Toby Ubu

I’m from Englewood, NJ, a north jersey town  just a stone’s throw(8 short miles) from New York City. I graduated Duke University in 2012 as a Classical Studies major with a chemistry minor, reflecting my love of both the humanities and the sciences. The renaissance man approach is what drives me to primary care medicine- the understanding that the biochemical processes of the human body have a context; they take place in a human being who belongs to a community. Embracing this meant beginning to understand how medical science and social science contribute to what we call health, factors that I believe primary care physicians spend time considering as they provide longitudinal care to their patients.My interest in the GSP program builds on my interests in health policy and pediatrics. In working with undeserved kids in different contexts like Haiti, the inner city US, and Costa Rica, I’ve come to appreciate how critical access to quality health care is to child development. A child who’s malnourished and hungry can’t focus to do school, can’t smile and play with kids their own age. GSP represents an opportunity to learn and to be equipped to shape policy that can help those without access to care receive the care they need to thrive. GSP has already given me the chance to engage with the community in Charlottesville and interact with physicians committed to serving this community, doing the best for their patients irrespective of socioeconomic background. Outside of the Library, you can catch me watching sports or playing basketball at the UVA gyms or one of the high school  gyms in town.