June Chu

UConn School of Medicine

I was born in Flushing, New York and raised in New Hyde Park, New York. I obtained a dual degree in Spanish and physiology & neurobiology along with a minor in Latin American Studies from the University of Connecticut.

Throughout high school, I volunteered at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens, New York. I also interned at Hispanic Health Council in Hartford, where I helped update the cultural competency training program and developed a curriculum to improve voter engagement. I have also volunteered at the Migrant Farm Worker Clinics taking vitals and translating, and as a mentor at Natchaug Elementary School through Big Brothers Big Sisters. I completed my undergraduate thesis on factors affecting perceptions of diabetes and diabetes prevention among Latinos in Connecticut. Since graduating, I have worked as a medical scribe in two emergency departments in Hartford and Bridgeport, where I encounter daily many of the healthcare challenges unique to cities.

I wanted to be involved in the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program to gain a better understanding of the unique issues that vulnerable populations face, and to be better equipped to address these problems as a healthcare provider. I believe people’s physical health is in part determined by their emotional and social well-being, which in turn is largely determined by social determinants of health. The UST/AS Program’s collaborative approach to healthcare will prepare me for a future career in which I can help my patients access the resources they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.