O’Neill grew up in Farmington, Connecticut, and West Hartford, Connecticut, in a healthcare-focused family. His father worked as a psychologist, and his mother was an advanced practice registered nurse at the VA for nearly 30 years.

“Growing up in Connecticut and being around the VA — and with my parents being involved in healthcare — it definitely added to my sense of purpose in treating patients,” O’Neill said. “I want to continue to help people in my community. That’s important to me. It’s a big part of who I am.”

O’Neill was especially close to his father, who died when he was an undergraduate at Fordham University. The loss was devastating, but it also motivated O’Neill to pursue medicine, “just thinking about life and how everything works.”

After graduating from Fordham, he enrolled at the University of Connecticut to complete his prerequisite courses. He also earned a master’s degree in physiology at Georgetown University.

“It was right around that time I started to hear about Quinnipiac opening a medical school,” O’Neill recalled. “And I'm from Connecticut, so it was high on my list. I thought it would be a really great experience being part of the first class.”

And it was. 

As part of his Quinnipiac Netter education, O’Neill was assigned to a preceptor, a licensed physician who teaches clinical and soft skills with real patients and serves as a mentor. In this case, O’Neill was assigned to Dr. Ross Winakor, a primary care physician in Mansfield, Connecticut.

“Seeing how he approached patient care and his day-to-day schedule, he had a big impact on how I practice psychiatry and interact with my patients long term,” O’Neill said. “That’s something I’ve actually noticed more recently. He was the first physician I worked with hands on during the few years I was in his office.” 

O’Neill did his third-year rotation in psychiatry at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut.

“You spent a week or several days in the emergency department and then you went to the inpatient unit for several days and then to the outpatient unit,” he said. “There were a few patients that I saw transition from initial presentation in the ED through inpatient and outpatient. Seeing a positive result like that in a short period of time was very meaningful.”

Now, as an attending psychiatrist at the VA, O’Neill continues to make a difference.

“With a higher percentage of people living in their 70s and 80s, dementia is a big concern that we have to assess for behavioral issues,” he said. “There are still a lot of Vietnam-era veterans who are still struggling with trauma and PTSD-related symptoms. That’s a big part of the population that I work with at the VA.”

O’Neill said his time at Quinnipiac Netter helped prepare him to make a difference in the lives of his patients.

“I remember even from our first class, we did quite well matching (with residency placements). And I know Netter continues to match well. The school has a very strong reputation,” O’Neill said. “I'm impressed, but I'm not surprised by how well the school is doing. It's really capitalized on the great qualities of the university.”