Michael Greenberg is a second-year medical student at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine.
In the following blog post, he reflects on eight years of studying pottery making as a hobby and volunteering while pursuing an interest in medicine.
“When I am not studying, you can find me in the pottery studio … and giving back to my community by volunteering with Feeding Chittenden.”
The Makings of a Multi-passionate Person
My name is Michael Greenberg, and I was born in New Jersey but spent many of my summers coming up to visit my grandparents in southern Vermont. This is where I learned how to ski and fell in love with the beauty of Vermont.
I struggled with some of my own medical issues throughout my childhood and was always so impressed with the doctors with whom I came across. They were so curious and empathetic whenever I had a long appointment with them. Seemingly endless testing and questions revealed a bottomless breadth of knowledge and insight. It left me with a strong impression and great respect for physicians. I realized that I wanted to be in a field where I could be endlessly curious and utilize that curiosity towards helping other people.
From Neuroscience to Medical Student
I came to school at UVM in 2015 and majored in neuroscience. I graduated in 2019 and soon found a job as a clinical research coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital in an orthopedic clinic. We studied primarily surgical outcomes in children with cerebral palsy. After applying to medical school once, unsuccessfully, I came back to Vermont and started working as a Medical Scribe in the Emergency Department. After a year of scribing, I tried applying again and found much greater success that time. I started school at Larner in 2023 and have loved it so far.
The anatomy lab has been the most striking aspect of medical school for me. It has been humbling to have the benefit of learning from someone’s selfless sacrifice. I especially enjoyed going to the Convocation of Thanks where I could hear from families of donors and get to know my donor better. It made perfect sense to me that so many of the donors had been teachers while alive and loved it so passionately that they wanted to continue that practice into death.
A Passion for Pottery and Culinary Arts
When I am not studying, you can find me in the pottery studio. I learned how to do pottery while in college at the Living and Learning COOP studio. Here, students and community members had the chance to take classes from their peers or work independently on their craft. I even ended up teaching a class with a friend in my senior year of college. It was called Mean Muggin’ and was a crash course in making mugs on the wheel. I primarily enjoy making functional wares, such as mugs, bowls, plates, or vases.
Outside of pottery, I love to cook! I found a way to combine my passion for cooking with giving back to my community by volunteering with Feeding Chittenden. I first learned of their program through UVM when I volunteered and eventually helped lead the Campus Kitchens Project. There, I took volunteers to Feeding Chittenden’s kitchen to cook a warm meal for the community on Sunday mornings. After moving back to Vermont in 2022, I started volunteering with them once again, helping package boxes of food to give out to whoever needed some support.
I saw a unique opportunity to combine pottery and food through Empty Bowls when I was lucky enough to be chosen off of the lottery for a spot in the Burlington City Art’s center. There, I salvaged bowls that had been left behind, and threw some of my own bowls, all with the plan to host the Empty Bowls event. The event was a great success and was the culmination of many months of hard work. I received invaluable help in setting up the event from Molly Hurd and Claudia Tarrant. We sold about 80 tickets which came out to about $900 raised for Feeding Chittenden. It felt so special to be able to combine my interests to give back to an organization that I’ve worked with for so many years.
Beyond the Potter’s Wheel
I’m not sure what medical specialty I want to pursue yet! I have a few interests, primarily Emergency Medicine and Neurology. I was an EMT cadet while in high school and a fully-fledged EMT after college. In both circumstances I volunteered in the town my parents were living in. I have always been interested in the unknown and the acute care that comes along with EM. However, I was a neuroscience major during my time at UVM undergrad and love learning about the brain. I’m hoping that clerkships will help me decide.
Learn more about the Empty Bowls Event
Feeding Chittenden is a Program of The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). It works to alleviate hunger by feeding people and cultivating opportunities. As the largest direct service emergency food provider in Vermont, Feeding Chittenden serves more than 12,000 people each year. For more information, visit: feedingchittenden.org.