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Student
and Faculty Profiles > Christopher
Binette
Student
and Faculty Profiles
Meet Christopher...
 Class:
2008
Hometown: Torrington, Connecticut
Undergrad: University of Connecticut
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Program: M.D.
Like many in health care, my interest began at
an early age. Being the recipient of an open heart procedure, I
was engulfed into the medical world at the impressionable age of
five. Follow-up visits would stretch out into my adolescence.
These intermittent contacts reinforced my decision to pursue the
field. The paths that ultimately lead to my matriculation to
University of Connecticut School of Medicine were longer than
most. During high school, a crisis in my family made it
financially impossible to attend college. I chose to enlist in
the United States Navy in an effort to provide monetary support
for my family and fund my future college endeavors. I ultimately
served as a nuclear reactor operator and ship’s diver aboard
three fast-attack submarines ported in Pearl Harbor. As
advertised by the navy, I had a lot of travel opportunity. I was
able to visit Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan just to name a few
places. Following my naval service, I returned to Connecticut
and completed a degree in biomedical engineering at the
University of Connecticut concentrating in electronics.
“It was the subtle difference I
felt that the faculty and curriculum fosters doctors
rather than just teaches medical students.”
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Concerning my attraction to UConn School of
Medicine, when I interviewed I was overwhelmed by the sense of
community both within the school and to its surroundings. Inside
the school, I believe this is a result of the pass/fail system
and the faculty’s intimate relationship with the small class of
students. Outside, this is accomplished through the many student
founded and facilitated clinics. The class size was very
important in my decision. In my undergraduate career, I found
smaller classrooms were more conducive to my learning style. The
clinical exposure is well emphasized and up front starting in
the beginning of the first year. The non-basic science programs
that mirror this exposure help to provide a strong base of
medical skills well before the third year. Further, it was the
subtle difference I felt that the faculty and curriculum fosters
doctors rather than just teaches medical students.
As a member of the student government, I help
organize social events celebrating academic milestones as well
as casual and formal occasions. In my free time, I enjoy weight
training, playing intramural ice hockey with other classmates,
and work part time as a patient aide at a local hospital. The
school’s class schedule allows the majority of my afternoons to
be unscheduled, which provides continuous pursuit of these
things that I enjoy. Moreover, it is explicitly encouraged here. |
