Greetings,

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed some of the things we do; however, our mission to promote a strong relationship and foster a connection between and among the BUSM alumni, faculty, administration, and students has never wavered. Our commitment to medical students and the growing alumni community has only grown as the pandemic has revealed how adaptable, generous and resilient we all are. As alumni staff, clinicians, researchers and teachers, we can appreciate more than ever the power of the BUSM community and the importance of belonging.

As an alumna faculty member, I am fortunate to work with and see current BUSM MED students at the center of innovation and learning. Additionally, I have seen the challenges and sincerely acknowledge the sense of isolation many students and alumni have felt. We, like others, have worked to bring our community together for social support as well as personal and professional growth. Collaborating with Student Affairs, we employed multiple opportunities for students and alumni to connect virtually. We know first-hand that interactions such as these, with you and your fellow alumni throughout the country, have been an even more notable part of the medical student experience this year. The Alumni Office and Board have begun to investigate how we can expand such alumni engagement to be more inclusive and further support our alumni, students and the BUSM community. With your full participation, we hope to offer even more mutually-beneficial and varied involvement between students and alumni.

Over the winter, the board stated our goal to not only define, but further study and develop alumni engagement. The Alumni Board held the first of two sessions to delve deeper into this concept and reimagine alumni engagement at BUSM. As we look ahead, building community, even if it is virtual, is more important than ever. Giving all students and alumni a place to belong and return to is our top goal. By fostering a sense of belonging through meaningful alumni engagement, we can build an even stronger community.

Soon we will send all alumni a brief survey to gather your feedback about what engagement means to you as a BUSM graduate. We hope that when you receive it, you will share your thoughts and ideas on how we may provide you with meaningful opportunities to connect with our BUSM community including students and fellow alumni.

Wishing you the best,

Heather Miselis, MD'04, MPH'00

Holly Lindner

Tim Fitzgerald

Elizabeth Barcomb

BUSM Alumni E-News

April 2021

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Ujas Parikh, MD, (MED'15)

Read more...

STUDENT NEWS

Syringes, Oranges, and Faculty Help Train More Than 100 Volunteer COVID Vaccinators

Medical Campus physician, dental, and physician assistant students eager to pitch in and help area communities.

2021 Match By State

The class matched in a range of programs, but this year’s top specialties include Internal Medicine (32), Emergency Medicine (15), Anesthesiology (13), Pediatrics (13), General Surgery (10) and Neurology (8). Many will be staying in Massachusetts (40), but New York (22) and California (19) were popular destinations, as well.

CAMPUS NEWS

COVID-19’s emotional impact: Medical students cope with isolation

Natalie LaBossier, (MED’23); Christopher Lyons, (MED‘24) share how the lack of personal contact with peers and professors takes a toll. Faculty and fellow classmates are helping them cope.

BU Giving Day Raises Nearly $3 Million

More than 8,000 University community members gave to support a range of programs and departments.

Erika Jordan Named BU’s Vice President for Alumni Engagement

Leading in a new era of alumni connections—in person and digitally, with philanthropy and other means.

Where Is COVID Research Going Next?

NIAID divisional director Matthew Fenton, BU alum and former professor, talks about vaccine safety and what’s next for COVID research funding and the pandemic.