As graduation approaches, Addison Shenk ’26 is preparing for an anesthesia residency she has envisioned since childhood. Even as a student, she has already made a national impact.
Shenk recently earned top honors in the American Medical Association Research Challenge, standing out among more than 1,400 submissions. Her project examined the effectiveness of the training protocol for the VCOM-Virginia’s Narcan program.
At VCOM, first-year students are trained to administer Narcan, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses and save lives. The training is part of a student-led initiative through the Overdose Prevention Task Force (OPTF), reflecting the College’s commitment to community health and hands-on learning. Shenk is a member of the 2025-2026 OTPF at VCOM-Virginia, along with Austin Gordon ’26 and Brooke Hipps ’26.
Shenk and her OPTF team had a question about the training: Does it actually work?
The standard protocol relies on lecture-based instruction. Shenk’s team wanted to know whether adding a simulation component would improve outcomes, so they created that component—with support from the excellent team in the VCOM-Virginia Simulation and Technology Center—and the results were clear. Students who trained with simulation demonstrated stronger retention of information, performed better in real-world scenarios, and reported greater confidence in their ability to respond during a real overdose.
In fact, she was surprised by how quickly those results came. “We saw results with that first group of students,” Shenk says. “Then we saw the same results with the second group of students. I kind of expected we would need a larger group of people before we started seeing some of these overarching themes, but the fact that it was so consistent, so off the bat, was really exciting.”
At VCOM, simulation is a cornerstone of the curriculum, preparing students for clinical rotations and patient care. Shenk’s research reinforces its value, showing that hands-on training strengthens both performance and confidence.
The project is also a testament to VCOM’s collaborative culture. Originally conceptualized by a previous group of student leaders, it has been carried forward by multiple classes, with ongoing data collection and analysis—a process that will continue in the years ahead. Faculty and staff, including leaders in the Simulation Center, have played a key role in supporting the work. “It’s very much a team effort,” Shenk says.
That continuity reflects a learning environment where students are encouraged to take ownership, ask meaningful questions, and build on the work of those who came before them. It’s also a community where students are supported by faculty during every part of their medical school journey.
Shenk’s path to VCOM began close to home. A native of Harrisonburg, Virginia, she majored in biology at Eastern Mennonite University before choosing VCOM for medical school. She describes the decision as a natural one, shaped by familiarity with the College and its graduates.
Once she arrived, she found a program that challenged her and prepared her for the realities of medicine. “The first two years are rigorous,” she says. “But that’s what prepares you for rotations and for what comes next.”
That preparation has paid off. As she enters residency, Shenk says she feels ready—not only to begin her training, but to contribute meaningfully from day one.
Her story highlights what sets VCOM apart. Students are not only learning medicine; they are actively improving how it is taught and practiced. They are engaging in research that addresses real-world challenges, from rural health care access to the opioid crisis. And they are doing so within a community that values collaboration, accountability, and service.
Despite the clear results, Shenk says she was surprised the project won the AMA challenge. “I looked at a lot of the other projects, and they were so impressive,” she says. With some extra time during her fourth-year rotations, she submitted the abstract to see what might happen, but winning still feels surreal. “I’m really grateful that other people care about this topic,” she says. “It’s such an important thing that translates to many areas of medical education.”
As the research continues, Shenk hopes it may help shape how this training is delivered more broadly, ultimately improving overdose treatment and saving lives when seconds matter.
As she prepares to graduate, Shenk is grateful for her time at VCOM. “I feel prepared to be an intern and to be an anesthesia resident. I feel great about my medical school education at VCOM,” she says. “Clearly, it worked.”