Sarah Schlein
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine
Director, Rural Medicine Education
Director, Wilderness Medicine Education
- M.D., University of Vermont, Larger College of Medicine, University of Vermont
- Post Baccalaureate Premedical Studies, University of Vermont
- B.A., History, suma cum laude, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
- Residency/Chief Resident, Emergency Medicine, University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Salt Lake City, UT
- Di.M.M., Wilderness Medical Society
Areas of expertise
rural medicine, emergency medicine, clinical education, wilderness medicine, women's health, curriculum design, program development and leadership
BIO
Dr. Sarah Schlein, MD, FACEP, FAWM, DiMM is an Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine (LCOM), the inaugural Director of Rural Medicine Education, Fellowship Director for the Wilderness Medicine Fellowship and Emergency Medicine Residency Elective Director for the University of Vermont Health Network. Dr. Schlein leads as the Chair of the Conference Planning Committee for the Wilderness Medicine Society (WMS), is the course director for the LCOM Medical Student Course in Wilderness Medicine, and is the co-founder of the WMS Women in Wilderness Medicine Committee. She is faculty for the Doctoring in Vermont LCOM course. Dr. Schlein is a former Clerkship Director and Visiting Student elective director for the Department of Emergency Medicine, and a faculty member for nonclinical courses in professionalism, as well as a national research mentor for medical students and residents in research and career pathways. Dr. Schlein grew up in Norwich, Vermont, attended Hanover High School, Carleton College (2002), the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT (2010), and the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Salt Lake City, UT (2010 - 2013), where she was a chief resident in the Emergency Medicine Residency. She achieved a Diploma in Mountain Medicine, completed the Medical Education Fellowship with the Teaching Academy at the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine (LCOM) and achieved a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) with the Wilderness Medical Society. Her research and scholarship include mentoring trainees at all levels, locally and nationally, on wilderness medicine, education, and gender equity. Her achievements, leadership, and research have earned her the following awards: Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Honor Society, the 2019 Clinical Teacher of the Year, Larner College of Medicine, the 2021 WMS Ice Ax Award, the 2024-2025 Gender Equity Outstanding Achievement in Medicine and Science Award, and the 2025 Wilderness and Environmental Medicine Journal Excellence in Peer Reviews Award. Her clinical work includes a passion for rural emergency medicine and linking top-quality care in critical access hospitals with medical education. Dr. Schlein volunteered as medical support for Race the Planet across the Namib Desert in Namibia, for Camel’s Hump backcountry rescue, and helped lead the development of Vermont State Wilderness EMS protocols. She enjoys combining her love for medicine, education, and intentional human connections in roles of mentorship, leadership, and contributing to a thriving clinical environment. When she is not working, she would love to be gravel biking, Nordic skiing, swimming, mountain biking with her two sons and her dog, and reading anything that sheds light on interesting life questions.
Courses
- University of Utah, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 2010-2013
- EMER 7610 - Core Sub-Internship in Emergency Medicine-University Hospital University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 2013-present
- EMED-9502: Emergency Medicine AI (LCOM) 2014 – present
- MD-509: Doctoring in Vermont (LCOM) 2015-2017
- Emergency Medicine Student Interest Group Case-Based Interactive Lecture 2016
- Prep for Practice: Advance Cardiac Life Support 2017-2019
- Comprehensive Longitudinal POCUS course (LCOM) 2013-2021
- Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Elective 2018-2020
- EMED-9520: Emergency Medicine: Sports Medicine Elective 2018-2023
- MD-566: Professionalism, Communication and Reflection (LCOM) 2013-present
- EMED-1008: Advanced Integration: Reading Elective 2018-2026
- EMED-9602: Advanced Integration: Wilderness Medicine Elective 2021-2023
- MD-568: PCR: Professionalism, Communication and Reflection III
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- 2013 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Honor Society
- 2019, 2023, Clinical Teacher of the Year, Larner College of Medicine
- 2021 Ice Ax Award
- 2022 Nominated for the 2022 Harry E. Howe, M.D. & Theo O. Howe Outstanding Teacher of Surgery Prize
- 2022, 2023 Nominated for the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award
- 2022 Nominated for the 2022 Clinical Teacher of the Year Award
- 2022 Nominated for the 2022 Alpha Omega Alpha Society Faculty Award
- 2025 WEM Excellence in Peer Reviews Award
Bio
