Class of 2020 medical students (from left) Lizzi Hahn, Adam Morehead, and Ashleigh Peterson pose with the award certificates they received at the Foundations Awards Celebration event on Jan. 30. (Photo: Medical Communications)

"I am a California girl at heart, so let’s just say that Vermont weather has been a bit of a challenge for me, but when I look back on the first year and a half of medical school, what has gotten me through – without a shadow of a doubt – is the people at UVM," said UVM Larner College of Medicine Class of 2022 Student Council Communications Chair Rachel Tobin as she welcomed attendees to the Class of 2022's Foundations Awards Celebration.

Tobin's words set the mood for the January 30 event, which marked her class's completion of the first level of the Vermont Integrated Curriculum – Foundations. This annual event is an opportunity for second-year medical students to join with faculty and staff and express their gratitude for the contributions of these College community members to their medical education journey.  

"It’s the countless other faculty, course directors, Standardized Patients, teaching assistants, custodians (such as Mike), librarians, and deans who do their best to improve our learning and wellness each and every day," Tobin added. "A special shout-out to Dean Zehle and Dean Page who are willing to hear our concerns, improve our active learning curriculum, and listen to student feedback."

In addition to Tobin, attendees heard from Foundations Director Karen Lounsbury, Ph.D., who acted as emcee and host, Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., and Assistant Deans for Students Shaden Eldakar-Hein, M.D., M.S., and Prema Menon, M.D., Ph.D. Class of 2022 student leaders Isi Beach, Tierra Lynch, Colby McGinn, and Emerson Wheeler presented awards to faculty and classmates, and Elise Everett, M.D., M.S., level director of the clinical curriculum, spoke to the class about the next step in their medical education.

The following awards were presented by the Class of 2022:

AMWA Gender Equity Award: Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This award honors a male or female faculty member who promotes a gender-fair environment for the education and training of physicians and gender diversity in the field.

The Dean Warshaw Integration Award: William Raszka, M.D., Course Director, Attacks & Defenses, and Professor of Pediatrics. This award recognizes the faculty member whose teaching best captured the spirit of the VIC.

The Silver Stethoscope Award: Ellen Black, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences. This award recognizes the faculty member who had few lecture hours, but made a substantial contribution to students’ education.

Above and Beyond Award: Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This award recognizes the faculty member who went above and beyond the call of duty to help the students in their learning objectives.

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Sebastian Franco, M.D. '19. This award recognizes the teaching assistant who was the most helpful in teaching and facilitating within a foundations course.

Best Support Staff (Non-teaching) Award: Julie Chiappinelli, Curriculum Coordinator, Foundations. This award recognizes the staff member who best supported students in areas besides teaching.

Standardized Patient Award: Deb Lyons. Standardized Patients play an integral role in the education of Larner College of Medicine medical students. They foster an environment in which students can practice interviewing and examinations skills and receive honest feedback. The ability of a physician to develop rapport with a patient, perform a focused examination, and gather an accurate history are vital skills that Larner COM students are fortunate to practice early and often. The Standardized Patients share their experience, knowledge and time with students during both Foundations and Clerkship years.

Foundations Course Director Award: Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., Course Director, Nutrition, Metabolism and Gastrointestinal System (NMGI), and Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This award recognizes the foundations course director who showed the highest degree of dedication to the successful design and implementation of their course curriculum.

Foundations Teaching Award: Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This award is presented to the faculty member who provided the most outstanding teaching activities within the foundations curriculum.

Curriculum Innovation Award: Patricia King, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Convergence Course Director. This award is present to a faculty member in recognition of contributions to new curriculum development.

Additional awards presented to members of the Class of 2022 included:

Wellness Award – presented by Class of 2022 Wellness Committee members Isi Beach and Megan Boyer to classmate Patrick Clarke ‘22

CVRI Summer Research Fellowship Merit Award – presented by Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont (CVRI) Director and Professor of Medicine David Schneider, M.D., to Taylor Marquis ’22

LCOM Summer Research Fellowship Merit Awards – presented by Renee Stapleton, M.D., Ph.D., director of medical student research and professor of medicine, to Lizzi Hahn '22 (mentors: Andrew Fritz, Ph.D., Janet Stein, Ph.D., & Gary Stein, Ph.D.); Alexa Pius '22 (mentor: Charles Maclean, M.D.); and Joseph Teague '22 (mentors: Chase Cockrell, Ph.D., and Gary An, M.D.)

Durwood Smith Award for Excellence in Pharmacology – presented by Dr. Lounsbury to Tierra Lynch '22

Ephraim Woll Award for Excellence in General Pathology – presented by Dr. Wilcox to Ashleigh Peterson '22

Exemplary Clinical Exam Skills Award – presented by Shirley McAdam to Marlijne Cook '22, Malla Keefe '22, Tierra Lynch '22, Erick MacLean '22, and Ashleigh Peterson '22

B. Albert Ring, MD, Memorial Grant Award for best exemplifying compassion, humor, humility, and devotion to family and friends, and intellectual curiosity – presented by Dr. Lounsbury to Deena Chanowitz '22, Malla Keefe '22, Adam Morehead '22, and Jacob Weiss '22.

Helen and Phyllis Wasserman Phorplus Prize for excellence in the Basic Sciences – presented by Dr. Lounsbury to Tierra Lynch '22, Ashleigh Peterson '22, and Kristina Valentine '22.