Michelle Uchendu

I grew up in a family full of health-care careers which stimulated my interest in medicine at such a young age. Being a sociology major has broadened my outlook of health and made me become more knowledgeable on the social aspects that influence health, further aiding my desire in becoming a physician. I am better aware of the sociodemographic and structural factors in our society that aid the inequalities in our health care system, and as a black woman that comes from a low-income community, I aspire to become a pediatric physician assistant to help intervene and combat these health injustices in people's lives early on. On campus, I am part of Nakisai African Dance Ensemble which is Duke’s premier African Dance Team, as well as Future is Now (FIN) which is a community service club that mentors elementary school girls from the Durham area about women empowerment. For both of these clubs, I am part of the executive board which helps me exercise my leadership and collaborative skills. I volunteer at Duke Hospital in the Surgical Waiting Rooms of the pediatric unit as well as volunteer with Duke’s Benefits Enrollment Center which provides assistance to Medicare beneficiaries interested in applying for additional benefits. In the summer, I work as a CNA to gain patient care experience in order to receive more insight on the health field.