Celebrating Excellence

Since 1969, when Dean Kinloch Nelson, M.D. first combined the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) program with the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society induction, the School of Medicine has proudly celebrated the outstanding achievements of our students. What began as a ceremony recognizing academic excellence and research has grown into a comprehensive celebration honoring students across all classes for both academic and personal achievement. Today, this tradition continues to showcase the exceptional research, scholarship, and dedication of our medical students, while also honoring the generous donors whose support makes so much of this achievement possible.

These awards reflect not only hard work and dedication, but the potential of each honoree to lead, to serve, and to bring compassion, expertise, and innovation to the patients and communities who will one day depend on them. Explore the awards below to learn more about the honors we bestow and the students and donors who make our community exceptional.

On this page:

Featured Awards

M1 Awards

M2 Awards

M3 Awards

M4 Awards
Class of 2028 students: Marissa Yee, Michelle Bernard, Isabella Deckey, Rebecca Doan, holding certificates for awards in Applied Medical Sciences at the students honors ceremony

M1 Awards - Scientific Foundations of Medicine

Announcer holding a microphone at a podium at the honors ceremony for the School of Medicine, Medical Education students

A.D. Williams Award

The highest overall academic performance in the Scientific Foundations of Medicine phase of the curriculum.

Two M1 students accepting an award for the James D. Popp Summer Research Fellowship while shaking hands with the award presenter

James D. Popp Summer Research Fellowship

Awarded to a student with an interest in exploring the connection between research and solving clinical challenges.

M1 student accepting an award for the Victoria Searls Traylor Fellowship while standing next to the award presenter.

Victoria Searls Traylor Fellowship for Research and Innovation in Hematological Malignancies

Awarded to a student with a career interest in hematological malignancies, oncology, and cancer research.

M1 Highest Course Grade Awards
Molecular Basis of Health And Disease
Principles of Physiology
Principles of Autonomics and Pharmacology
Immunity and Infection, Aubrey H. Straus Award
Foundations of Disease

M2 Awards - Applied Medical Sciences

Student Megan Elizabeth Kolbe, class of 2026, holding a certificate for the A.D. Williams Award

A.D. Williams Award

The highest overall academic performance in the Applied Medical Sciences phase of the curriculum.

M2 students, class of 2028, accepting certificates for Distinction in Preclinical Curriculum

Distinction in Preclinical Curriculum

Achieving an overall cumulative score of 92% or higher across preclinical courses.

Woman holding a microphone at a podium to introduce the honors ceremony for the School of Medicine, Medical Education students

Edith E. and Hugo R. Seibel Award

Awarded for overall distinction and excellence in Gross Anatomy.

Cumulative Preclinical Phase Recognitions (3 Semesters)
Patient, Physician and Society
Population Health and Evidence-Based Medicine
Practice of Clinical Medicine
M2 Highest Course Grade Awards
Behavioral Sciences
Cardiovascular
Gastrointestinal
Marrow
Movement
Neuroscience
Pulmonary
Renal
Reproduction

M3 Awards

These awards are given for academic excellence, scholarly achievement, and interest in the discipline. These awards are selected by the department.

M3 Department Awards
Emergency Medicine Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Medical Student Excellence Award
Family Medicine Excellence Award
Internal Medicine - William Branch Porter Award
Obstetrics and Gynecology - Daniel Crooks Award
Obstetrics and Gynecology - Eric Schelin Award
Pediatrics - Elizabeth Joanne Harbison Memorial Award
Pediatrics - Lee Sutton Award
Neurology
Psychiatry
Surgery
Ambulatory
Honors in the M3 Year

M4 Awards

Medical students, class of 2026, Sanyam Patel, Jessica Dahringer and Fazeela Wadan accepting I2CRP Program Recognitions at the Student Awards Ceremony

I2CRP Program Recognitions

These awards are from the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health in recognition of I2CRP students

  • Excellence in the Completion of I2CRP Capstone Scholarly Project
  • Overall Excellence Serving Medically Underserved Populations
Medical students, class of 2026, Megan Elizabeth Kolbe, Michael Kirk Shields, Dana Dabson and Aiden Elizabeth Lefebvre accepting awards for Merck Academic Excellence Award

Awards for academic excellence and scholarly achievement

  • Merck Academic Excellence Award
  • Practice of Clinical Medicine M4 Co-Leader Award (M1 and M2)
  • Robert C. Bryan Prize in Pathology

Glasgow-Rubin Achievement Award

Recognizes women who graduate in the top ten percent of their medical school graduating classes through the American Medical Women's Association