Melissa Davidson, M.D., associate dean for graduate medical education at the Larner College of Medicine and Designated Institutional Official at the UVM Medical Center (Photo: LCOM Creative Services)

Frederick Morin, M.D., dean of the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, and Claude Deschamps, M.D., senior associate dean for clinical affairs and president and CEO of the UVM Medical Group, have announced the appointment of Melissa Davidson, M.D., as associate dean for graduate medical education at the Larner College of Medicine and Designated Institutional Official at the UVM Medical Center, effective immediately. She succeeds Mark Levine, M.D., professor of medicine, who was appointed earlier this year to serves as the commissioner of health for the State of Vermont.

Davidson, who joined UVM in 2013, is an associate professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics. Prior to coming to Vermont, she served as associate professor and assistant dean for graduate medical education at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School. At UVM, her leadership positions have included service as director of anesthesia education since 2014, and chair of the anesthesiology residency Clinical Competence Committee, which has oversight for faculty development in the department. She is a member of the Larner College of Medicine’s Teaching Academy Task Force, and was inducted as a Distinguished Educator of the Teaching Academy in 2015.

At the UVM Medical Center, Davidson created the Chief Resident Leadership Workshop, which is now in its fourth year and integrated within the Teaching Academy. She has worked to create a new evaluation system consistent with the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones Project, which has been developed as an abstract and shared with other programs nationally. She has also been integrally involved in revising the curriculum for the medical student elective in anesthesiology.

Davidson’s national service includes membership in The American Society of Anesthesiologists, and involvement in The Society for Education in Anesthesia, where she has served on the Committee for ACGME Competencies and the Committee on Research in Education since 2005, and co-directs their Annual Workshop on Teaching. She is also associate editor of MedEdPORTAL, which has recognized her as an Outstanding Reviewer.

She received a medical degree and completed a residency in anesthesiology at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, after which she joined the Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School faculty as assistant professor of anesthesiology. Davidson was promoted to associate professor in 2004 and was appointed assistant dean for graduate medical education in 2007. For 10 years, she served as vice chair of education and program director for the Department of Anesthesiology, and in 2002 and from 2010-2012, she served as interim chair.

“Melissa is a skilled clinician and sought-after mentor, with a demonstrated commitment and track record of success in resident and medical student education,” said Morin and Deschamps. “She is a national thought leader and recognized expert in anesthesiology education, and we are confident she will do an outstanding job in this important role for our organizations.”

Learn more about Graduate Medical Education at UVM.