Janice Gallant, M.D. and Nathalie Feldman, M.D.

Christa Zehle, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, has announced the appointment of Nathalie Feldman, M.D., as interim associate dean for admissions, effective July 1, 2020. Feldman replaces retiring Associate Dean for Admissions Janice Gallant, M.D., while a search is underway for a permanent replacement.

Gallant has led the Larner admissions team since 2006, a period that has seen significant changes in medical school admissions both nationally and locally. During that time, the process of applying to medical schools, overseen by the American Medical College Application Service, has moved completely online. At the same time, Gallant has been a key proponent of implementing important changes in the interviewing process for medical school candidates. Under her direction, the Larner College of Medicine pioneered the use of Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) in place of what had been a standard single-interviewer process. The MMI process gives the College a more complete and less biased view of applicants, which has aided in the process of recruiting a more diverse student body. Gallant and her team have presented their MMI work nationally, becoming a model for other medical schools.

In the course of her tenure leading the Larner Office of Medical Student Admissions, the Larner medical student body has grown, partly in response to a national drive by the Association of American Medical Colleges to increase the number of physicians to serve the nation's growing population and health care needs. Over this time period, the Larner medical student body has increased by roughly 30 percent. The College now receives approximately 6,000 applications for 124 places in its first-year class.

Nathalie Feldman, M.D., is an assistant professor and associate residency program director in UVM’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Since 2017, she has been director of the learning environment in the Office of Medical Student Education, where she has supported the College's commitment to professionalism and fostering a positive environment for learners across the academic medical center.

Previously, Feldman was a member of the Medical Admissions Committee, and served as acting associate dean for students in 2014. She is a founding member of the Learning Environment and Professionalism Committee (LEAP), serves as a facilitator for the Professionalism, Communication and Reflection II course, and is also an advisor for the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program.

Feldman’s academic area of interest focuses on medical professionalism and innovations that help enhance positive and mitigate negative influences in the learning environment. Her interests also lie in exploring the "hidden curriculum" in medical education and its effect on professional identity formation, empathy, compassion, and patient care.

“Dr. Nathalie Feldman is an integral member of our LCOM community who has served in a variety of leadership roles and has the experience and leadership qualities to guide the Admissions Office and Committee through this important transition,” said Zehle. “The Office of Medical Student Education is grateful for Dr. Feldman’s willingness to serve and we look forward to welcoming her to this interim role."

Feldman earned her undergraduate degree at Yale University, her medical degree at McGill University, and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee. She has served as a private attending physician at UVM Medical Center since 1992, joined the UVM faculty in 2013 and was promoted to assistant professor in 2014.