Dr. Sarah Schlein, MD, FACEP, FAWM, DiMM is an Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine (LCOM), the inaugural Director of Rural Medicine Education, Fellowship Director for the Wilderness Medicine Fellowship and Emergency Medicine Residency Elective Director for the University of Vermont Health Network. Dr. Schlein leads as the Chair of the Conference Planning Committee for the Wilderness Medicine Society (WMS), is the course director for the LCOM Medical Student Course in Wilderness Medicine, and is the co-founder of the WMS Women in Wilderness Medicine Committee. She is faculty for the Doctoring in Vermont LCOM course. Dr. Schlein is a former Clerkship Director and Visiting Student elective director for the Department of Emergency Medicine, and a faculty member for nonclinical courses in professionalism, as well as a national research mentor for medical students and residents in research and career pathways. Dr. Schlein grew up in Norwich, Vermont, attended Hanover High School, Carleton College (2002), the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT (2010), and the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals, Salt Lake City, UT (2010 - 2013), where she was a chief resident in the Emergency Medicine Residency. She achieved a Diploma in Mountain Medicine, completed the Medical Education Fellowship with the Teaching Academy at the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine (LCOM) and achieved a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) with the Wilderness Medical Society. Her research and scholarship include mentoring trainees at all levels, locally and nationally, on wilderness medicine, education, and gender equity. Her achievements, leadership, and research have earned her the following awards: Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Honor Society, the 2019 Clinical Teacher of the Year, Larner College of Medicine, the 2021 WMS Ice Ax Award, the 2024-2025 Gender Equity Outstanding Achievement in Medicine and Science Award, and the 2025 Wilderness and Environmental Medicine Journal Excellence in Peer Reviews Award. Her clinical work includes a passion for rural emergency medicine and linking top-quality care in critical access hospitals with medical education. Dr. Schlein volunteered as medical support for Race the Planet across the Namib Desert in Namibia, for Camel’s Hump backcountry rescue, and helped lead the development of Vermont State Wilderness EMS protocols. She enjoys combining her love for medicine, education, and intentional human connections in roles of mentorship, leadership, and contributing to a thriving clinical environment. When she is not working, she would love to be gravel biking, Nordic skiing, swimming, mountain biking with her two sons and her dog, and reading anything that sheds light on interesting life questions.
Courses
- University of Utah, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 2010-2013
- EMER 7610 - Core Sub-Internship in Emergency Medicine-University Hospital University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 2013-present
- EMED-9502: Emergency Medicine AI (LCOM) 2014 – present
- MD-509: Doctoring in Vermont (LCOM) 2015-2017
- Emergency Medicine Student Interest Group Case-Based Interactive Lecture 2016
- Prep for Practice: Advance Cardiac Life Support 2017-2019
- Comprehensive Longitudinal POCUS course (LCOM) 2013-2021
- Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Elective 2018-2020
- EMED-9520: Emergency Medicine: Sports Medicine Elective 2018-2023
- MD-566: Professionalism, Communication and Reflection (LCOM) 2013-present
- EMED-1008: Advanced Integration: Reading Elective 2018-2026
- EMED-9602: Advanced Integration: Wilderness Medicine Elective 2021-2023
- MD-568: PCR: Professionalism, Communication and Reflection III
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- 2013 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Honor Society
- 2019, 2023, Clinical Teacher of the Year, Larner College of Medicine
- 2021 Ice Ax Award
- 2022 Nominated for the 2022 Harry E. Howe, M.D. & Theo O. Howe Outstanding Teacher of Surgery Prize
- 2022, 2023 Nominated for the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award
- 2022 Nominated for the 2022 Clinical Teacher of the Year Award
- 2022 Nominated for the 2022 Alpha Omega Alpha Society Faculty Award
- 2025 WEM Excellence in Peer Reviews Award
Select Publications
- Schlein SM, Pollock NW, Polukoff NE, Brown AB, Byrne A, Keyes LE. Gender Equity in Membership, Leadership, and Award Recognition in the Wilderness Medical Society [published online ahead of print, 2022 Jun 23]. Wilderness Environ Med. 2022;S1080-6032(22)00065-5. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2022.04.006
- Schlein SM, Reno EM, Coffey CH, Casper LM, Klein DA, Claypool MS, Wiitala EL, Keyes LE. Environmental Exposures and Risks During Pregnancy. Wilderness Environ Med. 2024 May 5:10806032241248626. doi: 10.1177/10806032241248626. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38706212.
- Schlein SM, Reno EM, Coffey CH, Casper L, Claypool MS, Klein DA, Wiitala EL, Keyes LE. Practical Considerations for Participating in Wilderness Activities During Pregnancy. Wilderness Environ Med. 2025 Dec 4:10806032251398833. doi: 10.1177/10806032251398833.
- Keyes LE, Schlein SM, Brown AB, Polukoff NE, Byrne A, Pollock NW. Gender Distribution Associated With the Journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine [published online ahead of print, 2022 Jun 23]. Wilderness Environ Med. 2022;S1080-6032(22)00064-3. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2022.04.005
- Coffey C, Dobiesz V, Keyes LE, Schlein S. Wild Women: Advancing Frontiers in Wilderness Medicine. Wilderness Environ Med. 2025 Dec;36(4):451-452. doi: 10.1177/10806032251388886. Epub 2025 Nov 7. PMID: 41200861.