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► Students gathered for a photo with UVM Larner College of Medicine guest speaker and political satirist Bassem Youssef on Jan. 25. (Left to right: Ashton Pike ’21; Micheal Mikheal ’22; Adam Fakhri ’22; Bassem Youssef; Hakeem Yousef ’22; John Vandenberge ’21; and Ibrahim Hussein ’21)

The First 19 Months of Medical School in Numbers

On January 24, Class of 2021 Student Council member Cameron Burke stood before his classmates in the Hoehl Gallery and recounted the path they'd taken since August 2017 to get to the Foundations Awards Celebration. "Since starting medical school, we have completed 27 secure exams, eight or nine anatomy practicals, at least one CSE for every course, 47 TBLs, and 191 readiness quizzes," he announced to the gathered students, faculty, and staff.

Over the next hour, the counting continued as seven faculty and staff members received awards from the class for their support and guidance over the past 19 months and 19 students received awards from clinical departments, the Office of Medical Student Education, and their fellow classmates for their accomplishments.

Read more about the Foundations Awards Celebration here.

► National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 1! Share photos of yourself using #weareredday and #uvmlarnermed!

Public Health Projects Focus on National Priorities

Smoking and tobacco use, the opioid epidemic, social determinants of health, and human trafficking - all of these topics align with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health initiatives and were the focus of Class of 2021 Public Health Projects.

On January 23, the projects were on display at the annual Public Health Projects Poster Session & Community Celebration, which drew well over 100 attendees, including representatives of the partner agencies for whom the projects were conducted. Working in groups of seven, students designed tools for gaining a better understanding of a public health challenge, conducted research and collected and analyzed data. Led by Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., course director and associate dean for public health, members of the Class of 2021 completed 17 projects with support and guidance from 18 Larner College of Medicine faculty and staff, along with 20 community faculty representing social service agencies, such as Vermont Cares, Hunger Free Vermont, Give Way to Freedom and the American Lung Association of Vermont.

►Explore Ethical Dilemmas on Global Health Diaries

Community Medical School Kicks Off Spring 2019 February 19

Now more than 20 years old, the UVM Larner College of Medicine’s Community Medical School program offers an opportunity for members of the greater community to share in the medical learning experience. Designed to both educate the public and highlight the skills and work of expert faculty scientists and clinicians, the series offers a wide range of timely topics.

Each semester, Community Medical School features three to four one-hour presentations, each followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session. Topics are selected by an advisory committee made up of College of Medicine and UVM Medical Center faculty, students, staff and other affiliated representatives from a list of suggestions from participants and committee members. Every two years, the group searches for two to three new medical students to join the Advisory Committee. Current medical student committee members include Brian Gross, Matt Tsai, and Matt Lebow from the Class of 2021.

"The degree to which healthcare professionals should involve themselves in public matters is frequently debated,” says Gross. “While some argue that providers should maintain a separation between themselves and the public, others propose these individuals have a social responsibility to their communities -- particularly regarding the promotion of health education.” Gross believes that the Community Medical School program plays an indispensable role in “equipping the public with the knowledge necessary to take an active role in their health and well-being." 

The first Spring 2019 session takes place on Tuesday, February 19, with a presentation on enlarged hearts by UVM Professor and Chair of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics David Warshaw, Ph.D., and UVM Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Jonathan Flyer, M.D.

For more information about becoming a student member of the Advisory Committee, contact michelle.bookless@med.uvm.edu. Learn more about Community Medical School. 

► Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @UVMLarnerMed and on Instagram at @UVMMedicine and use our hashtags #UVMLarnerMed #LarnerLearning and #UVMFutureDoc to join in the conversation!

On the blog: My First Winter in Vermont: Dispatches from a New Medical Student

Allison Tzeng writes about the experiences she has encountered since arriving in Vermont from California. Something she has learned in addition to book knowledge, is that north has two different definitions when it comes to climate. Read the full blog post.

SIG Highlight: New Student Interest Groups

It’s that time of year again – when Student Interest Group (SIG) leaders at the Larner College of Medicine pass their batons to members of the first-year class. In addition to changes in SIG leadership, new SIGs often emerge during this time as well. This year, there are three new groups that have applied to become official SIGs, including the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), UV & Me, and History and Mystery of Medicine. Additionally, the Psychiatry SIG will be reinstated. Find out more about these new SIGs.

View all Student Leadership Opportunities