Participants at the 47th Annual Surgery Senior Major Scientific Program on May 4, 2017 (Photo: LCOM Creative Services)

The University of Vermont Department of Surgery held the 47^th Annual Surgery Senior Major Scientific Program on May 4, 2017 in the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Austin Auditorium. The event, which was coordinated by Carlos E. Marroquin, M.D., Green and Gold Professor of Transplant Surgery and Immunology and chief of transplant, immunology and hepatobiliary surgery, showcased the scholarly work of 15 Larner College of Medicine students who will be specializing in surgery following graduation.

According to the Department of Surgery, the objectives of the Senior Major Program in Surgery are “to provide the student with the opportunity, through a library search or quality improvement project, a patient chart review and/or laboratory investigation, to complete a scholarly project, assemble and prepare the data in the form of a scientific article acceptable for publication in a professional journal and to present this research at a scientific seminar.”

An awards luncheon followed the seminar program in the Hoehl Gallery in the College’s Health Science Research Facility. Three students were recognized for their outstanding projects with Senior Surgery Major Awards. Earning first-place prize honors was Laura Leonard ’17, who presented her project “Predicting Overnight Stay after Laparoscopic Anti-Reflux Surgery.” Jacqueline Wade ’17 received the second-place prize for her project, titled “The Impact of Mammographic Screening on the Use of Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer in Women Ages 40-49.” The third-place prize was received by Bridget Colgan ’17, who presented on “Lung Cancer Multi-Disciplinary Clinic: Is the MDC Improving Surgical Patient Outcomes?”

Additional student presenters at the event included Lillian Chang ’17, Mustafa Chopan ’17, Ross Sayadi ’17, Steven Coffin ’17, Illsley Colton ’17, Trishul Kapoor ’17, Sarah Kelso ’17, Sarah Waterman Manning ’17, Isobel Santos ’17, and Andrew Tranmer ’17. Students Bryce Bludevich ’17 and Amy Tefft ’17 provided their presentations via video.