For Hinal Rana ’21, taking advantage of opportunities at UHart and stepping outside her comfort zone helped her excel as a pre-med student. Hinal graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the Health Sciences Pre-Professional program and plans to spend the next year studying for the MCAT admission exam and gaining experience in a health care setting. She will be working as an executive assistant at Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT and will also conduct COVID-related research with Dr. Frederick Browne from Griffin.
The Health Sciences Pre-Professional program in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions helped Hinal prepare for her future by planning a timeline of steps needed to apply to medical school, researching various schools, and learning how to interview. “I was also able to complete the honors program, which allowed me to collaborate with peers and step outside my comfort zone,” she said.
The honors program gave her additional opportunities to explore her interests. For example, as part of her cardiovascular disease class, her advisor and professor Colleen Muñoz helped her find a cardiovascular disease conference in the area to attend for free. This allowed Hinal to connect with physicians and interview Dr. Felice Heller, a pediatric cardiologist. She later had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Heller at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
Hinal also completed her honors thesis titled “The Relationship Between Daily Water Intake and Circulating Apelin: Seeking Feasible Solutions to Curb Population Health Burdens” and presented her research virtually at the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference.
Hinal Rana '21, BS in Health Sciences Pre-ProfessionalReach out to your faculty and advisors for help when needed. They are going to be amazing resources that can help you along your path at UHart!"
During her time at UHart, Hinal was involved with the Pre-Med Club and served as president of the Best Buddies chapter during her junior and senior years. She also served as a resident assistant for 3 years and was a senior resident assistant during her senior year.
Her advice for new students? “Take advantage of the opportunities this campus has to offer. During your first year, be open minded and attend at least one meeting of a club or organization that may be of interest. There is plenty of time throughout your college career to grow and expand, it is just a matter of time management and motivation. Also reach out to your faculty and advisors for help when needed. They are going to be amazing resources that can help you along your path at UHart!”
Hinal credits three people in particular for impacting her college career: her advisor Colleen Munoz, associate professor of Health Sciences; Donald Jones, associate professor of English and honors program director; and Claudia Oakes, associate professor of Health Sciences. “All three of these faculty members have impacted my experience at the University of Hartford and I am forever grateful for the tips, advice and guidance they were able to provide.”