Tiffany Chen

UConn School of Medicine, Class of 2013

A native of Woodbridge, CT, I graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in history of science/history of medicine, an academic field that reveals the penetrating impact of medicine on the health of citizens, as well as on the overall vitality and stability of communities. My studies also exposed me to the dynamic intersection of culture and medicine — a topic extremely relevant to treating the medically underserved. I volunteered in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina, interviewed coal miners in China, and assisted autistic toddlers during speech therapy sessions. Consequently, I have observed how health and well-being intricately affect all aspects of our lives and strongly believe that quality health care should be accessible to impoverished communities. I want to practice medicine among those who need the most help; socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or language should never be impediments. As the nation moves closer to overhauling the current health care system, the UST and its objectives become even more critical. Interdisciplinary cooperation is essential for comprehensive, competent and sustainable care. The UST, I believe, will give me a new awareness of and sensitivity to underserved patient populations.