Student Life Category
MIDP student Sai Rajagopalan teamed up with experts across the world to bridge a specific gap in maternal-fetal care during COVID-19
Jun. 28, 2020—by Emma Mattson Social distancing over the past four months has challenged medical students across the country to adapt. Some have developed innovative solutions for digital learning, clinical work, and student leadership in the time of COVID-19. Some, like third-year MIDP student Sai S.V. Rajagopalan, have dedicated their energies to hacking. Hacking the coronavirus, that...
CCO President Karampreet (Peety) Kaur shares words of encouragement, a call for social justice, and hopes for the coming year
Jun. 22, 2020—by Emma Mattson “My first message to the student body would be: thank you,” said Karampreet (Peety) Kaur, rising fourth-year med student and Class of 2021 president. “Thank you for being so helpful and patient and creative, honestly, in figuring out how we can continue to move forward in a positive way during such a...
Not Just in June: Vanderbilt leaders offer med students advice for supporting the LGBTQ Community in Everyday Healthcare
Jun. 15, 2020—by Emma Mattson Pride Month, celebrated each June, is normally filled with celebrations, parades, and displays of solidarity with the LGBTQ community. But, especially in a year which will go down in epidemiological history, Pride Month is also a time to face the sobering reality of the health disparities afflicting the LGBTQ community. We asked...
2020-21 Students-as-Teachers cohort fosters mentoring skills, teaches pedagogical techniques over Zoom
May. 11, 2020—by Emma Mattson Teaching might not seem to fit into a doctor’s job description, but Vanderbilt’s Students as Teachers elective is proving that pedagogical skills can play an essential role in clinical settings. This spring, a new cohort of thirty third-year medical students began Students as Teachers (SAT), a year-long elective that not only teaches...
Meet Jaclyn Lee and Cooper March, the 2020-21 Co-presidents of Student Wellness!
May. 7, 2020—by Emma Mattson This April, the Student Wellness Committee (SWC) transitioned leadership: 2019-20 presidents Stephanie Hadley and Shervin Etemad passed the torch to rising fourth years Jaclyn Lee and Cooper March, who will serve as presidents over the next year. Both March and Lee have been involved in wellness since their first months at Vanderbilt....
Learning in the time of Coronavirus: Faculty and students adapt curriculum, take on new roles
Apr. 20, 2020—by Emma Mattson Distance learning brings a unique set of hurdles, but our students are up for the challenge. As the School of Medicine transitions to digital learning, medical education has adapted to meet the circumstances. According to William Cutrer, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, all first-year lectures have flipped to virtual streaming,...
“This is what you trained for:” A conversation with Class of 2020 President Varun Menon on moving forward in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak
Mar. 23, 2020—by Emma Mattson We spoke with VUSM Class of 2020 President Varun Menon (VMS4) about the experience of being a medical student during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are the words of reflection and encouragement he shared during this crisis. What reactions and responses have you heard from your class in light of the recent COVID-19...
Facing outward, giving back: MD Student Ambassadors offer a unique resource to new classes of medical students
Feb. 24, 2020—by Emma Mattson Third-year medical student Matt Lan still fondly remembers his interview day, which coincided with Vanderbilt’s College Cup, an annual Olympics-style competition between the four School of Medicine advisory colleges. “I just remember seeing all the students being really happy and really close with each other,” Lan said. “There were faculty around as...
“All Different Forms of Diversity:” A conversation with Dr. Kim Vinson about diversity and inclusion at VUSM
Feb. 17, 2020—by Emma Mattson Today you can find Dr. Kim Vinson seeing patients at the Vanderbilt Voice Center or developing new diversity initiatives in her office in Light Hall. But Vinson’s path to becoming an otolaryngology specialist and assistant dean for diversity affairs began more than twenty years ago, when she first joined the Vanderbilt community...
Sunday Coffee Cup and Kudos with First-Year Mason Alford
Nov. 11, 2019—We spoke with first-year medical student Mason Alford on creating his Sunday Coffee Cup newsletter. Here’s what he shared about its creation and reception by fellow classmates. Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Mason Alford, and I am the President for the Class of 2023 here at VUSM. I grew up on...