Vermont Medicine magazine features stories about students, faculty, and the alumni of the Larner College of Medicine and its engagement with the wider community.

FEATURED STORIES
Say It Forward
Say It Forward

For the past seven years, every new medical student at the Larner College of Medicine has had something special waiting for them in the pocket of the new white coat they receive during their white coat ceremony, one of the most momentous days in their journey to becoming a doctor. Alumni from across the class years volunteer to write a short note of encouragement to the College’s newest students, often sharing wisdom gleaned from their own time at the College or tips to make the most of their medical school experience. When students leave the ceremony with their white coat, the note serves as a reminder of the network of support they have as they join the Larner family. Every year, relationships blossom from these notes, as alums and students make meaningful connections and stay in touch. >> READ MORE


THE COVID-19 Pivot. Larner Researchers Change Directions to Address the Pandemic
Diverse Voices, Common Cause

For 26 years, the Vermont Leadership Education on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program (VT LEND) has been focused on preparing health professionals with the skills—and the drive—they need to improve the healthcare system’s service to children with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families. Under the leadership of VT LEND Program Director Maria Mercedes Avila, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics, the program has also built a national reputation for its comprehensive approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. Not only does the program emphasize culturally responsive care, Avila has set goals for diversity in each cohort to increase the number of people trained from diverse communities. >> READ MORE

Supporting Vermont Kids
Supporting Vermont Kids

Two Larner College of Medicine alums in Vermont are breaking new ground in critical pediatric fields. James Metz, M.D.’06, returned to the state to lead an interdisciplinary child abuse prevention team. Nick Bonenfant, M.D.’17, has created a new program to provide mental health care for children and additional training for pediatricians. As a new medical graduate just beginning a pediatric residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital in 2006, Metz, M.D.’06, never imagined that 12 years later, he’d return to his alma mater and home state as one of only two board-certified child abuse pediatricians in Vermont. Spurred by his own experience as a teen who suffered from anxiety and now, as a pediatrician-in-training treating patients, Bonenfant helped to create two programs to enhance mental health training for pediatric and psychiatry residents.>> READ MORE