Department of Emergency Medicine

Why We Chose Vermont?

Tabitha Ford

The first time I visited Vermont was for my medical school interview. I became snowed-in that week, and I was welcomed by an incredible community of ski patrollers at a local mountain (where I ended up working for 4 years) who made me really want to move here after spending my whole life in AL and TN. My husband eventually followed me, and we both fell in love with the small-town feel in an area that has everything we need within a short commute from our rural home. Upon moving back after residency, I quickly remembered how amazing this state is. The scenery leaves me astounded, each season surprising me with its beauty every year. I’ve now also found a new community in my coworkers in the ED, and the working relationships and friendships between the doctors and all the other wonderful humans who keep our busy ED together day after day are an important part of what keeps me here. Simply put, the team is phenomenal, and each shift at UVM puts a smile on my face. Other things that make me smile include maple syrup, Cabot butter, and great beer, so…VT is a no-brainer for me.

Ryan Mason

Alison Sullivan

Christian Pulcini

To say Vermont took me by surprise when it was time to find my first faculty position is a gross understatement. The combination of academic rigor, collegiality, and collaboration at a top-tier academic medical center which serves the highest medical needs in the state with the balance of quality of life for my family and me is unparalleled. There is a sense of community here inside and outside the medical center which would be hard to find anywhere else. In terms of the ED, it is a group of like-minded colleagues who want the best for their patients above all else and have a variety of passions and pursuits outside the medical center ranging from mountain biking to farming. As a result, I have the opportunity to learn from them every day how to raise chickens, choose the best gravel bike, and most importantly, provide the best medical care to patients and families. I had no ties to Vermont prior to coming here but I am already sold, as is our extended family, who tries to fill our house every weekend to explore everything the green state has to offer.  

Sarah Schlein

Vermont is a place where you can grow deep roots while simultaneously having a sense that you are living a paradise vacation everyday. Born and raised here, I traveled and lived in other places with higher peaks, enormous swaths of wilderness, or larger cities, yet the Vermont Mountains have always called me back. I love living in a place where on my way home from work I can jump into any number of crystal clear swimming holes, and arrive home to find my 2 boys eating out of our garden and collecting eggs from our chickens.  Before leaving for work I can backcountry ski to the ridgeline above our land and make a line of gleeful turns before my easy 35 minute traffic-less commute to my dream job.  This is a landscape where you can jump on your bike and ride back roads through fields and mountain passes and through dozens quaint small towns with charming cafes and eateries. From the muddy roads, warmth of wood heat, shoveling my car free on a powder day to the smell of boiling sap, nightly outdoor music and picnics during the summer, and vibrant local farm scene, this is where we were determined to raise our family and build a homestead. Everyday I am thankful for the opportunity to work with such fabulous and kind colleagues, and to live in paradise.

Katie Wells

When looking for my first faculty position I looked for a place that would nurture my interests as a junior faculty member in global health, research, policy, and inclusivity, while giving me the opportunities for leadership roles early in my career. Vermont is a unique place which houses powerhouse policy leaders, serves as an incubator for innovation and technology across multiple sectors in the midst of a very socially conscious environment.  I specifically chose Vermont for the unique opportunities to create collaborative networks across sectors to address health disparities both here locally and abroad, while working in a world-class academic center with an incredible faculty. Vermont is a phenomenal place to live with easy access to the mountains, the lake, international cities, and an unmatched farm-to-table culinary culture.

Dan Barkhuff

Vermont is an incredible place to live with a lot of outdoors activities for a family. We love the seasons and we love the rural nature of the state. Some of what attracted my wife and me is what wasn’t in Vermont, namely an EM residency and a top level boxing gym. I want to play a role in bringing both of those to the state. Finally, we have three young daughters and we can’t think of a better place for them to grow up. My wife is UVM faculty as well, and is a neonatologist. Finding academic jobs for a couple at the same hospital can be a challenge, and we’re very lucky to be here.

Rich Bounds

Nick Aunchman

The choice for me to work and live in Vermont was an easy one. I didn’t discover Vermont -- I’ve been here all along. I was born at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont (now UVMMC) in 1981 and grew up here in Chittenden county. I spent my adolescence playing in Lake Champlain and hiking, skiing, and exploring the Green Mountains. I left the state for college and residency only to happily return home after both. I met my wife at the UVM College of Medicine in our first week, and now we’ve started to raise our family here. I’ve traveled the world and experienced many different cultures and countries, but they always make me yearn to come back home. Vermont is one of those places on the planet where everyone is comfortable in their own shoes and happy to be who they are and where they are. My fondest memories in life are those I’ve had here in Vermont; as a child, as a teenager, and as an adult. I love watching my children play outside in summer or discover snow in winter. Working at the Medical Center now is just incredible. I was born and raised here, and to work alongside those who taught me and give back to the community that raised me is a dream come true. I could not imagine a better job or colleagues than I have now.  

Mark Bisanzo

After attending Middlebury College, I always knew that I wanted to live in Vermont and raise my family here.  The quality of life is unmatched – unlimited access to outdoor activities, the emphasis on fresh foods grown or made locally, a landscape framed by mountains, and a true sense of community make Vermont unique. The opportunity to build an academic emergency medicine program with an amazing group of colleagues and practice medicine in a collegial, collaborative Health Network is the foundation for a very satisfying career. The many traditions and activities Vermont has to offer and our community here enrich our family life.  True work-life balance!

