Alpha Omega AlphaMedical Student Honor Society

November 8 2012Regina Gandour-Edwards, M.D.

Councilor

AOA or AΩA

• Medical honor society for US and Canada• Founded 1902 U Illinois by medical students to

promote improvement of scholastic standards and to advance the profession

• In 1902, medical education was a largely unregulated apprenticeship model of varying quality.

• Flexner report 1910

Alpha Omega Alpha• Greek alphabet..beginning end beginning letters,

signifying scope of medicine• Motto “Worthy to Serve the Suffering”• 124 medical school chapters

AΩA’s founding, University of Illinois

Members

Medical StudentsResidents and Fellows

AlumniFaculty

Student Selection National Standards

• Eligible– Top 25 Percent of Class

• Election– One Sixth of Class– Scholastic Achievement– Leadership, Fairness, Compassion, Integrity, Service

Recommended 6% during Junior year and remainder Senior Year

UC Davis SOM Student Selection• USMLE Step One score as surrogate for

academic achievement in Year 1 and 2• Best marker in a pass/fail system (?)• Honors in the six required Year Three Clerkships

i.e. Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetric Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry

• Generates a composite score for top 25%• Closed meetings for election

UC Davis SOM Student Selection

February: Select 6 (6%) from the Year Three Class.Will have 3 clerkship grades.Select up to 3 Housestaff and 2 Faculty and/or 1 Alumnus.

August: Select remainder of Class (now 4th years) for 17%. Have all clerkship grades.

Value

• National recognition• Assist in residency applications• Responsibility to provide service to school

during busy Year 4.• Educational and service projects

AA Programs

• PHAROS Magazine• Visiting Professorships• Student Research Fellowships ($$)• Student Essay and Poetry Contests ($)• Leaders in American Medicine ($$$)

The Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria

Magazine featuring essays,poems, artwork relative to medicine

Student Members Class of 2013

Lauren Brown, Tirza Cannon, Jana Chtchetinin, Hilary Davis, Christian Esquivel,Kurt Hansen, James Leoni Jr, Maria Martin, Jennifer Marvil, Kabir Matharu, Melissa Matulich, Quincy Moore, Sam Reiter, Aarti Rao, Michael Robinson, Robie Sterling, Elizabeth Targan

Questions?