Departmental News

Class of 2021 Medical Students, Faculty, Staff Recognized at Honors Celebration

May 7, 2021 by Jennifer Nachbur

In a salute to graduating medical students’ accomplishments and to honor the faculty and staff who have supported them during their medical education journey, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine launched a virtual 2021 Honors Celebration on May 6, 2021.

In a salute to graduating medical students’ accomplishments and to honor the faculty and staff who have supported them during their medical education journey, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine launched a virtual 2021 Honors Celebration on May 6, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. The online celebration features a welcome and congratulatory remarks from Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., and presentations of awards that recognize exemplary medical students, faculty, and staff. (View the virtual Honors Celebration.)

Through videotaped presentations, the following awards and their respective recipients were announced:

Faculty, Staff and Department Awards from the Class of 2021

Clinical Teacher of the Year – Katie Dolbec, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine
This award honors a faculty member who exhibits humanism in patient care, includes students in the clinical setting, creates an engaging learning environment, and fosters confidence and skill in the students with whom they worked.

Collette Award – Emma Faustner, Advanced Integration and Residency Placement Coordinator
This award honors a support staff member who a support staff member who was outstanding during the clinical levels of the Vermont Integrated Curriculum including Clerkship and Advanced Integration

Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society (AOA) Volunteer Faculty Award: Lincoln Heath, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, of the Community Health Centers of Burlington

AOA Faculty Award: Fuyuki Hirashima, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, UVM Medical Center (UVMMC); Molly Rideout, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, UVMMC; and Matthew Siket, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Medicine, UVMMC

AOA Housetaff (Resident) Award: John Konen, M.D., Clinical Instructor in Surgery, UVMMC; and Nathaniel White, Clinical Instructor in Pediatrics, UVMMC

The Clinical Resident of the Year Award: Adam Paine, M.D., Clinical Instructor in Surgery, UVMMC

Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) - Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty award: Devika Singh, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, UVMMC

The Harry E. Howe, M.D. & Theo O. Howe Outstanding Teacher of Surgery Prize: Margaret Tandoh, M.D., Gamelli Green and Gold Professor in Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, UVMMC
This award recognizes and honors excellence in teaching in the Department of Surgery.

Clinical Department of the Year: Division of Emergency Medicine

Student Awards

The John E. Mazuzan Jr., M.D.'54 Award for excellence in Anesthesiology: Flora Liu

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award for excellence in Emergency Medicine: Tyler Prince

The Edward E. Friedman Award for promise of excellence in the practice of Family Medicine: Jenna Dafgek

The Family Medicine John. P Fogarty, M.D. Leadership Award - Family Medicine: Jhaimy Fernandez

The Ellsworth Amidon Award for outstanding proficiency in Internal Medicine: Sean Meagher

The Laura Weed, M.D. Award for scholarship, service, and excellence in medicine: Matthew Tsai

The American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for excellence in Neurology: Connor Scagnelli

The Herbert Martin Sr., M.D. Award for excellence in Neurology: Emily Eichner

The Carbee Award for academic excellence in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences: Kathryn Kurchena

The John V. Maeck, M.D.'39 Robe Recipient for overall excellence in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences: Sidika Kajtezovic

The Dr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Gould, M.D.'37 Prize for outstanding achievements in Orthopaedic Surgery: Annabelle Davey

The Ralph D. Sussman, M.D.'38 Medical Alumni Award: Reed Hausser

The William Sweetser Award: Olivia Harrison

The Walter Dodd, M.D. Award in Radiology for excellence in Radiology: Liam du Preez

The H. Gordon Page, M.D.'45 Award for excellence in Surgery: Hillary Danis

The Harry Howe, M.D.'52 Senior Student Award for excellence in Surgery: Max Silverstein

The Pilcher Award for representing the qualities of Eleanor & Lewis Pilcher of devotion to family and patients, with a high regard for ethics and honesty: Brian Gross

The College of American Pathologists Distinguished Medical Student Award for excellence in Pathology: Amanda Kardys

ACEP/EMRA National Outstanding Medical Student Award: Raghav Goyal

Charles T. Schechtman, M.D., ’26 Award for excellence in the clinical care of patients and is based on outstanding work during the Clerkship Year: First Prize: Joy Lowry; and Michael Weber. Second Prize: Michael Chmielewski; Jack Dubuque; Raghav Goyal; Olivia Harrison; Elizabeth Lanata; Olivia Larkin; and Sean Meagher

The David Babbot, M.D. “Caring and Seeing Award” honoring a physician, who for decades served as a role model for students and residents at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. The student awardee has demonstrated commitment to medical education and excellence and personal attentiveness in patient care; strong and caring relationships with faculty members; and commitment to the educational mission of the College of Medicine: Matthew Tsai

The Kerzner Family Prize for outstanding service to the community: Raghav Goyal

Announcements

 

We are excited to welcome to our department two new faculty: 
-Karen George, MD, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences (Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology).  Dr. George is also Associate Dean for Students at Larner College of Medicine

-Amanda Kallen, MD,  Associate Professor of of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences (Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility)

Anne Dougherty, M.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences has now accepted the enhanced role of ODEI Director for Gender Equity.

