Victoria Forbes, MD, MS

Victoria is a physician, educator, and global health leader whose work spans clinical care, medical education, and health equity in oncology. Her path in global health began while working in Uganda as an Internal Medicine resident, where firsthand experience in a limited-resource setting ignited a lasting commitment to building sustainable care partnerships and advancing equitable care. Dr. Forbes continues to teach within this program, supporting the next generation of clinicians serving communities with the greatest need.

Educational Journey into Global Health

Dr. Forbes earned a BA in Biological Sciences, with studies in Chemistry, French, and Dance, at Smith College, an MS in Biomedical Sciences from Tufts University, and her MD from UConn School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency and served as Chief Resident at UConn, followed by a Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Under the mentorship of Dr. Mary Chamberlin, she became Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s first Global Oncology Track Fellow.

Since joining the Carole & Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at UConn Health, Dr. Forbes has served as Associate Program Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship and as Director of UConn’s first Global Oncology Program. In these roles, she leads efforts to expand bidirectional education, mentorship, and care delivery across continents. Her initiatives include a Global Oncology and Disparities of Care program with participants from more than 22 countries, as well as teaching engagements in Rwanda and Uganda that support emerging cancer specialists worldwide.

As a cancer educator, Dr. Forbes is driven by the belief that improving outcomes requires ensuring high-quality care is accessible everywhere. She serves as Faculty for University of Rwanda’s first Medical Oncology Fellowship under the Directorship of Dr. Fidel Rubagumya, mentoring the next generation of oncologists.

Work with ONCares

Dr. Forbes serves on the Board of ONCares out of a deep commitment to equitable cancer care and the conviction that our shared humanity unites us as one global community. She is energized and grateful for the collective work of ONCares, guided by the belief that boundaries fade when purpose is shared. Dr. Victoria Forbes is a Hematologist/Oncologist at the University of Connecticut Health Center’s Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has a passion for trainee education and proudly serves as the Associate Program Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship. She directs UConn’s first Global Oncology Program aiming to build bidirectional connections and improve Global Oncology education. She cares for patients with a range of hematologic disorders and this year was celebrated as a ‘Rising Star’ on the 2024 ‘Top Doctors’ list powered by Castle Connolly. Dr. Forbes and colleagues were recently selected to participate in the American Society of Hematology’s Absolute Neutrophil Count by Duffy Status Project, addressing a critical health equity concern in the US. She enjoys dancing and jogging and will bike in the Prouty, Dartmouth Cancer Center’s fundraiser, this July in New Hampshire. Her goal is to raise money to educate the next generation of Oncologists.