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Mikayla Howie ’27 remembers feeling apprehensive about applying to medical school. She wanted to be a physician, but as a Latina growing up in New England, she did not see physicians who were people of color. She was a good student, but she worried she wasn’t “good enough” to get in to medical school. Her epiphany came during her internship at a children’s hospital, where she heard from a physician who recounted his difficult journey to medicine.

“He described the obstacles he encountered as a premedical student, then doing a post-baccalaureate program and applying to medical school. Despite the obstacles, when he experienced doubt, he pushed through and became a physician,” Howie said. “It was at that moment, listening to that physician, when I realized that you don’t have to be a perfect person, just be authentic and believe in yourself. That inspired me to keep pushing forward.”

Howie shared this sentiment with pre-med students who visited �պ����� October 25–26, 2024, for the fourth annual “Look at Larner,” a two-day event for aspiring medical students from populations underrepresented in the profession of medicine. This year’s participants included undergraduate students, college graduates, and career-changers interested in pursuing a medical degree. They included Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, sexual and gender minorities, including those identifying as LGBTQ, transgender, or non-binary, and individuals from financially disadvantaged and rural backgrounds. The event aims to help learners envision what their experience in medical school might look like. Howie and Kelly Tran ’27 served as Look at Larner program leads.

“This is a great opportunity for them to see the Larner community and realize that no matter where they come from or how they identify, they can go to medical school and become a physician,” said Tran, who serves as a leader for the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association at the Larner College of Medicine.

The experience was self-affirming for Tenzin Shrestha, a first-generation college student attending �պ�����. “The communities I see the medical students have, the curriculum and content they learn, and the patient interactions they have are what really solidifies that I want to go to medical school.”

The participants met with and heard from current medical students and medical faculty of similar backgrounds. They joined an active-learning class with first-year students studying the lymphatic and immune systems, toured Larner learning spaces, received admissions advice, and heard from leaders of affinity groups. Activities also included clinical simulation laboratory rotations and a discussion with physicians with unique backgrounds who described their personal journeys and medical specialties. A keynote presentation by Carla Carten, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for the �պ����� Health Network, was a highlight of the event.

“I have never had the chance to visit a medical school before, and I wanted to see what it was like,” said Di Phung, a senior at Bowdoin College. She especially enjoyed the upper-limb lesson in the anatomy lab, she said. “I loved learning about the nerves in the hand, how the muscles connect to the tendons and bones, and how the arteries are close by the nerves. It makes me feel excited to apply for medical school.”

Created four years ago by Larner Class of 2024 medical students, Look at Larner is supported by the Offices of Admissions; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Medical Communications. The Larner community works to ensure that Look at Larner continues annually. Each year, current medical students open their homes to host attendees and help them explore the Burlington area.

“You can tell how much the students love their community here at Larner, and they want so much for everyone to feel a part of it,” said participant Michaela Ayisi, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst. “As a Black woman with a background in public health, I have a passion for health equity. Being able to look at the medical school and getting a feel for the culture, classes, and labs reaffirmed my decision to go to medical school and made me much more confident in my ability to complete it.”

For Pablo Vivas, a junior at Colgate University, the event provided an opportunity to assess the culture and atmosphere. “Gauging the student body is important before applying to a college. Seeing the classroom dynamics and how current students like it is important to me,” he said.

Said Howie, “As a person of color, I want to show that Larner values diversity and fosters a strong sense of inclusivity. Equity in medicine is a core value of mine. My birth parents identified as indigenous Guatemalan. I was adopted and raised in an American Italian family. My younger brother is also adopted and Mexican. I want to share my journey with pre-meds.”

Premedical students from underrepresented backgrounds apply to medical school at significantly lower rates than their majority counterparts and often do not have access to resources to help them through the process, Howie said, and Look at Larner helps to demystify that process. “It was really helpful for students to learn about the admissions process, ask questions about their personal statements, and get perspectives of current students who have been through the process. I felt they enjoyed that a lot.”

“Applying to medical school comes with a lot of doubt about getting accepted and finding the right fit. Seeing the people on the other side of the process makes it feel more real,” said Morgan Vane, who identifies as a lesbian. “Being able to talk with admissions committee members was really enlightening. I see how vulnerable I can be in my personal statement because it really is another human on the other end reading my words and trying to see me for who I am.”

In a follow-up survey, Vane, who is a senior at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, expressed that she envisions herself as a Larner medical student. “I see myself forming study groups, joining clubs that match my interests, getting involved in the Vermont community … I see myself studying at the standing desks in the hallway outside MedEd 100 and helping with the Look at Larner program so other pre-meds can get a glimpse at what an amazing culture and school Larner is, like I was able to.”