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► Members of the Office of Medical Student Education get in the spirit for Halloween. 

Howe wins Dean’s Excellence in Research Award

Last night, the College wrapped up its two-day annual Celebration of Excellence in Research events with the Dean’s Excellence in Research Awards. The celebration highlights the notable research being conducted by trainees and faculty scientists and physicians. Fourth-year medical student Lindsay Howe was one of the trainees honored and received an award for Outstanding Research Publication by a medical student for her paper, titled “Effect of Pregnancy Interval on Second Pregnancy Blood Pressure Follow Prior Preeclampsia.”  Howe wrote the paper, which was published in August 2017 in the journal Reproductive Sciences, while completing her first two years of medical school, based on research she conducted while working on a thesis for her Masters in Medical Science degree through the Boston University School of Medicine in 2015. Her mentor on the project – UVM Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Ira Bernstein, M.D. – not only helped her formulate her specific research topic and thesis in 2015, but went on to serve as a co-author on the paper, along with former faculty member Erica Hammer, M.D., and UVM biostatistician Gary Badger, M.S. Howe and Bernstein have discussed collaborating on future research, but for now, that work is on hold while Howe applies for a residency in emergency medicine.

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Class of '21 Participates in Clerkship Lottery

On October 18, second-year medical students participating in block Clerkships selected their flight groups in a lottery-style format in the Sullivan Classroom that included a cash prize, cheers and tons of excitement. The first name drawn for selecting a flight group was Kristen Keene and the last was John Vandenberge, who walked away with a jar full of dollars contributed by each of the soon-to-be Clerkship students. After their name was called, each student added themselves to one of seven flight groups, which determine the order in which students will complete their eight block clerkships. Block clerkship site locations include UVM Medical Center; Danbury Hospital (Ct. campus); Norwalk Hospital (Ct. campus); St. Mary's Medical Center (West Palm Beach, Fla.); Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston, Maine); Champlain Valley Physicians' Hospital-UVM Health Network (Plattsburgh, N.Y.); Porter Medical Center-UVM Health Network (Middlebury, Vt.); and Rutland Regional Medical Center.

In mid-March, these students will begin their block Clerkships, while several others will participate in a year-long Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) at Hudson Headwaters Health Network in New York’s Adirondack region, at Central Vermont Medical Center or at our Connecticut campus. Look for info about the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) in the next issue of the newsletter!

► Explore Ethical Dilemmas on Global Health Diaries

Getting a Taste of Specialties through "Careers in Medicine"

Each fall, the College of Medicine hosts a special series, titled “Careers in Medicine,” that is part of an initiative created by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Last week, the series, which aims to inform medical students about different specialties early in their medical training, hosted panels on Internal Medicine/Pediatrics and Otolaryngology.  At each presentation, students had the opportunity to ask questions about the residency application process for the specialty, as well as hear from practicing physicians about why they chose to pursue a career in their respective field. Larner alumnus Josh Price, M.D.’15, a physician at University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, told students he pursued a career in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics after he learned how robust and interesting the training was. He said he hoped the session would help students “recognize the versatility of a med/peds career.” Donna Millay, M.D., UVM associate professor of surgery and leaders of the Otolaryngology session, advocated for the specialty saying, “Otolaryngology allows the physician to both medically and surgically treat their patients.” “Careers in Medicine” sessions are held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the fall semester from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in Sullivan Classroom. Learn more about the upcoming session here.

On the Blog: From the Farm to the Doctor's Office

“What we eat influences our health,” says former farmer and Class of ’20 med student Conner Soderquist. In a new post on the blog, he discusses his career journey and the importance of culinary medicine.  Conner believes “it is a healthcare provider’s responsibility to address the whole patient, and this means accounting for social determinants, such as access to healthy food.”  Read the blog post.

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SIG Highlight: Dermatology Student Interest Group

The Dermatology Student Interest Group provides students with dermatology-focused research and networking opportunities. Last week, they held a meet-and-greet last week for first-year medical students. “We’ve got a brilliant group of clinicians and researchers at the UVM Medical Center, but there isn’t a lot of time in the curriculum for us to meet them. By facilitating talks about different specialties and access to Grand Rounds, we’re hoping to help interested students meet more people in the Dermatology division,” said the group’s co-leader, Max Knapp ‘21. Co-leader Cari Carpenter advised the group to keep trying things that pique their interest, saying, “You never know what you might fall in love with along the way.” Contact Max Knapp or Cari Carpenter to learn more about upcoming events for the Dermatology SIG.

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