Morgan Smith

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2021

I was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. I received a degree in Biological Sciences with minors in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Connecticut in 2016.

During my undergraduate career at the University of Connecticut I helped establish UConn’s chapter of the Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program. This organization brings free kidney screenings and kidney health education seminars to medically underserved areas. I also volunteered at Hospice of Westchester with Alzheimer’s patients, where I developed a research program aimed at alleviating incommunicative patients’ stress. As a research assistant at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, I co-authored a study aimed at improving healthcare education for parents and physicians on pain treatment options and destigmatizing them. I also led a retrospective study on ocular health outcomes for children based on their consistency of care and attendance at follow-ups.

Through these experiences, I came to realize the complexity both of the problems underserved communities face in accessing healthcare, and of their solutions. I applied to the Urban Service track because I believe the program effectively addresses this complexity, both through its practical principles as well as through its training in healthcare research, policy, and advocacy. The UST also promotes collaboration with peers from different disciplines, which I hope to utilize in the future, working in an urban community health center where interprofessional communication and teamwork result in accessible, holistic care. The UST will help me to work not only for a community but with it, to discover the context for the disparities they face, and to address them using an inclusive and interdisciplinary approach.