Launched in 2019, Professionalism Week at the Larner College of Medicine provides members of the Larner community with an opportunity to both celebrate role models and renew their own commitment to the principles of professionalism at the college as laid out in the Larner Professionalism Statement.

2025 marked the sixth year the annual celebration has been held, which this year began on May 5 with unique video, wall, and screen messages conveying accolades from Larner students, staff, and faculty recognizing exemplars of professionalism within the college. The tributes also highlighted the record number of the Larner community—217 students, faculty, and staff—who were nominated by their peers this year as champions of professionalism.

On May 7, Larner welcomed keynote speaker Robert Sternszus, M.D.C.M., M.Ed., associate professor of pediatrics and health sciences education and Wendy MacDonald Chair in Pediatric Medical Education at McGill University, whose address was titled “Being, Becoming & Belonging: Exploring Professional Identity Formation in Medical Education.” 

Sternszuz’s presentation covered three main areas, beginning with current understandings of professionalism, professional identity and its formation. He challenged existing ideas and premises of health professions education and learning environments, and identified a need to re-examine and redefine professional norms and socialization, suggesting that, for many, current thinking is not sufficiently fostering meaningful inclusion and—most importantly—a sense of belonging.

“We must re-imagine professionalism and professional identity formation and think differently about what it means to be a physician, how one becomes a physician, and what it means to belong in medicine,” said Sternszus.

The 2025 Professionalism Awards Presentation and Celebration ceremony was held May 8 and hosted by Larner dean Richard L. Page, M.D.

The task of evaluating the 2025 award recipient nominations was undertaken by a nominations review committee made up of past professionalism award recipients and chaired by Brian Kim, M.D., chief of ophthalmology in the Department of Surgery, Elliot W. Shipman Professor of Ophthalmology, and the 2023 recipient of the dean’s faculty award for professionalism. Members of this year’s selection committee included Callen Gravel-Pucillo, M.M.S., the 2024 Medical Student Award recipient; Ryan Hunt, the 2024 Graduate Student Award recipient; Kyla Leary, the 2024 Staff Award recipient; Melisa Cuke, M.Sc., the 2023 Staff Award recipient; and Katherine Walsh, M.D., the 2024 Faculty Award recipient.

The following award recipients were recognized:

• The Medical Student Award was presented to Class of 2025 medical student Javier Rincon.
• The Graduate Student Award was presented to Brianna Hilton, a graduate student in the cellular, molecular, and biomedical sciences doctoral program.
• The Staff Award was presented to Rhonda Hanley, a student services specialist in the Department of Family Medicine.
• The Faculty Award was presented to Alison Fitzgerald, M.D.’09, assistant professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine.

A reception and food drive for the UVM Rally Cat’s Cupboard food shelf took place following the awards ceremony in the Hoehl Gallery.