Graduating medical students from the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont gathered with leaders, faculty members, family and friends on May 14 at the Class of 2018’s Honors Night event in UVM’s Davis Center. In addition to individual student awards, faculty awards, a staff award, and a department award presentation, the event featured the induction of students into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Gold Humanism Honor Society. 

“This is a night to recognize your good work,” said Larner College of Medicine Dean Rick Morin, M.D., during his welcome to the Class of 2018, which also mentioned the physicians for whom many of the Honors Night awards are named. 

“Their shoulders are the ones we all stand upon,” said Morin. “So when you hear names, such as Mazuzan, Dodd, Maeck, and Pilcher, know that these were people who profoundly shaped your education with their pioneering work.”

Honor Society Inductees and Awardees

A total of 20 students from the Class of 2018 were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and received green and gold cords to wear with their Commencement regalia. Students elected into this society have shown promise of becoming leaders in their profession. Heather Burbank, M.D., assistant professor of radiology, announced the inductees, who included: Astia Roper Allenzara; Stephanie Alexis Brooks; Christina Rose Cahill; Kathryn Colelli Chiarolanzio; Kelley Weston Collier; Laura Kenyon Donnelly; Lindsey Marie Eastman; Peter Thomas Evans; Miles William Grunvald; Ethan Robert Harlow; Peter Robson Hyson; Allicia Ostoposides Imada; Alex Jacobson; David Anthony Leon; Molly Ann Gorton Markowitz; Stephen Michael Mills Maurer; Nicole Lin Mendelson; Lindsay Rose Miller; Gayathri Prabhakar; and Apoorva Trivedi. Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society Award recipients included Laurie Leclair, M.D., professor of medicine and course director, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Systems (Faculty Award); Serena Murphy, M.D., clinical instructor in surgery (Housestaff Award); Elizabeth Wahlberg, M.D., clinical instructor in medicine  (Housestaff Award); and Theresa Mahon, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist at Norwalk Hospital (Volunteer Faculty Award).

Andrea Green, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, announced the names of the 18 Larner College of Medicine students being inducted as new Gold Humanism Honor Society members. Each new member received a gold cord to wear with their Commencement regalia. Students chosen for this society are recognized for their excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service. Class of 2018 student inductees includes: Grace Culley Adamson; Moshe David Bitterman; Kenyon Castle Bolton IV; Stephanie Alexis Brooks; Theodore Ilie Cisu; Kelley Weston Collier; Elisabeth Lucas Day; Eric J. Day; Lindsey Marie Eastman; Peter Thomas Evans; Emily Claire Forbes-Mobus; Margaret McCarthy Grahma; Miles William Grunvald; Michael Ialeggio; Christina Maria Litsakos; Alison Lee Mercier; Kishan Patel; and Asaad Mohamed-Idris Traina. Recipients of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards, presented by the Gold Foundation for excellence in both compassionate patient care and scientific achievement were also announced. Awardess were Anne Dougherty, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, who received the faculty award, and Kelley Collier ’18, who received the student award.

Department Awards to the Class of 2018

Faculty members representing ten clinical departments presented awards to students: 

• Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation S. Elizabeth Ames, M.D., presented the Dr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Gould, M.D.’37 Prize for outstanding achievements in Orthopaedic Surgery to Ethan Harlow ’18.
• Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Bridget Marroquin, M.D., presented the John E. Mazuzan Jr., M.D. ‘54 Award for excellence in Anesthesiology to Rachel Carlson ’18.
• Mario Trabulsy, M.D., associate professor of surgery in the division of emergency medicine, announced the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award for excellence in Emergency Medicine recipient as Lindsay Miller ’18.
• Thomas Peterson, M.D., professor and chair of family medicine, and Martha Seagrave, PA-C, associate professor and director of Medical Student Education Programs in family medicine, jointly presented the Family Medicine John P. Fogarty, M.D. Leadership Award to Margaret Graham ’18, and the Edward E. Friedman Award for promise of excellence in the practice of Family Medicine to Michael Ohkura ’18.
• Polly Parsons, M.D., professor and chair of medicine, presented two awards: The Ellsworth Amidon Award for outstanding proficiency in Internal Medicine, which was presented to Peter Hyson ’18; and the Laura Weed, M.D. Award for qualities of excellence, service, and commitment in Internal Medicine, which was awarded to Samantha Siskind ’18.
• Timothy Fries, M.D., associate professor of neurological sciences, presented two awards: The American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for excellence in Neurology, which was given to Liam Donnelly ’18, and the Herbert Martin Sr., M.D. Award for excellence in Neurology to Jacob Korzun ’18.
• Elise Everett, M.D., associate professor and clerkship director for obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, presented two awards for her department: The Carbee Award for academic excellence in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, which was presented to Lindsey Eastman ’18; and the John V. Maeck, M.D.’39 Robe Recipient, who was Elisabeth Day ’18.
• Lewis First, M.D., professor and chair of pediatrics, presented the Ralph D. Sussman, M.D.’38/Medical Alumni Award for excellence in Pediatrics to Peter Evans ’18.
• Jeremiah Dickerson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, presented the William Sweetser Award for excellence in Psychiatry to students Moshe Bitterman ’18 and Vicenta Hudziak ’18.
• Joshua Nickerson, M.D., assistant professor of radiology, presented the Walter Dodd, M.D. Award in Radiology for excellence in Radiology to Alex Jacobson ’18.
• Jesse Moore, M.D., associate professor of surgery and director of active learning, announced three awards from the Department of Surgery. Miles Grunvald ’18 received the Harry Howe, M.D.’52 Senior Student Award for excellence in Surgery; Richard Mendez ’18 received the H. Gordon Page, M.D.’45 Award for excellence in Surgery; and Soraiya Thura ’18 received the Pilcher Award for representing the qualities of Eleanor & Lewis Pilcher of devotion to family and patients, with a high regard for ethics and honesty.

Awards from the Class of 2018

Class of 2018 student representatives Stephanie Brooks, Andre Robinson, and Paul Baresel, s well as Class of 2021 Gender & Sexuality Alliance representative Michael Weber presented awards – voted on by the senior class – to honor faculty and staff members who contributed to the students’ medical education in significant ways. Weber presented the Dignity in Medicine Award to Michael Ohkura ’18. Robinson presented the Clinical Resident of the Year to Erin Lips, M.D., clinical instructor in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, and the Harry E. Howe, M.D., and Theo O. Howe Outstanding Teacher of Surgery Award to Loic Fabricant, M.D., assistant professor of surgery. Brooks presented the Colette Award to Emma Faustner of the Office of Medical Student Education. Baresel presented the Clinical Teacher of the Year Award to both Garth Garrison, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, and Mario Trabulsy, M.D., associate professor of surgery, and the Clinical Department of the Year Award (The Silver Shovel Award) to the Department of Pediatrics.

Larner College of Medicine Awards to the Class of 2018

• Tania Bertsch, M.D., associate dean for clinical education, presented The Charles T. Schechtman, M.D.’26 Award for clinical excellence to Peter Hyson ’18 and Peter Evans ’18.
• Dr. Zehle presented six senior awards, including:
  • The Lamb Fellowship Award for best exemplifying concern and care for the total patient to Kenyon Bolton ’18.
  • The Dean William Eustis Brown Award for broad cultural interests, and loyalty to the College of Medicine to Elisabeth Day ’18 and Soraiya Thura ’18.
  • The Mark H. Beers ’82 Award and Stephen K. Urice Scholarship to Jacob Korzun ’18
  • The David M. Tormey Award for perseverance in the pursuit of medical education to Timothy Flanagan ’18
  • The Kerzner Family Prize for service to the community to Molly Markowitz ’18
  • The David Babbott, M.D. “Caring and Seeing” Award to Elisabeth Day ’18
• William Jeffries, Ph.D., senior associate dean for medical education, presented the final student award of the evening – the Mildred A. Reardon, M.D.’67 Award for service to the Larner College of Medicine – to Astia Roper Allenzara ’18.

These honors, as well as previously-awarded student honors, will also be featured in the Larner College of Medicine 2018 Commencement brochure.