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Student and Faculty Profiles

Meet Todd...

Class: 2008
Hometown: Salem, New Hampshire
Undergrad: Boston College
Major: Biochemistry
Program: M.D.

Unlike many students, my interest in medicine can’t be pinned down to one specific event or experience. Rather, it was an evolving process that began in high school with an amazing chemistry teacher Mr. Lake, who sparked my interest in science. Still unsure of what I wanted to do with this newfound interest, I entered Boston College as a biochemistry major and enrolled in the pre-med program. Here, great professors in both the chemistry and biology departments further fostered my interest in the sciences. During my second summer I began a research fellowship at Wyeth Research searching for a cure for osteoporosis. I was fascinated by the idea of helping millions of people through my work, but discouraged by how far I felt from those I was hoping to help. After it became clear that the world of pharmaceuticals was not for me, my career choices were down to two: teaching and medicine.

Ultimately, it was extra-curricular activities that finally cemented my decision to enter medical school. During my sophomore and junior year I did extensive shadowing of physicians in a variety of fields, and also began working as a patient care advocate at Children’s Hospital in Boston. It was in these experiences that I found exactly what I was looking for in terms of being close to the patients I wanted to help. I realized that medicine would allow me to have all of the things I wanted – a career that involved science, the ability to work close to those people I would be helping, and the opportunity to teach my patients and, one day, medical students.

Activities outside the classroom that influenced me were sports and teaching. As an athlete, I competed 11 years in football, and six in track, including two at Boston College. These activities were instrumental in shaping the discipline and work ethic I needed to succeed both as an undergraduate and today as a medical student. They have also provided a reprieve from my work.

My work as a teacher included two years as a teaching assistant, and a year as a tutor. Through these experiences I gained an understanding of what it means to form a relationship with an individual that results in a successful outcome. My other extra-curricular activities included playing guitar, snowboarding, and my senior thesis at Boston College.
I was extremely attracted to the opportunities available at UConn for a variety of reasons, but four really stand out in my mind: the true pass/fail system, the extensive clinical experiences, the amazing people, and the vast community service opportunities.

After four years as a pre-med student, I was more then happy to enter a collegial program with pass-fail grading that fostered cooperation between students. Without an honors society, or numerical grades, I liked the fact that the only person I would be competing against would be myself. I liked that pass/fail in the first two years meant pass/fail, not honors, high pass, pass, fail or some other combination.

I was attracted to UConn for its emphasis on clinical experience. A lot of schools talk about clinical experiences, but I felt UConn was really on the cutting edge of getting students involved early and a lot. I was fascinated by the idea of spending three or four years in a primary care setting, establishing a relationship with patients, and learning not just the science aspect of medicine, but also many of the other aspects that can’t be taught in a classroom or during a two- week rotation. I can’t tell you how much I feel like a doctor when one of my patients approaches me in the grocery store and says “Hi Dr. Todd.” And all of this began just one month after school started.

Thirdly, the people impressed me greatly. This included everyone, from my first contacts with the admissions staff, to students, to the cafeteria worker who wished me luck the morning of my interview. Medical school is at times a challenging endeavor, and to be surrounded by supportive, enthusiastic, and caring individuals was critically important to me.

Finally, I loved the many community service opportunities available. From the numerous clinics, the chance to teach health to 6th graders, community outreach programs, and more, it was evident that UConn was an important part of the community it served.