Meet Daniella Dennis of New Britain. Her parents were born and raised in Jamaica and immigrated to America in the late 1990s. The youngest of four siblings, her mother as a Certified Nursing Assistant introduced her to the medical field. Before matriculating at UConn School of Medicine she was an EMT and a patient care technician during the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduation, she will be entering emergency medicine residency at UConn and will be a proud first-generation college graduate and first doctor in her family. Her advice to all students: no matter what stage you are at, you can never have too many mentors. 

Why did you choose the UConn School of Medicine?

I was born and raised in Connecticut so UConn growing up was a dream school for me. Something I’ve loved about UConn is its Team Based Learning curriculum which makes it very unique compared to other medical schools and its cohesiveness between faculty and students.

Tell us more about your path to medical school.

After New Britain High School, I attended Central Connecticut State University where I was a biomolecular science major with a minor in community engagement and graduated in 2018. Following graduation, I took two gap years where I worked as an EMT and as a patient care tech over at Hartford Hospital and then matriculated at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in the fall of 2021.

What activities were you involved with as a student?

I was involved in a multitude of different leadership positions including being secretary of the Student National Medical Association, a part of the Gold Humanism Society, in various surgical student groups and participated as a mentor as part of the Health Career Opportunities Programs — a pipeline program created by Dr. Marja Hurley here at UConn Health that helps students from high school who come from underrepresented backgrounds including those who are first-generation college students to be able to get into college and then furthermore get into medical and dental school.

What’s one thing that surprised you about UConn?

How willing faculty are open to listening to student feedback and always looking for different ways to improve the curriculum and always looking for other new ways to improve student wellness.

What’s one thing every student should do during their time at UConn?

One of my favorite events that UConn has every single year is Culture Shock which is run in collaboration with the Student National Medical Association, the Latino Medical Association, and the Student National Dental Association. Culture shock is essentially our version of a school-wide talent show where we have students showcase their various talents and their cultures and most importantly it’s a great time to have the entire student body and faculty be around for a great night of celebration. The event raises money for various charities within the Greater Hartford Area. This event takes place every December and I’m glad to have been able to participate in Culture Shock and be able to attend the event every single year since my first year of medical school. I absolutely love seeing people in my class and even upper-class students be involved. Whether it’s my peers showcasing their singing skills, dancing, or most importantly the most famous part of the night is our fashion show where you get to showcase various pieces and clothing from your particular culture.

Who inspired you to enter health care?

It started with my mother who was a certified nursing assistant at a rehabilitation center and in elementary school after school I would visit her at work and be around various health care professionals including physicians, nurses, and physician assistants and I became very curious at that time at an early age about becoming a doctor. It wasn’t really until high school where we had a Health Academy that’s focused on helping students go into health care professionals that I really started to think more about becoming a physician. Furthermore I had a great relationship with my pediatrician growing up who became one of my first mentors in the field of medicine that I made the final decision to go to medical school after my sophomore year of college where during that summer between freshman and sophomore year I did a six-week program at Columbia University focused on first generation college students who were interested in going into health professional careers. During that program, I was able to shadow various physicians and different medical sub-specialties which really gave me the confidence and knowledge to go into medicine. From that experience I decided to go on the pathway of becoming a doctor and I’ve had a multitude of other great inspiration and mentors along the way that helped guide me on this path.

What are your plans after graduation?

I’ll be continuing my journey here at UConn as an Emergency Medicine resident physician.

What’s one thing that will always make you think of UConn?

The people! The faculty, friends, and mentors are what makes UConn have its collaborative feel and most importantly always making you feel comfortable and welcomed.

What does being a part of UConn mean to you?

I love being at UConn! Being at UConn feels at home. I think most importantly the reason that I love being here is that it feels like a community. I’m very thankful for my colleagues who’ve helped me throughout my entire medical school time. I really do love the faculty who also have been very supportive and very attentive to student wellness. These are the characteristics and traits that I want to continue to have as I transition in the next part of my journey of becoming a resident.

What’s it going to be like to walk across the Commencement stage and get your degree?

It’s going to be a huge accomplishment for me, especially in my case being a first-generation college student and now to be the first person in my family to become a doctor. It’s going to be an amazing accomplishment to share this moment with friends and family watching me on the stage and I’m super thankful for their support in terms of this entire journey to be able to get to this point.

Any final words of wisdom for incoming students?

Get involved and explore as early as you possibly can and most importantly you can never have too many mentors there’s always something that you can learn and grow from someone no matter what field that they come from. Always take advantage of the ability to ask for help.