University of Massachusetts
Medical School |
A little background: I grew up in Worcester, MA and went to Connecticut College, where I majored in Zoology and Pre-med, and where my passion for international work and cultural immersion began. I studied abroad in Tanzania my junior year, in Nepal my senior year, and worked at an Aboriginal Health Clinic in Australia the summer in between. In all locations, I lived with local families and tried to learn as much about the culture (including the language) and medical practices as I could. After college, I worked for over a year at the Yale Child Study Center doing clinical research on Tourette's, ADD, and OCD. I then was fortunate to be granted a Henry Luce Fellowship and so went off to Asia to work at a Family Health Clinic in the Philippines. I lived there for a year and traveled to many incredible places, including China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. The Philippines is also where I met my husband - an unexpected bonus! After returning to the U.S., I worked at UMASS in the Neurology department as the Memory Disorders Clinic Coordinator and Clinical Trials Coordinator for a little over a year, during which time I prepared for medical school. I attended UMASS Medical School for the next 5 years, which gave my husband and I time to have our first child, Malaya, who is now 20 months, and a handful (of fun)! During med school, I was able to continue my interest in international health and work in communities in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Guatemala, and Mexico. I plan to work as a Family Physician in an underserved area in the U.S., and continue regular work abroad. How I ended up in Virginia: As much as I had planned on staying close to family in New England, when I came to UVA for my interview, I just had that "gut feeling" that everyone talks about. Every faculty member and resident whom I met just seemed so happy and dedicated to their career in Family Medicine. I was also drawn by the international health focus and refugee clinic that is so well established. It didn't hurt that Charlottesville is one of the "best places to live in America" and that the weather is a little closer to tropical than frigid Massachusetts. As hard as it has been to be away from family, we have found our new "family" at UVA and are loving our new home in C-ville! |