Honors Day Celebrates Student and Faculty Excellence

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Sixteen members of the Class of 2019 were presented with the Phi Rho Sigma Dennis Award for outstanding performance in junior year clerkships.

Dozens of Feinberg faculty and fourth-year medical students were recognized for teaching and academic excellence at the medical school’s seventh annual Honors Day, held May 17.

“I feel honored to receive these awards. They are a motivating reminder of the work that we’ve done to get here, and the work that we aspire to do as we move forward in our careers,” said Krish Suresh, ’19 MD, who received both the Harold J. Pelzer, MD, Award for outstanding achievement on the otolaryngology rotation and the Phi Rho Sigma Dennis Award for outstanding performance in junior year clerkships.

After graduation, Suresh will begin a residency in otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. “I look forward to learning as much as I can about the diverse and complex problems that otolaryngologists manage, and especially to building relationships with my patients and future colleagues,” he said.

Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean, welcomed faculty, family and graduating medical students to the ceremony. “Honors Day is a tradition held graduation weekend as a way of recognizing some of our fourth-year students for their scholarship, leadership, service and commitment to the school,” Dean Neilson. “In addition, it gives us a chance to recognize some of the outstanding faculty who play an integral part in our educational training programs as teachers and role models.”

Diane B. Wayne, ’91 MD, vice dean for Education and the Dr. John Sherman Appleman Professor of Medical Education, presented awards to four faculty members for outstanding teaching and mentorship.

Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean, welcomed faculty, family and graduating medical students to the ceremony.

Medical students selected Bruce Henschen, ’12 MD, ’12 MPH, ’15 GME, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, to serve as this year’s Harry N. Beaty Honors Day Speaker.

“Anyone who has worked with Dr. Henschen will attest that his energy is infectious, and his enthusiasm for medicine and teaching is undeniable,” said class president Arianna Yanes, ’19 MD, who introduced Henschen.

During his speech, Henschen discussed the power inherent in the medical profession, including the ability to advocate for change.

“I implore you to consider the world around you and to use the power of the white coat to make changes that promote justice beyond the individual patient — whether that is through scientific discovery, advances in public health, advocating for or creating health policy by speaking up for those without a voice in the public sphere, or teaching the next generation of physicians,” Henschen said. “Remember that you have the power in you to make a change.”

During the student award presentations, Kathryn Barth, ’19 MD, received the Clare Giegerich Award for Outstanding Promise in Orthopaedic Surgery.

“I am so thankful for the teaching and mentorship I received from attendings and residents in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery throughout medical school and am honored to be recognized for promise in the field of orthopaedics,” Barth said. “It is also an honor to receive this award among such qualified and accomplished classmates. It has been an incredible experience going to school with them for four years and I can’t wait to be their colleague in the future.”

Barth, who also received the Phi Rho Sigma Dennis Award, will enter a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Bruce Henschen, ’12 MD, ’12 MPH, ’15 GME, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, was selected as this year’s Harry N. Beaty Honors Day Speaker.

Samuel Weinberg, ’19 MD, ’17 PhD, who will be graduating from the Medical Scientist Training Program, was awarded the Jan Reddy Excellence in Pathology Award. “Throughout medical school, I had numerous experiences that I will never forget, but my pathology elective was a unique experience that showed me a whole different side of medicine, and provided me a path for future training,” he said.

Weinberg will begin a pathology residency at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. “During my pathology elective, I was fortunate to spend time with numerous attendings, residents and technicians. Their enthusiasm and dedication to teaching and their development of a curriculum tailored to my interests and future goals made me sure that this was where I wanted to continue my training,” Weinberg said. “Pathology, like all of medicine, is constantly changing and I am thrilled to see how new scientific discoveries are translated to medicine, often through the diligent work of pathologists.”

The following faculty and students received awards at Honors Day:

George H. Joost Teaching Awards:

Michael M. Ravitch Award: Suzanne Schmidt, MD, ’09 GME, assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Emergency Medicine, for outstanding teaching in a small-group setting.

Diane B. Wayne, MD, Award: Arianna Yanes, ’19 MD, for outstanding performance in the junior medicine clerkship.

John T. Clarke, MD, Award: Jacob Burns, ’19 MD, for an outstanding graduating student pursuing a career in internal medicine.

Eugene Bauer, MD, Award for Excellence in Dermatology: Victor Quan, ’19 MD, for the best overall performance in dermatology by a graduating medical student pursuing a career in dermatology.

Beatrice Tucker, MD, Award in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Melissa Montoya, ’19 MD, ’19 MA, in recognition of outstanding commitment, service and advocacy in the field of women’s health.

