M18 Molina,Angie

The Class of 2018's Angie Molina

Since she was a child, the Class of 2018's Angie Molina remembers seeing her mother working multiple jobs to make ends meet.

A first-generation Colombian-American, Molina is the first in her family to earn a college degree and attend medical school in the U.S. On Honors Day, she was awarded the Herman Hertzberg Scholarship, given to an outstanding senior following Match Day.

"It has been a very difficult year for my family as my mother was unemployed," Molina says. "The support I have received this year financially has been a significant help, especially after applying and interviewing for residency programs which can definitely add up in costs."

The Class of 1913's Herman Herzberg served in World War I as a navy surgeon and enjoyed a long career as an OB-GYN. His financial contributions, along with those of his family and other alumni, established the scholarship fund.

In addition to the Hertzberg Scholarship, Molina also received the Chancellor Asa Rice Scholarship. Together, the two scholarships cover a portion of her tuition and fees.

These are two among more than 125 privately endowed scholarships that have been created to benefit medical students. Yet more are needed to build the medical school's endowment into a resource on par with its peer schools. In 2013, the school launched its 1838 Campaign to increase the number and size of its scholarships to give the school a competitive edge for recruiting top students, rewarding student excellence and reducing the burden of debt for students like Molina.

Molina credits her mother's perseverance with helping the young physician get to where she is today.

"I hope to be that positive role model for other young children and help guide and improve patients' lives," says Molina, who will train in medicine-pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "I'm planning on pursuing a career in combined medicine and pediatrics in hopes of providing care for underserved populations and at-risk youth."

From ion channels to Twitter

Naimi,Hameeda

The Class of 2020's Hameeda A. Naimi

In addition to recognizing scholarship recipients, Honors Day celebrated the 2018 Medical Student Research Day, held in April with 54 posters on display (more than ever before). The posters described research conducted by students covering a broad spectrum of topics in the basic and clinical sciences.

Top prize went to the Class of 2020's Hameeda A. Naimi for her presentation, "Characterization of bladder sensation event descriptions during non-invasive oral hydration in healthy adults." Her first place finish comes with an award of $1,000, made possible by the G. Watson James III, M.D. Scholarship Endowment. "We saw everything from ion channels to Twitter," says Michael Donnenberg, M.D., senior associate dean for research and research training.

Other Honors Day awards spotlighted the newest inductees into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, which this year went to the Class of 2018's Grace Pyon for demonstrating both clinical excellence and outstanding compassion in the delivery of care and showing respect for patients, their families and colleagues. Pyon received the Theresa A. Thomas Health Professional Scholarship established to support medical practitioners who plan to practice family medicine in rural Virginia.

Student Clinician Ceremony

The 2018 event ended with the Student Clinician Ceremony. Sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine, the ceremony is designed to provide guidance, information and support to rising third-year medical students as they prepare to begin their clinical rotations.

Part of the Student Clinician Ceremony also recognized outstanding residents through the Gold Foundation's Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. Current fourth-year students chose four residents who were particularly strong role models for compassionate, relationship-centered care during the students' third-year rotations.

John Le, M.D. 
2012 graduate of VCU School of Medicine
Department of Ophthalmology

Nathaniel Lee, M.D.
2012 graduate of West Virginia University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery

Kyle Trowbridge, M.D.
2016 graduate of VCU School of Medicine
Department of Pediatrics

Meaghan Moxley, M.D.
2015 graduate of University of Maryland School of Medicine
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics 

By Polly Roberts