BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Helping aspiring clinicians find their community.
The UVM Medical Center and the Vermont Professionals of Color Network are working together to connect incoming medical residents of color with others with similar backgrounds and experiences.
The 2024 census shows, at that point, less than 10 percent of Vermonters were BIPOC.
VT PoC started offering their Newcomer Nexus program to medical students of color in certain fields this past year. Now, they hope to expand it across more residency programs.
Non-white medical students who opt to participate join a virtual discussion where they can ask questions about the area and share more about themselves. They are then matched with an ambassador or peers who help them settle in and navigate life in Vermont as a person of color.
“It makes all the difference in the world having the community embrace you and connect with you when you get here. It makes all the difference in the world,” said Gary Scott, senior vice president of facilities, real estate, construction, and support services at the UVM Health Network.
“it’s really opportunities for our residents to learn and to practice and to grow and to see if this is a community that fits for them and if they want to stay,” Dr. Courtney Fleisher, a lead phycologist in pediatric services at the UVM Medical Center, said.
Earlier this year, nearly 30 prospective residents for UVM Medical Center programs attended the VT PoC zoom discussion.
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