John Pflomm

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was born in Danbury, Connecticut and raised in Watertown, Connecticut. I obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in Physiology and Neurobiology.

As an undergraduate at UConn, I participated in multiple alternative spring break trips. The first two were to Baltimore and Atlanta, and focused on public health through programs including urban garden projects and needle exchange programs. My junior year alternative spring break focused on urban poverty and civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama; we worked with local groups to combat issues such as food deserts and lack of affordable transportation. I also lived in the UConn Public Health Learning Community as a member for one year and as the resident assistant for the following three. Involvement in the Learning Community included both a curriculum for residents focused on current issues in the field of public health, and service learning opportunities with the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, and a local student-run farm.

I sought involvement in the Urban Service Track because the values it promulgates are those I plan to embody in my career as a physician. I want to provide quality health care to underserved populations, and am passionate about the programs the UST involves its students in, programs focused on resolving health care issues these populations face.