Office of Medical Education

December 06, 2024 Issue

The WeeklyWire is an official communication tool of the Larner College of Medicine. Student feedback led to its development and continues to inform iterative improvements. All non-curriculum-related email communications are directed through The WeeklyWire to help support manageable email inboxes for our students; it's a one-stop-shop for all med school happenings outside of the classroom!

Please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Medical Education with any questions.

Weekly Wire Archives

Resource Links for Students

WeeklyWire 12/06/2024

Happy Friday!

FOR ALL MEDICAL STUDENTS

Community Connections 

• Dean Zehle Drop In Sessions: 12/20 12-1PM. These drop-ins are provided for students to connect with the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education. We protect student drop-in sessions to ensure our students are able to discuss any arising issues or concerns, and to ensure your dean is always accessible to you. You can secure a 20-minute slot during the provided drop-in hours, using the Dean for Medical Education drop-ins sign-up. Please contact Colleen Case, the Executive Assistant to the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, if you have any questions or concerns. 
• Your Access to VisualDx is Safe: If you've received a message from VisualDx about your access expiring, ignore it! UVM/Health Network affiliates have access to VisualDx through the Libraries. For more info contact Faith Morgan, Communications Manager in the Libraries Dean's Office.  
• Show Off Your UVM Spirit on Green and Gold Fridays: On Fridays. Wear green and gold and keep an eye out for Rally prowling campus and giving away fun prizes including Dunkin gift cards, Lake Champlain Chocolate & coupons, Jersey Mike’s coupons, and more! For more details contact UVM Campus Rec Marketing. 
• Survey for “Sense of Belonging”: Program directors for the FAM (Finding Affinity and Mentorship) program health professions students are requesting your help. We would love your input on your current "sense of belonging" and "sense of community" at UVM. The results of this survey will help inform future programming towards enhancing the sense of community for students at UVM.  You can access survey here. 
• Optional External Surveys for Medical Students: Rosalind Franklin U of Medicine and Science: Study on medical students’ patient-communication skills. Findings of the study will inform the development of future educational programming and curriculum guidelines for medical students. I am a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. In fulfillment of my master’s thesis, I am conducting a study on medical students’ patient-communication skills. Findings of the study will inform the development of future educational programming and curriculum guidelines for medical students. We are recruiting medical students from accredited MD or DO programs in the United States and U.S. territories to participate in this study by taking an online survey. The survey involves responding to questions about a clinical vignette and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you choose to participate in the study, you will be entered in a raffle to win one of several $50 gift cards in appreciation of your time. Your odds of winning will be 1:25. This project has been approved by the RFUMS Institutional Review Board [IRB Approval # CHP24-458]. For more info, contact Cara Simone, Evaluation and research Specialist 
• Survey for Student Health Insurance: Dean Zehle, Dean George, and the Wellbeing Office are interested in learning more about your thoughts about your health insurance. Please complete this quick survey (3- 5 minutes) to help us better understand your experience! If you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Leigh Ann Holterman. 
• OurVoice: Disabilities in Medicine Panel: 12/ 9, 12-1pm, MedEd 200, or live Zoom. The OurVoice project is hosting a panel covering the experiences of people with disabilities in the healthcare system. The OurVoice project partners with local organizations to spotlight the experiences of individuals in medically underserved communities, so that we can learn how to provide more equitable care. The panelists will share their experiences navigating the healthcare system as someone with a disability. Please contact lcomourvoice@gmail.com with any questions.  
