Shay Taylor-Allen joins Yale residency after former hospital cleaner

Shay Taylor-Allen, a medical student at Howard University, has been accepted into an anesthesiology residency program at the Yale School of Medicine. This achievement marks a full-circle moment for Taylor-Allen, as she was born at Yale New Haven Hospital and previously worked there as a cleaner starting at age 18.

Taylor-Allen’s decision to pursue medicine was inspired by her mother’s illness during her second year of university. While balancing work at the hospital and caring for her mother, she developed a passion for patient advocacy. Following her expected graduation from Howard University in May 2026, she plans to join the Department of Anesthesiology at Yale later this year.