The Charger Blog

Alumna Looks Forward to Empowering Patients Through Her Career in Medicine

Sandy Durosier Ӱԭ16 M.S. started medical school earlier this summer. She looks forward to being able to help her patients heal, just like the physicians who helped a member of her own family.

September 7, 2021

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Sandy Durosier Ӱԭ16 M.S.
Sandy Durosier Ӱԭ16 M.S. started medical school this summer.

When Sandy Durosier Ӱԭ16 M.S. was 11 years old, one of her close family members became very ill, and she still remembers how helpless she felt. She was awed by the doctors who expertly treated her loved one and helped them recover.

Her family memberӰԭs illness and treatment, though traumatic, sparked DurosierӰԭs own interest in medicine. She, too, wanted to learn how to heal others.

ӰԭIt cultivated my belief that healthcare should be all-inclusive,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭPatients and families should be at the center of care.Ӱԭ

Durosier, a graduate of the University of New HavenӰԭs masterӰԭs degree program in cellular and molecular biology, is now on her way to becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Earlier this summer, she moved to Mesa, Arizona, to begin her studies at the .

ӰԭThe University of New Haven gave me the tools I needed to be successfulӰԭ

As a Charger, Durosier was passionate about sharing her passion for science. She and a friend, a science teacher at in New Haven, organized an event at the University for the middle school students. It included a discussion with members of the UniversityӰԭs Admissions team that taught students Ӱԭ many of whom would be the first in their family to attend Ӱԭ about the process of applying.

In addition to teaching them about careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, Durosier also showed students the UniversityӰԭs laboratories, explaining how to use pipettes and demonstrating how the equipment worked. The lab is where Durosier built her own skills, and she believes her time at the University helped prepare her for medical school.

ӰԭThe University of New Haven gave me the tools I needed to be successful working in a laboratory and doing research,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭI grew more confident with my research skills. I developed intellectual curiosity, an understanding of scientific inquiry, and perseverance while working on my thesis.Ӱԭ

ӰԭMy career goal as a physician is to listen, support, and empowerӰԭ

Durosier, who officially started her medical education earlier this summer, is excited to have taken the next step toward her dream of becoming a physician. She looks forward to helping her patients get and stay well, just as the doctors helped her loved one years earlier.

ӰԭMy career goal as a physician is to listen, support, and empower my patients so that I can give them the best medical care,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭI will focus on promoting lifestyle changes, teaching patients about health, and integrating preventative measures. I look forward to exploring different specialties within primary care, and I will then decide what residency training IӰԭd like to pursue.Ӱԭ