Larner College of Medicine Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., welcomed our incoming medical students at the Dean’s Reception on Wednesday, August 13, in Hoehl Gallery. In his remarks, he acknowledged the challenges ahead, reminding students that the first weeks will be tough and that medical school is demanding. But he urged them to look forward: “Each of you has amazing careers ahead. With all you’ll learn over the next four years—and continue learning throughout your lives—combined with the professionalism you’re already embracing at Larner, imagine the impact you’ll have. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Just think how many lives you’ll touch … This class will make the world a better, healthier place.”
Leila Amiri, Ph.D., associate dean for admissions, echoed the dean’s message. “This class embodies excellence across every dimension,” she said. “With 89 percent engaged in undergraduate research and more than 350,000 hours of medical experience, they bring not only academic strength but a deep, lived commitment to service, healing, and humanity. Today, we celebrate a cohort that reflects our mission and promises a brighter future for medicine in our state and the communities we serve.”
The Path Toward Becoming Compassionate Health Care Professionals
From August 11 to 15, first-year medical students at the University of Vermont (UVM) took part in Orientation—the opening course of the Foundations level in the Vermont Integrated Curriculum. Each day featured a full schedule of hands-on activities and sessions aimed at introducing students to key aspects of their medical education journey. They toured the college’s state-of-the-art facilities, engaged with renowned faculty and staff, connected with fellow classmates, and gained a comprehensive introduction to the Larner College of Medicine learning environment. A standout moment of the week was the “First Patient” presentation, a cherished tradition led by Larner Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics Molly Rideout, M.D., where students met their very first patient. The week struck a meaningful balance of preparation, connection, and inspiration as students embarked on their path toward becoming physicians.
During Orientation, the new medical students were also assigned to their Professionalism, Communication, and Reflection (PCR) course groups and met their dedicated group advisors. PCR is a three-year longitudinal course built around small, process-focused discussion groups led by seasoned faculty preceptors. Through these groups, students explore essential topics, such as professionalism, self-awareness, personal wellness, and effective communication with peers, colleagues, and patients. The course also delves into the social, ethical, and economic aspects of medicine. With a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence, PCR fosters thoughtful dialogue and personal growth, helping students develop into compassionate, well-rounded physicians prepared to meet the complex demands of modern medical practice.
Fostering Community Involvement and Cultural Understanding
Another highlight of Orientation week was the coordinated community service and wellness activities. Members of the Class of 2029 partnered with local organizations in Burlington to give back through hands-on volunteer work. Their efforts included weed management and harvesting at the People’s Farm—a community-powered vegetable and flower farm at the Intervale Center that provides food for the free food share program known as Fair Share—and clearing old hemlock puncheons from Arms Park walking trails (destined for the Rock Point community maple sugaring program), and mulching paths, clearing overflowing garden compost piles, and pulling out invasive species at Kieslich Park, managed by the City of Burlington Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront. Students also contributed at the Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity ReStore, reflecting a shared commitment to community engagement and making a positive impact beyond the classroom.
Each year, students participate in the Finding Our Common Ground program, which introduces UVM’s Our Common Ground statement of values, explores strategies for combatting “imposter syndrome,” and includes a hands-on opportunity to navigate a clinical case requiring intercultural communication skills. These sessions—organized and facilitated by the Larner Office of Inclusive Excellence—are foundational to fostering professionalism and advancing excellence in health care.
Before beginning classes, students complete the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®), a research-based assessment of both individual and group intercultural competence. Through this assessment, students gain knowledge and cultural humility and learn to apply mutual respect. These skills are essential for building meaningful relationships within their cohort and for preparing students to serve all patients with empathy and effectiveness.
Meet the Class of 2029
Students in the Class of 2029 were selected from a record-breaking pool of 10,377 applicants. Representing 22 states, fluent in 16 languages beyond English, and arriving from 72 universities and 42 different majors, this student body is one of the most selective classes in the college’s history. These future doctors offer diverse and unique backgrounds, including a former Division I athlete, avalanche survivor, future Air Force ROTC officer, engineer, attorney, brain tumor survivor, commencement speaker, triathlete, and violist, as well as Ph.D.s in biomedical science, Bunker scholars, and parents of young children.
Zain Daudi, from Presque Isle, Maine, chose the Larner College of Medicine not only for the proximity to charming rural New England, but for the accepting and open-minded environment of the school. He felt that Larner’s modern curriculum is truly optimized for student success and well-being when facing the rigors of medical school.
Daudi’s interest in medicine took root in his earlier years witnessing mental health struggles with his loved ones. This personal experience drove his desire to be on the front lines, acting in service to others in some way. This led him to cycle across Canada solo as an absolute novice for Kids Help Phone, a youth crisis helpline, in dedication to those he cares about most. Covering over 5,000 miles of rugged Canadian terrain, after 138 days he finally reached the Pacific Coast—transforming from complete beginner to expert bike tourist while learning many important life lessons along the way.
As he begins his medical education, Daudi expresses a desire to be the type of physician who treats patients with the utmost respect, dignity, and care—tenets embedded in Larner core values of professionalism. As he anticipates exploring such specialties as psychiatry and emergency medicine, he emphasizes that building authentic trust with a patient is fundamental to the art of medicine.
“After witnessing my loved ones’ experiences with the medical field, I learned the importance of true connection between doctor and patient. I want to make every single one of my patients feel genuinely heard and listened to, which is crucial for effective treatment.”
Daudi looks forward to the path ahead, seeking to be not only a clinician to directly impact patient outcomes, but also a contributor to meaningful research where gaps exist.
