Office of Medical Communications

Elizabeth Bonney, M.D., M.P.H., professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, was appointed to a five-year term on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Division of Intramural Research.

In the sixteen months since becoming the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, the University of Vermont’s medical school has made great strides – and multiple innovations – towards achieving its vision of a 100 percent active learning curriculum and fulfilling late alumnus-donor and namesake Dr. Larner’s wish for a “medical education that is second to none.”

On October 26, 2017, UVM Larner College of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education William Jeffries, Ph.D., was interviewed by Eric Clemons for a Comcast Newsmakers segment on the College of Medicine’s active learning efforts.

UVM medical alumnus Samuel Topkins, M.D.'15, and his daughter, alumna Marjorie Topkins, M.D.'50, created a legacy of giving to their alma mater that continues to this day.

University of Vermont Provost David Rosowsky and Larner College of Medicine Dean Frederick Morin, M.D., have announced the appointment of Michael LaMantia, M.D., M.P.H., as director of the UVM Center on Aging. LaMantia, who is currently associate professor of medicine and neurological sciences, as well as section head of geriatric medicine, will succeed William Pendlebury, M.D., professor emeritus of pathology and laboratory medicine, who will step down from the position in January 2018.

In early 2017, University of Vermont researchers Michael Toth, Ph.D., and Christian Skalka, Ph.D. were awarded one of two inaugural UVM Biomedical Engineering (BME) Pilot Research Program grants for their project, “Cyber-physical system innovations to monitor and improve compliance with at-home neuromuscular rehabilitation.” Through the project, Toth and Skalka have worked to create a cyber-physical electrical stimulation system that acts as a bridge therapy for patients immediately post-injury and in the time between surgery and the start of physical therapy.

Where does a musician who's also a medical student find inspiration for their next song? Scott Mitchell '20 didn't have to look far when he began to write a spunky ditty about his experience as a first-year medical student at the Larner College of Medicine. The song is titled "Second-to-None," in honor of the late Robert Larner, M.D. '42 after whom the College is named, and weaves through the first-year curriculum verse by verse with a healthy dose of wit and humor.

The Madison-Deane Education Fund presented the inaugural Madison-Deane Award for Excellence in End-of-Life Care to Zail Berry, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, at the program’s “Evening of Gratitude” event held October 24, 2017 at Burlington Country Club.

Advised by Assistant Professor of Surgery Meredith Collins, M.D., the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery SIG was created in 2016 to give students a window into the specialty through events such as suture clinics, meet and greets with UVM plastic surgeons, and shadowing opportunities. According SIG leader Zach Ehret ’20 the goal is to provide students with information about plastic surgery procedures, lifestyle, research opportunities, and the field’s overall place in the medical world.

Susan Wallace, Ph.D., professor and chair of microbiology and molecular genetics at the Larner College of Medicine and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Between October and November, University of Vermont first-year medical students had the unique opportunity to attend cross-sectional radiology education sessions hosted by Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences Sarah McCarthy, Ph.D., and fourth-year radiology resident Katherine Barton, M.D.

Risk of blood clots increases with the amount of time spent watching television, even if people get the recommended amount of physical activity, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017 in Anaheim, Calif. November 11 to 15, 2017.

The Vermont Medical Society’s Education and Research Foundation (VMSERF) has awarded $5,000 scholarships to Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont students Margaret Johnston and Andrew Corse. The recipients were honored at the Vermont Medical Society’s 204th annual meeting held November 4, 2017 in Woodstock, Vt.

Vermont is among the top ten states in per capita research funding in the U.S., according to a State of Research at the College presentation delivered by Larner College of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Research Gordon Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., at the Dean’s Excellence in Research Awards event held November 13, 2017. The last of three 2017 Celebrating Excellence in Research events held at the College on November 10 and 13, 2017, the awards ceremony recognized the accomplishments of faculty, residents, medical students, graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.

#MEDSCHOOLADVICE is a monthly column that highlights questions from first- and second-year UVM medical students and advice from third- and fourth-years. This month, we asked Grace Adamson from the Class of 2018 to share her journey to medical school, her experiences in school, and advice she has for current and future medical student, particularly those with families.

Advised by Professor of Psychiatry Magdalena Naylor, MD, Ph.D., the Music Student Interest Group not only provides musically-inclined medical students with an opportunity to connect with liked-minded classmates and faculty, but also a way for them to explore the link between music and medicine as it pertains to a burgeoning area of research in neuroscience that focuses on the same connection.

The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont is honored to have several veterans among its medical student population. We are grateful for their service to our country, as well as their commitment to serve their patients. Recently, the medical communications staff had an opportunity to conduct short interviews with two medical student veterans in honor of Veterans Day.