A select 14 students from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Class of 2015 were recently elected to the USF chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honor medical society.
Chosen from the top quartile of their class, the group is also elected for leadership among their peers, professionalism and sense of ethics, promise of future success in medicine, and a commitment to service in the school and community.
The newly elected USF students are:
Rachel Diane Appelbaum
Jonathan Braue
Jae Chung
Kevin Cronin
Brittany Diane Darragh
Michael Irick
Kirk Jeffers
Stephen Mayper
Jessica Ashley Rainey
Jason Ricciuti
Eric Warren Rudnick
Sean Spence
Jaimie Weber
Amanda Zimmerman
These students will be inducted at the AOA Gamma Chapter annual spring banquet.
The 14 join the nine others who were prestigiously elected in their junior year. They are:
Justin Abbatemarco
Stephen Aradi
Michael Cameron
Christopher Centonze
Jennifer Harb, AOA Gamma Chapter Vice President, Class of 2015
Andrew Hayden, AOA Gamma Chapter President, Class of 2015
Thomas Hayman
Grey Leonard
Christopher Russell
In addition, the following alumni, faculty and residents were elected:
Alumnus: Dr. Eric Elster.
Faculty: Dr. Sharon Dabrow, Dr. Richard Roetzheim, and Dr. Mark Rumbak.
Residents: Dr. Brian Orr, Dr. Nishit Patel, Dr. Nancy Rihana, and Dr. Sara Saporta.
Membership in AOA is considered to be one of the highest academic honors a student can receive and is a distinction that accompanies a physician throughout his or her career, said Catherine M. Lynch, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, associate vice president Women’s Health and Councilor for the AOA Gamma Chapter.
Founded in 1902, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society is the only national honor society for medicine in the United States, with 123 chapters. AOA exists to promote scholarship and research in medical schools, encourage a high standard of character and conduct among medical students and graduates, and recognize high attainment in medical science, practice, and related fields.
The AOA Gamma Florida Chapter at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine was established in 1976.