The COVID-19 pandemic may have cancelled all in-person ceremonies and celebrations, but it didn’t stop the UConn School of Medicine from honoring new inductees to UConn’s chapter of a prestigious honor medical society.

The UConn School of Medicine celebrated 30 new inductees to the Alpha Omega Honor Medical Society (AΩA)— an honor that signifies excellence and commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and service. The new inductees to UConn’s AΩA chapter includes fourth year students, residents, and faculty.

As the 130th active AΩA chapter, UConn joins medical schools throughout the U.S. in this society recognizing and promoting the highest ideals of medicine. The roots of UConn’s Connecticut chapter was first established in 2016. It is only the second chapter to be established in the state since Yale School of Medicine’s Alpha chapter was founded in 1920.

While the in-person ceremony did not occur this year, School of Medicine leadership offered their well wishes and congratulations to the new inductees.

“We are so very proud of the Class of 2020 and their excellence across academics, patient care, research and service to the community,” shared Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine.

Liang added: “Congratulations to the graduating medical students inducted as new members of the prestigious AΩA national medical honor society, along with our new Chapter members hailing from our talented faculty and medical residency programs. This is one of the highest honors and true recognition of your commitment as a health care professional and the practice of the art of medicine.”

“We are very proud of our student, resident, and faculty AΩA inductees,” said Dr. Kevin Dieckhaus, associate professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases who leads the chapter as its AΩA Councilor. “It is unfortunate that social distancing guidelines have prevented us from celebrating their election in person, but this in no way diminishes their accomplishments.

Dieckhaus added: “In a time of epic changes in both society and the practice of medicine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these individuals embody the ideals of leadership, professionalism, and service that will be crucial for our society to frame the future of health care and respond to the challenges we are facing.”

As an active AΩA chapter, each year UConn School of Medicine can nominate the top 25 percent of its medical school class to become members of the professional medical organization within their senior year. Of that 25 percent, up to 16 percent of the total medical school class may be elected into the society.

The new inductees also shared a few words on being inducted into this prestigious honor society, especially during a pandemic.

“Though it is disappointing to be missing out on the ceremonies, traditions and gatherings of spring I am honored to be inducted into AΩA and serve on the front line of this pandemic as an emergency medicine physician,” said Dr. Michael Joseph, MD class of 2017.

Alice DiFrancesco, MD class of 2020 said: “I think it is in our nature to be upset by the fact that we could not participate in the traditional ceremonies associated with not only our AΩA induction, but also graduation and other senior activities that we had looked forward to for so many years. But I also think that our ability as professional students to both adapt and accept this temporary normal reflects some of the inherent qualities which AΩA stands for, and I am certainly grateful.”

“It is an incredible honor to be inducted into AΩA. It is a society whose mission is to improve care to all, something that is of great importance, now more than ever,” said Bryan Ferrigno, MD class of 2020.

The full list of inductees is below.

MD STUDENTS

Nicholas Joseph Bellas

Dylan Max Buller

Rebecca Lynn Calafiore

Sonny Caplash

Jonathan Thomas Caranfa

Christopher Cheng

Antea Jean DeMarsilis

Madeline DeWane

Alice Ann DiFrancesco

Bryan William Ferrigno

Salem-Michael Harry-Hernandez

Craig John Macken

Anzhela Moskalik

Colin James Pavano

Justin Sardi

Kristina Marie Wagner

Miryam Hannah Wilson

RESIDENT/FELLOWS

Karan Tarasaria MD

Whei Ying Lim MBBS

Perry Kingsbury Pratt MD

Fatima Jalil MD, MPH

Chantel Alicia Strachan MD

Arundati Rao MBBS

Michael W Joseph MD

Sarah Elizabeth Kollar DO

Michael Benjamin Light MD

Toishi Sharma MBBS

John Michael Norko MD

FACULTY

Steven Vincent Angus MD

Augustus Mazzocca MD