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David Henderson, M.D.

Associate Dean, Medical Student Affairs

It is true that medical schools all across the nation attract many of the brightest college graduates. It is also true that medical school is where many students experience their most significant academic challenges. The University of Connecticut is heavily invested in the success of the students who matriculate here. Supporting students and advocating on their behalf is integral to the responsibilities of the Associate Dean for Medical Student Affairs. While the academic environment is by its nature demanding, there is a concerted effort to guarantee that it is also nurturing. This institution is committed to the personal and professional development of students; to the self-actualization of the career goals and aspirations of all those who pass through our doors.

With an emphasis on early clinical experience, our students learn to build real world skills in real world settings. The classroom is therefore at times a lecture hall, at times a histology laboratory, and at times a clinic in a homeless shelter. Our students also learn early on that they are expected to be both learners and teachers. They are learners throughout their professional lives, as we all are; and in clinical settings they learn from their patients, but they are also expected to fulfill the role of educator. With the knowledge that physicians impact patients one at a time, our students learn a patient centered approach to care; an approach that is informed by humanism and humility. And as faculty we make every effort to model these same attributes as we foster the development of learners from medical students to medical professionals.