Louis G. Keith, MD, PhD, Award in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Andrea Henricks, ’19 MD, in recognition of clinical and academic excellence in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.

Henry B. Betts, MD, Award for Excellence in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Stanley Abrams, ’19 MD, for best performance during the physical medicine and rehabilitation medical student clerkship rotation.

Stephen M. Stahl Award for Excellence in Psychiatry: Sean Jenvay, ’19 MD, for an outstanding graduating student in psychiatry.

Edward A. Brunner Medical Student Award in Anesthesiology: James Sabra, ’19 MD, in recognition of the highest level of academic excellence demonstrated by a graduating student pursuing a career in anesthesiology.

Sam Ung Ho, MD, Award for Excellence in Neurology: Toni Qian Cao, ’19 MD, for a graduating student who demonstrated excellence in neurology during the third-year clerkship as well as the selective experiences in neurology.

Jan Reddy Excellence in Pathology Award: Samuel Weinberg, ’19 MD, ’17 PhD, for excellent effort and learning on the pathology elective rotation.

Gayle E. Woloschak Medical Student Award for Excellence in Radiation Oncology: Jonathan Bell, ‘19 MD, ’17 PhD, for excellence in radiation oncology.

James Thomas Case Radiology Award: Eileen Hu-Wang, ’19 MD, for best overall performance in radiology by a graduating student pursuing a career in radiology.

Clare Giegerich Award for Outstanding Promise in Orthopaedic Surgery: Kathryn Barth, ’19 MD, awarded to a graduating student who demonstrated outstanding performance in the field of orthopaedic surgery.

James A. Stockman III Award for Excellence in Pediatrics and Child Health: Elizabeth Nguyen, ’19 MD, for outstanding performance in the pediatric clerkship and a passion for advancing the care of children through advocacy, education and research.

John P. Phair Award: Shayli Merlo, ’19 MD, awarded to a graduating student who excelled on the infectious disease rotation in both the intellectual and human side of medicine.

Julius Conn, Jr., MD, Award: Jes Sanders, ’19 MD, for outstanding performance in the surgery clerkship

Lee M. Jampol, MD, Award: Alex Onishi, ’19 MD, for outstanding achievement by a graduating student in ophthalmology, in clinical care and vision science research.

Martin Lipsky Award for Excellence in Family Medicine: Sara Diaz, ’19 MD, named for the inaugural chair of Family and Community Medicine and granted to a graduating student entering a family medicine residency who most exemplifies the characteristics of altruism, compassion and intellectual curiosity.

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award: Steve Ignell, ’19 MD, awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine.

Harold J. Pelzer, MD, Award: Krish Suresh, ’19 MD, awarded to a graduating student for outstanding achievement on the otolaryngology rotation.

James Kozlowski Award for Excellence in Urology: Eric Li, ’19 MD, presented to a graduating student with the most outstanding performance in urology.

Paul C. Bucy Medical Student Award: Yuping Li, ’19 MD, for outstanding contributions by a graduating student in the field of neurological surgery.

Frederick and Harriett Stenn Award for Humanism in Medicine: Melissa Montoya, ’19 MD, ’19 MA, nominated by a classmate for demonstration of humanism and compassion in the practice of medicine.

Neil Stone Award for Professionalism and Compassion in Medicine: Christine Paula Lewis-de los Angeles, ’19 MD, ’17 PhD, nominated by a clerkship director in recognition of commitment to professionalism and compassion in medicine.

Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., ’66 MD, Student Service Recognition Award: Javier Suarez, ’19 MD, in recognition of outstanding service and contribution to Feinberg School of Medicine.

Daniel Hale Williams Diversity and Inclusion Award: Javier Suarez, ’19 MD, in recognition of students who excelled in promoting diversity and inclusion at Feinberg School of Medicine.

Phi Rho Sigma Dennis Award: Kathryn Barth, ’19 MD; Andrew Bi, ’19 MD; Jacob Burns, ’19 MD; Vincent Chen, ’19 MD; Philip Dinh, ’19 MD; Kyle Fahey, ’19 MD; Jonathon Judkins, ‘19 MD; Kyle Lyman, ’19 MD, ’17 PhD; Shayli Merlo, ’19 MD; Cecil Qiu, ’19 MD; Victor Quan, ’19 MD; Alexander Rodriguez, ’19 MD; Elliott Russell, ’19 MD; Jes Sanders, ’19 MD; Krish Suresh, ’19 MD; Arianna Yanes, ’19 MD, for outstanding performance in junior year clerkships.