Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society

The Alpha Omega Alpha Professionalism Award

The Board of Directors of Alpha Omega Alpha is pleased to announce the winners of the Professionalism Fellowship, offered for the first time in 2009. The purpose, design, and implementation of this program is to emphasize the crucial role of professionalism in being a physician. It is our belief that the components of professionalism can be both taught and learned. Applications were open to medical schools with active AΩA chapters. Faculty who have demonstrated personal dedication to teaching and research in specific aspects of professionalism that could be transferred directly to medical students or resident physicians were encouraged to apply for these funds.

More than thirty applications for the fellowship were received. Three were chosen as winners by a panel of educators with research interests and teaching experience in professionalism and its applications.

The common theme of the successful proposals is focused study of specific components of professionalism that can be exported to other faculties of medicine and taught to residents and medical students.

David Grande, MD, MPA, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania was awarded $25,000 to develop a training program for residents in health policy and civic engagement. As he has stated in his proposal states, civic professionalism represents the responsibility of the profession to look outward from the health care system to influence the underlying social, economic, and political factors determining health policy and health care in our communities. His goal is to develop a civic professionalism and health policy curriculum within the Internal Medicine Residency program at the University of Pennsylvania that subsequently could be successful in residency programs in all specialties across the country. Dr. Grande’s academic preparation for this project includes an MPA from Princeton, participation in a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program at Penn, and, at a practical level, his close collaboration with the Department of Public Health in the City of Philadelphia in launching the Healthy Philadelphia program for a broad group of its citizens.

Laura Ellen Hill-Sakurai, MD, Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, has been awarded $12,500 to examine whether continuity of the clinical clerkship sites for medical students plays a significant role in developing a more professional climate. The outcomes will be particularly important to assess because many medical schools across the country are transitioning to programs that plant clerks in one hospital for multiple clerkship experiences. Dr. Hill-Sakurai’s broad training in statistical and qualitative methods and participation in UCSF’s Teaching Scholars Program gives her strong credentials for this work. Of note is that her proposed research stems directly from reports submitted by students that helped focus discussions on both their faculty’s professionalism and their own.

Brendan P. Kelly, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and Associate Director of the Med-Peds residency programs at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, has been awarded $12,500 to develop new combinations of programs for teaching professionalism to residents in all specialties. Semi-structured interviews around “critical incidents” regarding professionalism will be followed by analysis of transcripts and identification of the most important and common themes of professionalism. This “bottom up” approach should generate valid directions for thematic learning and teaching in professionalism that will be made available for residency programs across the country.

Quick links

Updated Pharos Index

The Pharos latest issue, Spring 2009

Professionalism Fellowship

Honorary Membership and list of 2008 honorary members

2008 Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher awards

Contact AΩA's board of directors

National and chapter news:

MSSP: Ponce School of Medicine

MSSP: Vanderbilt University

Student research fellowship: Boston University

MSSP: Mayo Medical School

MSSP: East Tennessee State University

Student research fellowship: Jefferson Medical College

Induction ceremony: West Virginia University

Induction ceremony: University of South Carolina

John H. Stone III, MD

The latest issue of The Pharos is out. Check out the table of contents and read selected articles of the Spring 2009 issue.   Not receiving The Pharos? The Pharos is sent to dues-paying members. We also need your correct mailing address. Call us at 650 329-0291 to pay dues or get your membership number to pay dues online, and to correct your mailing address. You may also correct your address by completing our online change of address form.

National and chapter news

Medical Student Service Project Award
Ponce School of Medicine
Fiber and Fluid Health Fair

Alpha Omega Alpha Beta Chapter Puerto Rico (Ponce School of Medicine) held a "Fiber & Fluid" Health Fair for “Ponceños” at Plaza del Caribe, the principal shopping mall in Ponce. The event occurred Saturday May 2, 2009. Participants started by filling out a pre-interview to evaluate what they knew about fiber and water. Then they went on to an interactive table that included information about how to read nutritional labels, amount of fiber in fruits with and without peeling, and fiber content in cereals. There was also a demonstration of bottles with an equal amount of beans (a local staple in the Puerto Rican diet) with varying amounts of water to show how fiber & water create bulk to facilitate the digestion process. Another station included over twenty recipes from the traditional Puerto Rican cuisine with nutritional guides. Members of Alpha Omega Alpha and other collaborating students provided information about cooking alternatives and substitutes, and how to increase fiber content, lower fat and sugar content in daily food preparation. They also discussed benefits of water as an alternative to cola and carbonated drinks. Students gave presentations every 15 minutes about how to choose foods based on fiber content, calorie consumption, what to look for on food packages and information on how to support local produce from the Puerto Rican coastal and mountainous regions. The last station provided information about health screening, identification of risk factors, colonoscopy and the benefit of fiber-rich diets in reducing colon cancer risk. Participants were fortunate to also have free gastroenterology consultation with Alpha Omega Alpha faculty member Dr. Bárbara Rosado, along with referrals for those who are without insurance. Participants finally had an exit interview to evaluate what they learned from the event. Alpha Omega Alpha students hope to analyze data obtained from the activity as a research project. The event exceeded expectations with over 300 participants.

