First Year
Computations, conversations keep James Yang at Vanderbilt
Nov. 11, 2021—M1 James Yang remains at Vanderbilt for medical school after working on cancer research by Lexie Little In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a Jack Russell terrier named Sadie scampers and plays in the mild plateau breeze. Leaves crunch under her feet as she anxiously paws at the ground, waiting on her human to come. He knows how...
M1 Starina D’Souza champions cultural care
Oct. 26, 2021—Vanderbilt University School of Medicine offers a path to fulfilling dreams in her own backyard by Lexie Little Walking between the columns of University School of Nashville as a high school senior, Starina D’Souza looked back at the building established in 1925. Peabody College students had ventured over to what was then the Peabody Demonstration...
M1 Samuel WiseCarver finds purpose at VUSM
Oct. 13, 2021—When a high school injury derailed his future plans, Sam WiseCarver found a path to Vanderbilt by Lexie Little Standing in his biology classroom at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee, a 17-year-old Samuel WiseCarver thought more about soccer practice after school than the Punnett squares in his textbook. He took rigorous classes...
Field of His Dreams: Derek Riffert returns to VUSM
Oct. 5, 2021—An undergraduate experience through Vanderbilt’s Summer Science Academy prompted M1 Derek Riffert to return for medical school by Lexie Little M1 Derek Riffert shares a first name with his hero, Derek Jeter. As a kid in West Lafayette, Indiana, he watched the five-time World Series champion lead the New York Yankees to win after win....
‘Paging Drs. White-Dzuro’: Siblings continue VUSM legacy
Sep. 23, 2021—Family bonds strengthen at VUSM for two students, one alumna by Lexie Little Google “White-Dzuro M.D. Vanderbilt” and three names will appear: Gabrielle (Brie), an anesthesiology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital; Colin, a fourth-year medical student; and Claire, a first-year medical student. Each studied biochemistry as undergraduates. Each played collegiate volleyball. Each hails from Toronto,...
Opening doors: VUSM program welcomes future physician-advocate
Sep. 16, 2021—by Lexie Little First-year MD student Yeongha Oh strives to enact change based on experience. M1 Yeongha Oh knows how to navigate. Immigrating to the United States from South Korea with her family at age three, she lived in New York before spending most of her childhood in Tennessee and Georgia. But when she charted...
Threads old and new: HPSP students take oath at White Coat Ceremony
Sep. 10, 2021—by Lexie Little M1 students Sean Luong and Natalie Jones commit to service as officer-physicians When Lt. Col. Will Hansen officially retired from the U.S. Army on Sept. 1, 2019, he stashed his uniform in the closet not knowing light outside would ever reach its stitching for a military reason again. Five days later, he...
Meet the first matriculated graduate of the VUSM Short Pipeline: M1 Dominique Mosley
Feb. 15, 2021—by Emma Mattson Sometimes a chance conversation can change your path forever— or at least, that’s what happened in M1 Dominique Mosley’s story. Mosley attended Spelman College, a historically Black liberal arts college for women, located in Atlanta, GA. Early on as an undergraduate, Mosley had been interested in both engineering and medicine, but a...
Meet the newly elected, first-year leaders
Sep. 8, 2020—by Emma Mattson We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the twelve new, first-year leaders on the Council of Class Officers (CCO). Besides generally representing the first-year class, these leaders will host virtual events, provide feedback on curriculum, and collaborate with other CCO leaders on VUSM-wide initiatives. Curious about your new representatives? We talked with...
How to thrive in your first year of med school: 5 pieces of advice from second year LeAnn Lam
Jul. 27, 2020—LeAnn Lam joined the Vanderbilt med school community in Fall 2019, after spending a year as a research assistant in OB/GYN clinical research at VUMC. Now a second-year med student, Lam shares five pieces of advice for the incoming Class of 2024. 1. If you have imposter syndrome, you’re not alone! Many students (including myself)...