UVM alumna Joy Benner ’15 started medical school in August 2017 at the UVM Larner College of Medicine. We talked Joy, who completed the UVM Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, about her time studying at UVM, conducting research, volunteering for the Art for the Heart program, and working in the UVM Medical Center Emergency Department.

I had switched to pursue medicine late in my undergraduate career. I decided to major in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) because my mother and sister are Deaf, and I saw the impacts this field had on their lives while I was growing up. I was exposed to the healthcare field through my major, as we were given many opportunities to observe the clinical aspects of audiology and speech pathology, which are career paths many students with CSD degrees choose to pursue.

I love the connection and the relationship that grew between patient and provider, but I was also interested in learning more about the science behind the diseases that can influence or cause patient conditions. Through various experiences, I became fascinated with the field of medicine, but I hadn’t completed all of the necessary prerequisites to apply to medical school. I began to take some of these my senior year of college, where I met several UVM post-bac students. We all studied together, and I felt like I was a part of a community of individuals on the same path. I also grew up in Vermont, and knew I would be happiest and most successful in the post-bac program at UVM.

The most rewarding aspect of the Art for the Heart Program was, by far, seeing the impact that we had on patients and their families. As an undergrad, I worked as an individual assistant for a toddler with bilateral cochlear implants, and through that experience I was shown how much of an effect one individual can have on a child’s life. For most children, a stay in the hospital can be overwhelming and stressful, and art is one of the best ways to allow them to make decisions, engage, and express themselves however they feel they need to. For many parents, this can be an equally distressing time, and we provided an outlet for them as well. It was always an incredible feeling to see that great big smile when a patient or family member saw all of the different art supplies they could use.

The Emergency Department provided a different experience, and was most rewarding in how much I learned. As a scribe in the Emergency Department, I worked directly with physicians and helped complete charts for the patients that they saw. This experience gave me immersive exposure to the field of medicine, as I was present for nearly every aspect of a patient’s visit to the ED, whether that was when the physician took the patient history, conducted a physical exam, interpreted laboratory and imaging results, or performed a procedure. I started to learn key things that physicians look for in common diagnoses and what they rule out. It was fascinating to see from start to finish the process that leads a physician to a diagnosis.

It’s hard to pick just one, but one project I worked on used animal models and looked at the effects of cyclophosphamide—a chemotherapy treatment—on taste. One of the many unfortunate side effects of chemotherapy is loss of appetite or loss of taste, which can lead to malnutrition and weight loss and has the potential to negatively impact the recovery of patients treated with chemotherapy. The study I worked on was evaluating the impact cyclophosphamide has on taste cells and the ability to discriminate salty tastes. This project was so great because I learned about how research can affect the way clinicians treat patients and how important it is for their ultimate treatment plan. It resonated with me so much because it has direct implications to improving the quality of life of patients being treated with chemotherapy.

I grew up in both Massachusetts and Vermont. I attended UVM as an undergraduate. I loved the prospect of being close to home and fell in love with UVM when I visited. It is an incredible school with so much to offer and so many resources

The best part of Beverly Colston’s job is helping students experience personal growth and thrive in the community.

As director of the UVM Mosaic Center for Students of Color (formerly the ALANA Student Center) for 15 years, Colston’s goal is to create a diverse and rich community of empowered, engaged, and enthusiastic students of color.

“The Mosaic Center for Student’s of Color (MCSC) is about helping students succeed, blossom, thrive, and know who they are racially and ethnically,” Colston says. “We’re engaged with the holistic growth of our students, and that is a tremendous opportunity.”

For 20 years, the center has prided itself on providing a wide variety of programs and services, including student advising, leadership retreats, and events.

The center began at UVM in 1973 as the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Back then, the office’s mission was to train UVM staff members to make campus more inclusive on an institutional level rather than focusing on students of color in the community. It later became the African, Latina, Asian and Native American (ALANA) Student Center in 1996, and was renamed the Mosaic Center for Students of Color in 2016.

