Anna Astashchanka is currently a junior at the University of Colorado Denver and is majoring in Biophysics/Medical Physics. Anna is part of the University’s inaugural BA-BS/MD cohort and she intends to go to medical school after completing her undergraduate education. Her current field of interest is oncology. Anna’s experiences before joining UPP include CNA training and hospital volunteer work. While being part of the UPP program, Anna had worked in the Infectious Disease Laboratory and shadowed an otolaryngolost. In the laboratory she studied various strains of MRSA and did DNA extractions of various fluids/organs. At the University of Colorado Hospital, she had attended clinic sessions and inpatient/outpatient surgeries for otolaryngology. Anna immigrated to the United States from Belarus at the age of 8 and grew up in Northglenn, Colorado. In her free time, Anna enjoys cooking, traveling and reading.