Stay Connected!

► Brett Powers ’18, Theresa Flanagan ‘18, Rachael Munoz ’20, Lindsey Eastman ’18, and Miles Grunvald ’18 jumped into frigid Lake Champlain as part of “The Operating Brooms” team at the annual Vermont Special Olympics Penguin Plunge on February 3.  

Road Trip: What are Danbury & Norwalk Like?

Are you wondering what our Connecticut branch campus is like? Last week, four Student Ambassadors in the Class of 2021 took a “field trip” to see, touch and experience life at Danbury and Norwalk Hospitals and meet with current Clerkship students, preceptors, and leaders. “The Danbury Simulation Center was impressive and very well run,” said Kalle Fjeld ’21, who also witnessed “the most impressive thyroid I’ve ever seen in my life” when observing patients at Norwalk Hospital. Read more about their trip.

► Class of 2021 Nominations for Serving as a DACDI Representative are Due February 15 >>

What’s Post-Medical School Graduation Education Loan “Refinancing”?

According to Kari Brayden, student financial service coordinator, the national mean debt for a medical school graduate hovers around $181,179 and about 75 percent of the nation’s M.D. graduates rely on education loans. She says that taking the time to evaluate the most affordable repayment route is critical. Learn about your options.

Queen City Memory Café Links Students to Memory-Impaired Community

Founded in 2014, the Queen City Memory Café (QCMC) hosts individuals living with dementia or other memory loss and their care partners or friends the third Saturday of each month in Burlington’s New North End. Two to three Larner medical students assist with the program each year, helping set up, interacting with attendees, and making reminder calls to past participants. Kinjal Thakor ’20 says “As a student, volunteering with the memory impaired at the QCMC is a rewarding experience. Despite our age difference, I'm always surprised by how much the participants and I share in common. A simple conversation is often enough to put a smile on their faces. This timeless connection is a celebration of our common understanding.” For more information, call (802) 656-4220 or email Janet Nunziata. 

A Change the World Project: From Homeless Shelter Volunteer to Medical Student

Hannah Woodruff ’21 reflects on her experience as a volunteer and how it ties to the pursuit of her medical career.  “The time I spent in the shelters showed me first-hand the challenges these families experienced. Everything is harder in a homeless shelter - mealtime, homework, illness. Families were coping with so many stressors at once. Some parents didn’t speak English. Some children were learning it for the first time.”  Read her thoughts about the connection between volunteering and medicine on the student blog. 

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► Ranking for Match is Open!  Certify your ranking by February 21 >>

SIG Highlight: Pediatric Student Interest Group (PSIG)

Advised by Assistant Professors of Pediatrics Abigail Adler, M.D. and Pam Puthoor, M.D., the Pediatrics Student Interest Group (PSIG) offers members the opportunity to connect with faculty and physicians within the UVM Department of Pediatrics. On February 12, PSIG leaders Liz Congdon '21, Collin Anderson '21, Jennifer Holland '21, and Candice Wolf '21 hosted the first of a monthly "Brown Bag Lunch" series during which a pediatrician from the UVM Larner College of Medicine presents cases relevant to current Foundations coursework. The event was co-hosted by the Hematology/Oncology SIG, led by Tim Woodin '21 and Nicholas Haslett '21, and featured pediatric hematologist/oncologist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics Heather Bradeen, M.D., who presented cases relevant to material in the Attacks & Defenses course. Keep your eyes out for the next event in this monthly series!

View all Student Interest Groups.