Medical Student Service Project Award
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Shade Tree Clinic Healthy and Fit Project

Vanderbilt University's MSSP is in the news!

2009 Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship recipient, Boston University

Boston University AΩA Councilor Barry Manuel and Monica Jain, 2009 recipient of the Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. Her research topic will be Diabetic Foot Ulceration: Increasing the Sensitivity of Dermal Cells to Key Immunomodulators via Electroporative Transfection of Plasmid Vectors.

Medical Student Service Project Award
Mayo Medical School AΩA Association
Winter Warmth Festival 2009

The 2nd Annual Winter Warmth Festival is an event for children with cancer and their families that took place on Sunday, January 25th from noon to 4pm. It was held in the gymnasium at St. John’s School, located in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. The festival is sponsored by Mayo Medical Students, AΩA, Brighter Tomorrows, an outreach to families touched by childhood cancer, and Camp Jornada, a foundation for pediatric cancer patients and survivors.
 
The  complimentary event,  designed much like a children’s carnival, provides cancer kids, their siblings and families the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of entertainment and  fun activities, free from the everyday struggles associated with their illnesses. Games and activiites ranged from arts and crafts to a bouncy house. Food and drink was free of charge and open to all who attended. There were approximately 60 children who attended and over 100 individuals, and 35 medical student volunteers. This event was made possible by the AΩA service grant.  We are gracious for their donation and the event would not have been possible without their help and support.  Thank you.

Nafisseh Sirjani

Medical Student Service Project Award
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
Trot for Tots 5K Race

Thanks so much again for the Medical Student Service Project Award for our Inaugural Trot for Tots 5K Race held on April 4, 2009. I think your office would be proud of how the race truly became a community event. We could not have had a successful race without the generous help of the entire Class of 2009 and the guidance of Dr. Rob Schoborg (our virology professor and overall hero)--and, of course, the AΩA Service Project Award made it all possible!

Race Day was a bit on the chilly side, but we were thrilled with the turnout: 221 people came to run and walk, more than four times the amount we had initially anticipated. The fact that some runners raced in costume--the race's overall winner, Matt Goldman, was in a cow suit--made the atmosphere fun, festive, and kid-friendly. Even after the race, people mingled on the hospital campus, enjoying snacks, the sunshine, and each other's company. We are so tickled with the race's success! Because so many people donated and participated, we are going to be able to give Child Life Services at the Niswonger Childrens' Hospital a bigger gift than we ever expected.

Kathryn Shipp

2009 Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship recipient, Jefferson Medical College

2009 AΩA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship recipient Shant Manoushagian and AΩA Councilor Clara A. Callahan, MD. Photo courtesy of Dave Super of Thomas Jefferson University's Medical Media Department.

The national office of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AOA) has awarded a Jefferson Medical College student, Shant Manoushagian, their 2009 AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. The fellowship provides $5,000 of support while the student is doing research. A check for half is given now and the other half is given when the project is complete and a report is given to the AOA National Office.

The name of the project is DE-MRI for Tissue Specific Detection of Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus. This project has the potential to advance scientific knowledge, as well as benefit many patients. Jonathan W. Weinsaft, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornel Medical College is Shant's mentor on this project.

West Virginia University Inducts New Members

Pictured: Sharon Maas, Dan DiGiovine, Nicholas Phillips, Matt Joseph, Joe Donahue, Michael Ruffolo, Kevin Walsh, and Roopan Fischer.

The West Virginia Alpha Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society recently inducted new members. Dr. Larry K. Pickering, MD, Senior Advisor to the Director of the National Immunization ProgramCenters for Disease Control and Prevention was the annual AOA guest speaker. An induction ceremony and reception was held in the Pylons Atrium of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center Learning Center. More photos.

