Departmental News

Gallant Ends 14 Years as Associate Dean for Admissions, Feldman Assumes Interim Role

July 1, 2020 by Ed Neuert

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.

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.

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.