In this new role Dr. Dougherty will continue her current coordination of workshops, speakers and awards related to the LCOM Gender Equity Initiative.  She will also develop new mentoring and resource programs for women and underrepresented minorities in medicine, participate in analysis and tracking, and collaborate on efforts to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in faculty recruitment. As ODEI Director for Gender Equity, Dr. Dougherty will report directly to Margaret A. Tandoh, M.D., FACS, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.   Congratulations to Anne on her new role!

CONGRATULATIONS to the following faculty who received promotions (July 2021):
Nathalie Feldman, MD to Associate Professor and Navid Esfandiari, PhD to Professor

Navid Esfandiari, PhD, Professor, REI Division, received the "Star Award" from the 77th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) - October 2021

Congratulations to Justin DeAngelis, MD who was appointed interim assistant dean for students in the Office of Medical Student Education at the Larner College of Medicine, effective March 1. Read more here

A champion for women's health, diversity and science, Elizabeth Bonney, MD recognized in News Spotlight from UVM Larner College of Medicine.  Read the article here.

Navid Esfandiari, PhD, received the “Star Award” from the 76th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) – October 2020

Misty Blanchette Porter, MD, Associate Professor, REI Division, was invited to present at AIUM education webinar - teaching on ORADS and IOTA on the evaluation of adnexal masses – Sept 2020

Justin DeAngelis, MD, Assistant Professor, Ob/Gyn, was selected as Class Mentor to the residency by the class of 2021 and was recently awarded the 2019 APGO Excellence in Teaching Award.

SO PROUD! Congratulations to Katherine Menezes, MD (PGY-3) who was awarded the Clinical Resident of the Year Award by the LCOM graduating Class of 2021!!!!  These are the awards that are given out on Honors Night to and from the graduating class.  Check out the video here.

Marjorie Meyer, MD, Division Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine, was recognized for her work in the treatment of women with opioid dependence during pregnancy in Governor Phil Scott's State of the State address on Jan 9.  Read announcement here

Theresa Ko, PhD (Croucher Fellowship 2006), Assistant Professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, was recently interviewed with the Croucher Foundation in December 2019 about her molecular biology quest to reduce maternal deaths.   Read the article here

Elizabeth Bonney, MD, MPH, Professor and Head of the Division of Reproductive Sciences was selected to present the lecture entitled "A Theory of Maternal Immunity" at the 25th Annual Dr. Raymond O. Berry Memorial Lecture on October 18, 2019. Read the announcement here.

Congratulations to Marti Churchill, CNM who received the award for "Excellence in Advanced Nursing" at the Nursing Awards Ceremony  on May 6, 2019.

Congratulations to Tendai Chiware, MD who won the 2019 Beth Fitzpatrick M.D. Citizen of the World Award, awarded by the Global Health Program at UVM LCOM and the Western Connecticut Health Network. 

We are pleased to share news of the appointment of Anne Dougherty, M.D., as Gender Equity Liaison in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) at The UVM Larner College of Medicine.    Read the announcement here.

Cheung Wong, MD was invested in a formal ceremony on June 8, 2018 as the inaugural Berta Pi-Sunyer Williams Endowed Professor.   Read all about it.

The cover photo on the March 2018 issue of the American Journal of Ob/Gyn is from Dr. Kelley McLean's article Mechanical heart valves in pregnancy:  the necessity of appropriate and careful anticoagulation.

Congratulations to Cheung Wong, MD for his recent appointment as the VP for Clinical Affairs for the University of Vermont Health Network.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Bonney, MD and Natalia Gokina, PhD who have won the NIH RO1 funding for "Systemic Vasculature Remodeling Females:  Effects of the Immune System and Experience of Pregnancy".  The application was scored at the 1st percentile!

Our match results are in!  Announcing our newest residents 2018-2022:  Hayley Pierce (Saint Louis University); Allison Walker (Oregon Health & Science University) and Rebecca Zuckerman (University of Chicago).  We look forward to seeing them soon!

We are excited to welcome our new fellows on July 2, 2018 for their 3 year fellowship:  Maximilian Klein, MD (Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility fellow) and Ankita Kulkarni, MBBS (Maternal Fetal Medicine fellow)

Nathalie Feldman, M.D., Educator Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, was recently awarded (along with her colleague, Judy Lewis, MD in the Dept. of Psychiatry) the UVM Larner College of Medicine Teaching Academy's "Educational Scholarship Award" for her work on the learning environment.  

Jenna Flanagan, MD (PGY-3) will be presenting a poster "A Needs Assessment for Somali Women:  Optimizing this Populations' Peripartum Care in a Tertiary Care Center in Vermont" at the North American Refugee Health Conference, June 16-18, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.

Erin Morris, MD, received the 2017 APGO Excellence in Teaching Award.  Dr. Morris is an active clinical member of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine.  She currently serves as our Associate Ob/Gyn Clerkship Director and the Faculty mentor for the Ob/Gyn Student Interest Group. 

May 15, 2017 - Elise Everett, MD was presented the Clinical Teacher of the Year Award from the Class of 2017 during Honors Night.

CONGRATULATIONS to our new interns starting June 2017: Johanna Kelley, Katherine Menezes & Rebecca Parad.