Those inducted include: 

Class of 2009: Brad Barnes, Michael Bronson, Julie Balch-Samora, Rachel McClung, Evan Morgan, Jason Turner, Adrienne Zavala, and Zachary Zinn.

Class of 2010: Daniel DiGiovine, Joseph Donahue, Roopan Fischer, Matthew Joseph, Sharon Maas, Nicholas Phillips, Michael Ruffolo, and  Kevin Walsh.

Residents: April Baisden, MD, Raveen Raviendran, MD, and Joel Yednock, MD.

Faculty: Rosemarie Cannarella Lorenzetti, MD.

South Carolina Beta Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha Holds Spring Induction Banquet

Pictured (left to right): (Daniel Eggart, John Dacus, Robby Richter, Leslie Gilbert, Daniel Bouknight, Olga Raetskaya-Solntseva, Mark Jones, Erin Marcotsis, Carol McMahon, Dr. Britt, Ed Barnes, Tina Kennelly, Katherine Campbell, Holly Bowdre, Bevin Hearn, Brent Wilkerson, Krista Davenport, Nima Aghaebrahim, Jesse Woodard, Chris Huffman, Ginny Gottschalk, Kaki Bruce, Will Bynum, and Beth Bailey).

On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 the South Carolina Beta Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha held its 2009 Spring Induction Banquet. With over 100 in attendance, 13 students from the Classes of 2009 and 2010 were inducted into AΩA along with 3 resident physicians, 2 alumna of the School of Medicine, and 2 faculty members. Dr. L.D. Britt, Brickhouse Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and AΩA Visiting Professor was the guest speaker for the event. In addition, Dr. Jimmy Pacheco-Perez from the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science was recognized with the AΩA Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award.

The inductees were:

Class of 2009: Amin Aghaebrahim, Ed Barnes, Katherine Elizabeth Campbell, Krista J. Davenport, Leslie Gilbert, Christina Crabbe Kennelly.

Class of 2010: Holly Bowdre, William Edwards Bynum IV, Malcolm Daniel Eggart, Erin Burfield Marcotsis, Olga Raetskaya-Solntseva, Robert P. Richter, Brent Jerome Wilkerson.

Resident Physicians: Janie Catherine Bruce, MD—Department of Internal Medicine; Ginny L. Gottschalk, MD—Department of Family and Preventive Medicine; Mark Allen Jones, MD—Department of Surgery.

Alumnus: Daniel P. Bouknight, MD—Class of 1993; Katherine A. Close, MD—Class of 1988.

Faculty: John V. Dacus, MD—Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Greenville); Carol Lynn McMahon, MD—Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.

Previous National and Chapter news can be found here. Please submit articles for National and Chapter News to Pharos managing editor Debbie Lancaster.

The patient as art John H. Stone III, MD Dr. Stone (AΩA, Emory University, 1974), longtime councilor of the Emory University AΩA chapter, author and poet and valued member of the editorial board of The Pharos, died on November 6 at his home in Tucker, Georgia. This paper is based on the valediction address delivered at the Emory University School of Medicine's gradution ceremonies in June 1973. It was published in the January 1974 issue of The Pharos. Read "The patient as art."

About Alpha Omega Alpha

Alpha Omega Alpha, commonly referred to as AΩA, can be thought of as the “Phi Beta Kappa for medical schools.” As the only national honor medical society, its mission, developed over the past one hundred years, has been to recognize and enhance professionalism, academic excellence, service, and leadership within the profession.

Criteria for and restrictions upon election to AΩA are detailed in the Constitution. These elections occur each year in the 124 chapters within the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the American University of Beirut. In 2006, as in other recent years, close to 3100 medical students and a much smaller number of faculty, resident, and alumni members were elected. Since its founding in 1902, more than 100,000 members have been added to the rolls.

One basic premise of the Society is that election to AΩA is not only a capstone of a student’s medical school career, but an obligation, both in his or her own personal life as a physician and as a dues-paying member of AΩA, to support the principled ideals set forth so effectively and lastingly by the founders throughout life. As is outlined below, programs for medical students are offered to each chapter and are funded by the national office of Alpha Omega Alpha. In addition, AΩA publishes an illustrated non-technical quarterly that is distributed to each dues paying member. Named The Pharos, the journal contains material on medical history, ethics, national issues, personal essays and poems.