phlebotomy/EKG certification. During my time in undergrad, I volunteered at a free clinic that provided medical attention to the underserved and uninsured of the greater Chicago area. Following graduation I decided to work at a nursing home in a memory care unit while still volunteering at the clinic. These experiences along with my personal experience, living in a third world country and being a recent immigrant, solidify my desired to work with the underserved population. Being able to see the different needs of patients by caring for them or by experiencing at first hand, allowed me to see the high demand for excellent clinicians in underserved areas. This realization developed my interest in primary care, which led me to be highly interested in the Urban Service Track and its focus on interprofeesionalism in primary care.

I believe that by being part of UST will allow me to further my skills and expose me to interprofessional interactions that will not only better me as PA but also allow me to make a difference in underserved areas upon graduation. I do plan on returning to Chicago and applying what I learned at Quinnipiac and UST to better served the underserved areas. I hope that by participating in the Urban Service Track, I will not only improve my skills but also be actively involve in the improvement of the health care system in which we are all part of. I have always believe that it’s important for health care to be accessible to anyone, and I believe it can be achieved by applying the sense of community and health care knowledge UST provides.