Joe Kennedy

As an Army brat and Air Force veteran, I have now lived in 19 different places throughout my life. From Florida to the Midwest, and as far away as Japan, I’ve had the opportunity to call many different places my home. Vermont is the one place I keep coming back to, and have dreamed about working in since medical school. The excitement of a growing health network, the residency, opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, and an attending group culture that prizes excellence in patient care make it a perfect place to work. My partner and children have absolutely falllen in love with the area and all of the exciting things to do. Why Vermont? There’s is simply no better setting to practice and develop a career in emergency medicine (and toxicology!). And if you still need convincing, we have the best ice cream and swimming holes to be found anywhere in the country!

Vicki Zhou

Having grown up moving to various places along the East Coast, Vermont stands out as my favorite place I have ever lived. I moved here after finishing residency training in Philadelphia and have found that Vermont has endless things to do in all four seasons and an unparalleled work-life balance.  Most importantly, I feel like I have “found my people” and home here. Among our close-knit community of faculty and residents, I can always find someone to go on a last-minute adventure with or lend a helping hand in a time of need. Our residency program and department cultivate a genuine sense of community that can only be truly appreciated by experiencing it firsthand!

Neil Krulewitz

Lindsay Reardon

Sam Paskin

Ashley Weisman

I focus on rural emergency care and am an uphill skiing, cycling and running enthusiast. Living in Vermont is like living in a dream, except better. I have the incredible opportunity to work clinically across the UVM network, use that perspective to tackle rural health challenges in the region, and shape national rural health policy . . . and adventure with my family throughout the Green Mountains and Adirondacks any time in between. Did I mention the cider donuts? How about the maple creemees? They taste even better after a rural critical access hospital 24 hour shift, and a long mountain run, and are best shared with an enthusiastic toddler. After spending the better part of a decade commuting between Boston, Seattle, the North Cascades, and arctic Alaska to train in emergency medicine, wilderness adventures, and rural health care, it is absolutely awesome to be able to deeply invest in our community and work, live and play all in one place with our home base in Northern Vermont.

Florence On

I grew up in California and have been city hopping from coast to coast throughout my training. I had no idea where I'd land when I ended residency: I just felt that I was burning out before even starting my real career and that I needed a change of pace. I was incredibly lucky to find a more sustainable practice environment and a group of genuinely good, happy people here at UVM. I feel much more at peace here than I have in a long time. It's like going to visit a really lovely place for vacation, but instead of being on vacation, this is my real life.

Katie Dolbec

I graduated from the UVM College of Medicine (now the Larner College of Medicine) in 2010 and returned to my home state of Maine for residency and fellowship. Despite intending to settle in Maine, my husband and I found ourselves missing Vermont and all that it has to offer. We were thrilled when a job became available at UVM Medical Center, affording us the opportunity to return. We moved back in 2016 and are happy to be able to raise our two kids as Vermonters. We spend our free time skiing, hiking, biking, paddling, and enjoying the outdoors.

Skyler Lentz

Vermont is a great place to live and work. It is incredibly rewarding to provide advanced care in a rural state. I am lucky to work with fantastic colleagues both in the ICU and in the ED. My wife and I enjoy being close to the mountains both in upstate New York and Vermont. There is no shortage of weekend trips including Montreal and the Maine beaches. In the summer, we love to go hiking with our black lab and in the winter, we ski every chance we get. Burlington has all of the amenities you need with a beautiful lake view. There is nothing better than having a double IPA while overlooking the lake in the summertime.

Ellen Stein

I have been in love with Vermont since 1986 when I visited for a job-related orientation. When my first “Where do I want to live next?” occurred, there was no question, and Putney, VT became my home. Since 1994, I have moved up and down the route 91 corridor within VT, and occasionally have left to try out Massachusetts, California, and New Mexico. As great as those places are, every time I came back to VT, I knew I was in “my place.”  For those of us who want to balance interesting, meaningful work with phenomenal non-work lives, I don’t know of any place that is better. The scale may be bigger elsewhere, but the accessibility and beauty here make this the place for me.  “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing” is a common mantra. I do think what I value most about Vermont, however, is how well you get to know your neighbors, the volunteer fireman, the plumber, the teacher, etc…  Unlike every other place I have lived, socioeconomic standing and extracurricular interests are not what define your community. Friendships and respect are built on how you treat your neighbor. True heaven.

Laurel Plante

I moved to Vermont as a young girl and, even though I left for a while, I always knew I would return to raise my family here.  I think the thing I love most about Vermont is that there are four clear, separate seasons, and so many fun things to do in each.  Spring (after mud season passes!) brings beautiful flowers, maple syrup and sunny weather - and the knowledge that warm weather is on its way.  Summer in Vermont is amazing: warm weather (often much warmer than most would expect), Lake Champlain, hiking in the Green Mountains, golfing, festivals - so much to do.  Fall is perhaps my favorite season - the air is cool and crisp, the leaves are gorgeous and the activities switch to hay rides and apple picking and pumpkin patches.  Finally....it's ski season!!!  Bring on the snow!!  As far as I'm concerned, the more the better - until it's spring and time to start all over again.  As each season approaches, it's easy to become excited about the activities unique to that season, and I think that's what makes Vermont such a fascinating state to live in.  I can't imagine living anywhere else.