In an interview last fall with The Cynic, Colston said the recent name change had been discussed for 15 years because the old name—ALANA—didn’t accurately represent the community.

“A mosaic is an intricately designed art piece constructed from assembling small, gemlike, colorful pieces of glass, stone, beads or other materials,” she told the Cynic. “While each piece retains its individual nature it also becomes part of a larger and beautiful whole.”

The center recently moved from the Redstone campus to a new space in the Living and Learning Center. The new location includes a kitchen, computer lab, meditation space, and a study lounge.

Students of color make up about 12 percent of the population at UVM, Colston says. The goal of new space is to offer a more central location and be more accessible to a greater number of students.

Colston is optimistic about the role the Mosaic Center for Students of Color will continue to play in students’ lives.

“The students are why I’m here. There’s nothing like the honor of being engaged with students’ lives and being part of their support network,” Colston says. “When it comes down to it, higher education is all about learning who you are, what you value, and how you can serve the world.”

Medical student Lynn Sipsey was studying to become a scientific illustrator when she decided to shift gears and pursue a career in medicine. Lynn, who completed the UVM Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program and is now a student at the Larner College of Medicine at UVM, talks about the rewards of medicine and the power of empathy.

When I started my undergraduate program, I was certain that I would ultimately go to a graduate medical illustration program. Medicine wasn’t even on the radar. However, by the time I had finished my degree, I had taken more biology courses than were required and accidentally minored in biology. I found that to become a better scientific illustrator, a thorough understanding of the subjects was required.

As I spent more and more time learning those foundational concepts, I realized how much I loved biology. After some time working as an illustrator, I knew that I loved the educational aspect of the work, but I never really got to see the direct impact of my work. Sitting in a studio drawing all day was wonderful, but it did not feel gratifying—I still wanted to use my knowledge base to educate, to make meaningful connections, and be able to see the impact of my work in people’s lives.

My portfolio has a wide breadth of subject matter, style, and medium. I had made model eggs for the Birds of Vermont Museum, had a diagram published in a scientific journal, and had collaborated with a ceramic artist who bought the rights to some botanical illustrations.

I grew up in Lincoln, Vermont. As a scientific illustration major, medical school didn’t seem like a possibility, but I had several wonderful mentors that encouraged me to consider it. When looking up post-bac programs, UVM was at the top of my list. The in-state tuition can’t be ignored, but also I had read about the quality of the advisors in the program, and knew of several of the students that went on to the Larner College of Medicine at UVM. When entering the program, I wasn’t sure whether I was interested in a PA, RN, NP,MD, or DO track. I liked that UVM’s program had flexibility and that I was able to tailor my schedule to my goals as they became clearer.

Though many see art and science as a dichotomy, my experience has shown they are two interdependent entities. Scientific innovation is not possible without creative thinking, and artistic expression wanes without observation and the scientific method. Both scientific illustration and medicine seek to reach similar goals: to use scientific knowledge and artistic skill to repair nature’s deficits, and to create a more “ideal” specimen. A large part of medicine is observation. The patient’s story is the single best tool for diagnosis, followed by physical exam. Both of these are tools that can be carried further with astute observation and directed inquiry.

I was working as a respite care giver for the developmentally disabled. Serving a diverse client population—ranging from those in need of total personal care, and medication administration, to sex offenders and individuals requiring behavioral modification—was a rich and challenging experience. I practiced being present, compassionate, and patient. My belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual and the human capacity for growth and development became a clear value. I found the art of medicine. Like my studio practice, there is no absolute protocol to reaching a solution, each situation and subject must be regarded with the utmost care. Acute awareness, empathy, and understanding must be brought to each client every day.

Active learning and integration are really emphasized in the curriculum here. Many of the faculty are genuinely invested in student wellness and quality of education provided to us.

What do you find most rewarding about medicine?
It is a privilege to be present in difficult times in people’s lives, it is an even greater privilege to be in a position to help people through these times. I also really love patient education—just taking the time to make sure the patient actually understands what will be happening to them and why. Education empowers patients to take better care of themselves and make decisions that make the most sense for them