Calabria Defazio

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT CALABRIA DEFAZIO

I am a recent graduate of Northeastern\'s MPH program with the goal of attending medical school in the near future (applying for a 2026 entry). My ultimate goal from this is to work in a teaching hospital, where I hope to inspire future physicians to have a dedication to understanding the social determinate of health impact their patients, a commitment to culturally competent care, and a desire to build trust with every interaction. I am passionate about health education, sexual and reproductive health, and health literacy, with a commitment to building and maintaining trust with individuals and communities. Through my time as an MPH student, I have learned that access to care encompasses the ability not only to arrive at an appointment, but also to understand and utilize the information provided by a provider. My work at the Malta House of Care is helping to improve the health literacy of its patients through education materials and further recommendations. During my time as a medical assistant, I saw firsthand how when speaking to patients it is essential to find what they care about and meet them where they are in terms of knowledge, motivation, and comfort levels. I also learned that I can help build trust and increase comfort through something as simple as a smile and well timed complement. These skills were further built through my time as a ski instructor, where I have to tailor my teaching to the students responses. In a way, teaching them is like researching what they learn from as you go. Through my time as a research assistant, I have learned how to employ my biostatistics and epidemiology lessons to analyze sexual and reproductive health questions. I have had the pleasure of working on a variety of projects and present at both APHA and SOPHE conferences. I have learned the importance of being precise, through, and concise. These experiences have been incredibly rewarding and fueled my passion in research, education and medicine.