Michal Dyrda

UConn School of Medicine

I was born in Kedzierzyn-Kozle, Poland and raised in New Britain, Connecticut. I received my B.S in exercise science from the University of Connecticut in 2018.

Growing up in an underserved community, I witnessed the daily difficulties that members of such communities face. As an undergraduate, I helped coordinate the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.A.M) Career Expo in Hartford, Connecticut, which gave me an opportunity to teach children from underserved communities about career opportunities in STEM. I have also worked as a Medical Scribe, Rehabilitation Technician and volunteer EMT in Newington. These volunteer, professional, and life experiences brought me into frequent contact with underserved populations, helped me understand the socioeconomic disparity within our healthcare system, and have motivated me to seek out more chances to help underserved people.

I want to join the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars Program because its curriculum encapsulates the values and practices that I have sought in my professional and volunteer experiences. Having grown up in an underserved community, I want to use my education to improve low-income areas like the one I grew up in, the one that made me who I am today. The UST/AS Program provides additional opportunities for professional growth through its emphasis on a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to healthcare, an approach that I will make use of in my future as a physician to provide patient-centered, holistic care to each one of my patients.