Darlene Polanco Molina

Biology major Darlene Polanco Molina has her heart set on becoming a physician “with a focus on improving access to care for underserved communities.” She hopes her next step — studying public health and the social determinants of health through Clark’s 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Degree program in Community Development and Planning — brings her closer to that goal. 

Polanco Molina has built a lengthy resume so far. She’s the lead certified phlebotomist at the Family Health Center of Worcester’s HIV Prevention Testing Center and coordinates the Community Hands-Only CPR trainings with UMass Chan Medical School. And through the school’s PRISM Program, she will work with Dr. Margaret Parker on neonatology research examining the social determinants of health affecting Black and Latina women who have been historically underserved in the medical system.

At Clark, Polanco Molina helped co-found Latines in STEM, now called ASCEND in STEM; and served two years as president of the Pre-Health Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta. “Together,” she says, “these experiences have shaped how I understand community.”