• Community Engagement Training: 12/10, 6pm, MedEd 100 LCOM SJC is excited to present our Community Engagement Training series! Join us for our first ever community engagement training where faculty and staff will walk us through a cultural humility framework, help us practice using a certified phone interpreter, and discuss patient cases. This training will be highly useful for students looking to work with patients from diverse backgrounds and cultures! RSVP via signupgenius: Claire Baptiste, SJC Co-leader 
• UVM LCOM-VT Campus Parking - Temp Holiday/Break Perks! :  12/16-01/12 If you have a UVM Parking Pass, you can park in most lots regardless of pass type, during these dates. Please be sure to review the full announcement to avoid confusion (/tickets) ... UVM Transportation & Parking Services 
• LMSA & Lifestyle SIG Event: 12/6, 12-1pm, HSRF 300. Collaborative event aimed at demonstrating healthy eating habits and foods, with an emphasis on Latinx populations and incidences of diet-related diseases.  For more contact Jaime Rodriguez. 
• Clothing Drive for Head Start Families: Student Lounge (12/6 - 12/11) Please consider donating any waterproof mittens, boots, and snow pants for Head Start families. On 12/11 with financial support from a 2022 Seedling Grant and in collaboration with Head Start (serving families with children 0-5 years of age) and Fletcher Free Library (FFL), LCOM students, Ashwini Sarathy (MS4), Jasmine Bazinet-Phillips (MS4), Sofia Leusch (MS1), and Caroline Duksta (MS3) are hosting a Winter Health Literacy Night at FFL starting at 5:30 PM. Families attending the event will receive a warm meal, an alphabet blanket, and a $50.00 City Market Gift Card, learn how to stay healthy during cold and flu season, and participate in a read-aloud about Lead Safety. Access to warm clothing and items is crucial for children aged 0-5 due to several factors related to their developing bodies, immune systems, and overall vulnerability to illness. Please consider placing any waterproof mittens, boots, and snow pants into the “Head Start Winter Clothing Donations” box in the student lounge by this Wednesday (12/11). Thank you in advance for your generosity! 
• Vermont Medical Society – Legislative Agenda Information Session: 12/6, 12-1pm, HSRF 200. : Members of the Vermont Medical Society will join this hybrid lunchtime event to discuss the agenda for the upcoming legislative session and opportunities for student involvement. For more information contact Raihan Kabir. 
• Dr. Moo Needed for UVM Mascot Birthday Celebration: 1/4/25, 5-6pm . Dr. Moo has been invited to attend Rally Cat’s birthday celebration at the UVM Men’s hockey game on Saturday, January 4th. Dr. Moo will attend a pre-game party before the UVM men's hockey game on January 4th from 5 – 6pm and participate in an activity during the first intermission of the game, potentially a mascot scrimmage with other local mascots attending. The College of Medicine is looking for someone to wear the Dr. Moo suit and one person to serve as Dr. Moo’s support person. If you are interested in attending Rally Cat’s birthday as Dr. Moo or being Dr. Moo’s support person, please contact Liz Dohrman  
• Data + Open Science Summit/Workshop: 1/7-1/9, Patrick Leahy Building and Given Medical Complex. Sign-up for the Data and Open Science Summit at UVM in January 2025 is now open. Reserve your spot. Events are free for everyone at UVM and include • R for reproducible data analysis – a software carpentries workshop – learn how to use R for your data analysis with NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY • Open Science 101 offered by NASA • Sessions and workshops around data research methodology to help you dive deep or broaden your scope • Unconference on emerging data topics.  Attend all days or just one or two. For more details contact Patrick Payne, Quality Data Analyst. 
• SAVE THE DATE! Seventh Annual StorySlamRx - "Voices in Medicine" Event: Thu, 01/23, 6-8pm (doors open @5:45). A Moth-style StorySlam for all members of the UVM-MED community (all Larner, NuvanceHN, UVMHN faculty, non-faculty physicians, residents, staff, students, etc.) and their loved ones; RSVP as an attendee and/or a prospective storyteller...For more details contact Kiersten Tavares, Medical Student Services Coordinator. 
• OurVoice: Living with a disability: 12/9 12-1pm, MedEd  200. OurVoice is hosting a panel with members of the community who are living with a disability to share their experiences interacting with the healthcare system. For more details contact Jake Reigle. 

