VUSM Feature

Third-year Doctor of Audiology Student Penelope Anna Melissas champions the idea that career choices are often affirmed through diversity of experience. As an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders, she originally planned to be a pediatric speech-language pathologist. After taking an audiology course… Read More

VUSM’s annual Class Day recognizes members of the graduating class for outstanding academic achievement, service, and leadership. VUSM faculty and fellow students celebrated the following recipients of school and departmental awards on Thursday, May 7, 2026:   Chapman Society Award Brigitte Jia is presented the Chapman Society Award by Dr. Read More

Grace Branger (MGC ’26) stands in front of the U.S. Capitol. By Katie Chung Every February, advocates and organizations from the rare diseases community meet in Washington, D.C., for Rare Disease Week. EveryLife Foundation hosts the conference that prepares attendees to meet with lawmakers and advocate for policies… Read More

Dean Jeffrey Balser gives his final Almost Alumni Luncheon address. Each spring, Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Affairs alongside Vanderbilt University School of Medicine recognizes outstanding faculty members for their contributions to student medical education, as voted upon by graduating M4s. This year was particularly special as Dean Jeffrey Balser, M.D., Ph.D… Read More

For M4 Joy Justice, academics has always been a family affair. Raised in a tight-knit community in rural West Virginia, Justice’s support system has quite literally followed her every step of the way; from her grandparents moving to Charlottesville to support her while she pursued her undergraduate degree as a… Read More

By Katie Chung Vanderbilt’s Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program offers four specialty tracks for students to gain additional experiences in a particular SLP discipline. Blending coursework with early and intensive clinical experiences, the MS-SLP program prepares students to assess, diagnose, and treat people… Read More

By Kyra Letsinger Goodman and Katie Chung Bekhit presenting her undergraduate research. For Master of Imaging Science (MIS) student Maria Angelina Bekhit, chasing her dreams has always been about creating her own path. After completing her general education coursework in her hometown of Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Bekhit moved to… Read More

If you ask Vanderbilt University School of Medicine students why they chose VUSM, you’ll usually hear the same answer: the people. Whether it’s the exceptional faculty, the supportive administration, or the tight-knit student cohorts, there’s something about the VUSM community that makes students feel like they belong. M4s Brian Song… Read More