Angela’s Blog

Hey everyone!

My name is Angela, and I will be going into my third year at UConn this coming fall. I am a student in the Combined Program in Medicine and I am majoring in Biological Sciences.

My experience at UConn thus far couldn’t have been better. It’s a combination of the people there and the opportunities that UConn gives us students that has made my time here so amazing. The Study Abroad program was one such opportunity that perfectly combined my love for meeting new people and traveling.

It started last summer, when I joined a group of 14 other UConn students to study abroad in Italy. Traveling has always been a passion of mine, because to me, travel symbolizes the excitement of freedom and the adventure of undiscovered places. For six weeks, my group and I traveled around Italy and in the process wrote a journal about the people, the sights and the tastes we encountered.

This summer, I traveled around China, visiting major cities like Beijing, Xi’an and Wuhan. This trip was led by a medicine delegation, focused on teaching about traditional Chinese medicine and the Chinese medical system. Not only did I get to visit hospitals and medical schools, but I also was able to learn a great deal about my own culture. One of the most moving parts of the trip was visiting a Chinese orphanage in a rural village and hanging out with the kids there. At UConn, I lead a community service program called ChinaCare that works toward helping Chinese orphans. Learning about the conditions of these orphanages and the stories of these kids’ lives definitely inspired the work that I plan to continue with ChinaCare.

Working with kids is something I hope to do later in my life as a physician. I’ve always been interested in going into pediatrics, and this summer I’ve been exploring the field by shadowing doctors at hospitals like Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, St. Francis and the UConn Health Center.

All in all, I’m having a fantastic summer, and though it’s been pretty busy, I’ve been putting the free time I find to good use by hanging out with my friends, going on road trips (significantly shortened in distance due to recent gas prices) and playing tennis.