Career Counseling Opportunities

• New episode of Green Mountain Medicine Podcast : Click here to listen to this month's episode of Green Mountain Medicine Podcast. Ready for IM residency? You will get the scoop from Sofia, who's survived the grind and lived to tell the tale: How to Prep for Residency Interviews: Study the program’s vibe, know your stuff, and be able to talk about your experiences without sounding like a robot. Signaling on Applications—What the Heck is That? Gold vs Silver! Think of it as telling a program, "Hey, I’m interested in you,” without getting too desperate. How to Stand Out in Your Interview: Be yourself—seriously. Your personality is the secret sauce. Show them you’re not just a future doctor, but someone they’d actually want to work with for 80+ hours a week.
• AAMC FIRST Webinar: Public Service Loan Forgiveness: 12/20. Join us in welcoming Emma Crawford, Financial Planner, CFP®, as she breaks down the details of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) -For more details contact Ryan Gates, Assistant Director Medical Student Financial Services 

Research Opportunities

• Vermont’s Annual Brain Injury Conference: hosted by the Brain Injury Alliance of Vermont is coming up on December 9, 10, 11th.  This year we are virtual on the GoTo platform allowing attendees to have a more flexible schedule and choose the speakers they would like to hear. We are offering this event FREE to students, and they will receive a certificate for contact hours as well. Registration is required. To read more about the speaker, follow the link. For more info, contact Aleshia Doyon. 
• Re-run Research Opportunity for M2’s and M’3s:  If you were unable to attend the Research Opportunities Zoom meeting with Dr. Renee Stapleton, please view the recording of the meeting. Reach out Dr. Stapleton with any questions. Please click her for the link, Passcode #43XcHxC.  
• Dermatology research opportunity-M2 and M3: 12/15 application deadline. A one-year research opportunity that may be of interest to the 2nd or 3rd year medical students who are contemplating a career in dermatology… 
• Community Health Leadership Conference: Application Deadline 12/23. The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine invites you to apply for our upcoming Community Health Leadership Conference (CHLC) on March 14, 2025.CHLC is a student-run conference dedicated to enhancing community health initiatives of our nation’s medical schools through collaboration and discussion. Medical student leaders are invited to present their achievements and challenges in community health projects, network with their peers from other institutions, and engage in dialogues that further community health goals. We welcome applications for both poster and oral presentations. Awards will be given to outstanding submissions in each category. Application Link: Applicants will be notified of acceptance by January 13, 2025.Early-bird registration will be open from January 13 to January 27, 2025, at a rate of $135 per accepted abstract. Regular registration will run from January 27 to February 21, 2025, at a rate of $165. For each additional author attending the conference, there will be an $85 registration fee. Please find the conference flyer attached or visit our website for further details. We look forward to reviewing your abstract submissions! Please reach out at umdocschlc@gmail.com 

M1 STUDENTS (co2028) 

• Attention M1 co2028 Students: Please be advised that the deadline to become fully compliant with the vaccine requirements in CastleBranch is December 08, 2024. We encourage you to collaborate with the University of Vermont Student Health Services or your primary care provider to ensure that all necessary requirements are completed by this date in order to participate in Doctoring in Vermont, including gaining access to EPIC for electronic health records, and other clinical activities. 
• Summer Oncology Research Fellowship (SORF)- Early Application Deadline:12/9. In summer 2025 the program will again be fully in-person, on-site at CHLA and at Keck/USC in Los Angeles, California. In the program, students receive subsistence of $600/week. Read More.. 
• Galen V. Henderson SEED Program- Deadline for Applications: 12/15 application deadline. An 8-week immersive experience for medical students with “Stimulate Equity, Education, and Diversity (SEED)” in Organ Donation and Transplantation… 
• PNHP Medical Student Summer Internship Opportunity: June, July 2025 5-week, full-time summer Internship for first year medical and graduate health science or health administration students interested in health system organization and reform. Physicians for a National Health Program Northern New England Internship on Health System Reform Offered Remotely, Summer 2025 Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) is once again pleased to offer several paid, full-time summer internships for medical students who wish to augment their knowledge and leadership skills in the area of health system reform. Highly qualified students from other health professions and health administration will also be considered. The internship is 5 weeks long (dates TBD depending upon participants' availability) and carries a stipend of $1500. Interns will evaluate the successes and failures of US and foreign systems of health care organization in online meetings with a distinguished group of medical, corporate, and political leaders. PNHP faculty fill in gaps in the narrative, moderate discussions, and promote a seminar atmosphere. The goal is to enhance interns' confidence in advocating for policies likely to improve their patients' access to humane, affordable health care. A more complete description of this opportunity is found, together with application materials. Physicians for a National Health Program is a non-profit research and education organization of 20,000 physicians, medical students, and health professionals who support a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program. For details contact Ted Cody, MD Secretary. 
• UVM Board of Trustees Student Member: Each year a committee of UVM students is charged with selecting one student to serve a two-year term as a full voting member on the University of Vermont Board of Trustees. The Board is comprised of nine Legislative Trustees, nine Self-Perpetuating Trustees, three Gubernatorial Appointees, the Governor of Vermont, the President of the University, and two student representatives. The Board is responsible for setting the mission and direction of the University and determining the policy of UVM. To be eligible, prospective student applicants (undergraduate, graduate or medical students) must have at least two full years left at UVM. All three application materials, which are on the SGA website, must be submitted by the due date for an applicant to be considered. Applicants must also download and review the four mandatory information files to qualify. You must request access to these files from Mahder.Teferra@uvm.edu by January 3, 2025. The application materials will be due January 6th, 2025.  I encourage all interested students with at least two years left at UVM to apply! Being a member of the Board of Trustees is the highest and most critical leadership position a student can attain at UVM. You truly have an opportunity to make a lasting impact at the University of Vermont. For more information about the Board of Trustees, check out their website. Please reach out to us if you have any questions. You might also want to reach out to Kenny Nguyen and Katelynn Giroux who both are currently serving in this role.  Apply Now!