Meghan Gormley, originally from North Kingstown, Rhode Island, placed the Larner College of Medicine at the top of her list because of the “unique vibe” she sensed in Burlington that she appreciated growing up—the network of coastal tourism, the mantra of supporting local, and taking the time to truly connect with the community around you.
Growing up immersed in sports as a Division I college athlete and later coaching youth athletics sparked Gormley’s passion for working with children and showed her the profound, lasting impact mentors can have on their development. “Coaching taught me what it means to be a role model for children and how significant an influence you can have on them not only in the moment, but well into their future,” she remarked. “As a result, I am very passionate about a pediatric specialty to continue on the path of working with kids and their families.”
These experiences inspired Gormley’s perspective on the field of pediatrics as an opportunity to not only support children’s physical health, but also influence their understanding of wellness, body image, and self-care. She’s especially passionate about the subtle, yet powerful, role pediatricians play in shaping healthy mindsets, addressing issues like bullying and nutrition, and guiding kids through formative moments in their lives.
Just as she had dedicated herself to a career in athletics, Gormley is now focused on a career of continuous learning in medicine while combining scientific knowledge with deep compassion, creating personalized care that aligns with each patient’s unique life and goals.
Stanley Dunwell, who was born and raised in Georgia, chose the Larner College of Medicine because of its deep commitment to community, its nature-rich location, and similarities with his undergraduate college, Amherst. Larner’s values resonated with Dunwell, especially the emphasis on service and patient-centered care, which align closely with the kind of physician he aspires to become.
Dunwell’s passion for medicine began under the influence of his grandmother, a dermatologist in Jamaica, who treated every patient like family. Growing up as the only child in a Jamaican immigrant household, he also took on significant caregiving responsibilities that taught him patience, empathy, and resilience. Managing his family’s health care needs while balancing school and work gave him firsthand insight into the emotional and financial challenges many face in navigating the medical system.
“That lived experience is something no textbook can teach, and it fuels the compassion I bring to every interaction,” he remarked. “I understand what it means to carry the burden of caregiving alone, to face medical decisions with financial uncertainty, and to feel unseen in the system ... this is what I will carry into every room with the future patients I will serve with heart, respect, and understanding.”
As a Black man from an immigrant household, Dunwell witnessed firsthand how identity can shape one’s health care experience for better and for worse. It was the failings he saw in the health care system—limited access, discrimination, and systemic neglect—that cemented his desire to pursue medicine.
As someone who is passionate about minority care and research, Dunwell hopes to contribute to finding cures for debilitating diseases through not just research, but collaborative, community-focused efforts. “Patients don’t just need someone with the right diagnosis; they need someone who listens, who advocates, and who shows up.”
Originally from Southern California, Samantha Collins grew up exploring the Eastern Sierras and is now thrilled to be heading to the Green Mountains to begin her journey at the Larner College of Medicine. Although new to medical school, Vermont is already a familiar and meaningful place to her—it’s where she learned how to deliver compassionate, high-quality, and team-based care to treat the critical conditions that first inspired her to pursue medicine.
After graduating from college, Collins worked as an emergency department technician at UVM’s Level I Trauma Center in Burlington. There, she took on increasing responsibility, stepping into leadership roles as both a charge technician and an ultrasound technician fellow. She balanced hands-on patient care with task delegation and co-teaching, all while supporting the dynamic needs of the department. Collins appreciated UVM’s strong culture of active learning and collaboration, and she learned that a health care career is a lifelong commitment to being both a student and a teacher.
Her time at UVM also included work in emergency medicine research and enrollment in the master of public health program. These experiences strengthened her understanding of systems-based health care and patient advocacy. Through her experiences studying pediatric “boarding” in the Emergency Department (putting patients in a holding pattern as they wait for an inpatient bed or transfer after their initial care) and investigating the impact of substance use on mental health, she developed a deep understanding of the importance of trauma-informed care in every patient interaction. “I am passionate about bringing empathy and collaboration to my practice, meeting every patient where they are at, and helping to overcome the barriers they face in accessing equitable care,” said Collins
She is especially looking forward to Larner’s Doctoring in Vermont course and the chance to engage in meaningful conversations with patients and providers in rural and underserved communities—by being embedded in these areas, learning from them, and, in return, serving them one day as a physician.
Rebecca Gu, who grew up in China, Germany, and the United States, is coming to Vermont after eight years in Chicago. Gu wanted to raise her young children in a place that spoke to her values, immersed in nature and with plenty of options for her boys to explore the outdoors in all seasons. Larner presented the opportunity to receive an excellent medical education in a family-friendly environment—a perfect match for her needs.
Gu’s personal experiences with women’s health challenges and the journey to parenthood inspired her passion for gynecology and a career as an OB/GYN, where she can support others through their reproductive and overall health journeys. These experiences shaped her desire to provide compassionate, personalized care that values each patient’s full story and fosters trusting relationships. During her post-baccalaureate experience, she worked in a reproductive science lab studying factors that affect ovarian aging. She hopes to continue engaging in research to advance understanding of the causes of various gynecological health conditions that affect many females in often outwardly invisible and under-discussed ways.
“My career as a professional violist showed me the power of wholeheartedly pursuing a passion through hard work, and the joy of communicating a love for something with others. I am eager to bring this commitment to lifelong learning to my career in medicine.”
Just as performing and teaching the viola gave her an opportunity to connect with and build lifelong relationships with colleagues, mentors, and students, Gu is interested in building long-term relationships with patients and becoming a trusted resource for them over the changing seasons of life. She also hopes to contribute to the field of reproductive health, working toward uncovering the causes of gynecological conditions that affect many but are not well understood.
Read more about the Larner College of Medicine Class of 2029 and Orientation Week