Aspiring medical students from populations underrepresented in medicine visited UVM for Look at Larner, a medical student-led event that offers aspiring students a glimpse of medical school. Activities include lessons in the anatomy lab, clinical simulations, campus tours and admissions advice.
During hands-on rotations in the UVM Clinical Simulation Laboratory, Look at Larner participants practiced ultrasound techniques and learned how to intubate patients. (Photo: David Seaver)
Growing up in the Bronx, New York, where the population is majority Hispanic,* Aissata Samake saw no Lantinx or Black physicians. Samake, a woman of color, intends to go to medical school, but she admits to past feelings of doubt about her career choice. Having mentors who look like her has been vital to her decision, she says.
Samake was one of 28 people participating in the third annual “Look at Larner” at the University of Vermont September 7–9, 2023. This medical student-led outreach program aims to serve aspiring medical students from populations underrepresented in the profession of medicine, to help them envision what their experience in medical school might look like.
Look at Larner allows participants “to see themselves as part of our community, and practicing medicine in Vermont,” said Larner class of 2026 medical student Shani Legore, one of three co-leaders of Look at Larner 2023 along with classmates Shrey Patel and Aina Rattu. “It’s a chance to interact with admissions officers, ask questions and get personalized feedback on their readiness and aptitude for medical school.”
Read more and see photos from Look at Larner 2023.