M2 STUDENTS (co2027) 

• So You Want To Be An OBGyn! : 12/09 @ 5:30pm via Zoom. For anyone who might be considering a career in OBGyn! Please come even if you are just considering but haven't fully decided yet. Sara Tourville, OBGyn Medical Student Coordinator. 
• Approach to Step 1 Questions Series: 12/11 and 12/18, 6:30pm. This 2-part series with peer tutor Elle Cunningham will provide you with a systematic approach to Step 1 style questions and teach skills to use question stems to your advantage in order to interpret and answer questions more effectively. Link to Sign up here. For more info contact Elle Cunnigham, MS3 
• New Step 1 Peer Support Group Series: 01/15, at 6pm, in MedED 300. Prepare for Step 1 success with our three-part series designed to guide you through every phase of your study journey. Developed by MS3's Ava Siegel and John Rustad, this new three-part peer-facilitated support series option is designed to guide you through every phase of your study journey. From getting started and organizing your approach to maintaining strong study habits and achieving a healthy balance during dedicated study time, these in-person sessions will equip you with valuable tools, strategies, and insights. Whether you're just starting to think about Step 1 or already busy studying, this series is intended to help you feel prepared, confident, and supported — in community. Sign up & Session details here. This new series is sponsored by the Medical Student Services Team.  
• UVM Board of Trustees Student Member: Each year a committee of UVM students is charged with selecting one student to serve a two-year term as a full voting member on the University of Vermont Board of Trustees. The Board is comprised of nine Legislative Trustees, nine Self-Perpetuating Trustees, three Gubernatorial Appointees, the Governor of Vermont, the President of the University, and two student representatives. The Board is responsible for setting the mission and direction of the University and determining the policy of UVM. To be eligible, prospective student applicants (undergraduate, graduate or medical students) must have at least two full years left at UVM. All three application materials, which are on the SGA website, must be submitted by the due date for an applicant to be considered. Applicants must also download and review the four mandatory information files to qualify. You must request access to these files from Mahder.Teferra@uvm.edu by January 3, 2025. The application materials will be due January 6th, 2025.  I encourage all interested students with at least two years left at UVM to apply! Being a member of the Board of Trustees is the highest and most critical leadership position a student can attain at UVM. You truly have an opportunity to make a lasting impact at the University of Vermont. For more information about the Board of Trustees, check out their website. Please reach out to us if you have any questions. You might also want to reach out to Kenny Nguyen and Katelynn Giroux who both are currently serving in this role. Apply Now!

M3 STUDENTS (co2026) 

• So You Want To Be An OBGyn! : 12/09 @ 5:30pm via Zoom. For anyone who might be considering a career in OBGyn! Please come even if you are just considering but haven't fully decided yet. Sara Tourville, OBGyn Medical Student Coordinator 
• M4 Advising session for students who have chosen their specialty: 12/12 4-5pm We unexpectedly need to reschedule the M4 Advising session that was set for tonight at 5:30 via Zoom (schedule advising for students who have chosen their specialty).The session will now take place next Thursday, 12/12 at 4:00pm, just before the lottery logistics meeting. Both meetings will be recorded for those of you who cannot attend. The Zoom link will be the same. Join the meeting on Thursday, December 12, 2024, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET: https://uvmcom.zoom.us/j/94501332012  

M4 STUDENTS (co2025) 

• Specialty Mentors: Your Student Council and SEC are partnering to increase mentoring and build inter-class support and community connections at LCOM. Our goal is to be able to create a supportive community that will someday expand beyond our time at LCOM. Our first initiative is to increase support for M3 students as they begin 4th year planning/lotteries. The new Mentors program is an expansion of the Specialty Sibs Program and is intended to provide M3's access to advice and mentorship from M4 students in case they are not participating in the Specialty Sibs Program, change their mind on which specialty they are applying into, or want additional opinions/connections.  As a Mentor, you would provide your name, contact information (email and/or phone #), and what specialty/specialties you are applying into as a general resource for the Class of 2026 to utilize and be able to reach out to you for support in planning for 4th year. This advice is not a substitution for career or academic advising, but a supplement to help pass on student knowledge. We greatly appreciate your willingness to serve in the Mentors program. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the following survey. Thank you for your attention and participation, and please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions! Click here for survey  

Karen George, MD, MPH (she/her)
Associate Dean for Students

Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science

Larner College of Medicine, Office of Medical Education
University of Vermont
Given Courtyard N-100