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Student and Faculty Profiles

Meet Dr. Jason Ryan

Division of Cardiology
Assistant Professor of Medicine

I was raised in Trumbull, Connecticut, a graduate of Trumbull High School, with family scattered around the state from West Haven to West Hartford. In 1997, I entered the UConn School of Medicine. I chose UConn because of its location in my home state, its patient-centered curriculum, and the student body which seemed bright, engaging, and content with their studies.

One of the best things about my training at UConn was the early exposure to patient care. From the first month of my first year, I was talking with and examining my own patients. Of course, I didn't know much medicine in the beginning. But the experience still proved immensely helpful, making me comfortable in the doctor's role, and introducing me to a wealth of personalities from all walks of life. Since graduation, I have found my one-on-one time with patients to be the most rewarding part of my job. And patient care is still a learning experience for me—every person is unique, some harder to connect with than others. My communication skills are used and sometimes tested every day, the same skills that were fostered and developed at UConn years ago.

I am now a general cardiologist on faculty at the medical school. It's been wonderful to return to the institution where I had learned so much. There are other former students like me on faculty. We sometimes talk about "being on the other side." I think the curriculum has really stood up over time. Our graduates continue to place and succeed in competitive residencies (I trained at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston). I continue to meet students who are very comfortable with patients, having the benefit of early exposure to the clinical setting.

Putting it all together, I think UConn is a great place to grow into a doctor. It certainly prepared me well for a rewarding career.