{"id":149207,"date":"2019-04-25T12:42:06","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T16:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?post_type=school-college-post&p=149207"},"modified":"2019-04-25T12:42:06","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T16:42:06","slug":"new-chapter-alpha-omega-alpha-honor-medical-society-celebrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2019\/04\/new-chapter-alpha-omega-alpha-honor-medical-society-celebrated\/","title":{"rendered":"New Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Celebrated"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fourth-year medical students elected to A\u03a9A<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With commencement festivities around the corner, the UConn School of Medicine<\/a> community gathered together on April 24 to celebrate the inaugural class of fourth-year medical students elected to its new Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society<\/a> (A\u03a9A) chapter. UConn faculty and medical residents also elected to join A\u03a9A were honored.<\/p>\n

As the 130th\u00a0active chapter,\u00a0UConn joins medical schools\u00a0throughout the U.S. in the society recognizing and promoting the highest ideals of\u00a0medicine. Member election to A\u03a9A chapter is an honor that signifies excellence and commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and service.<\/p>\n

The roots of UConn\u2019s new Connecticut Beta chapter was first established in 2016. It is only the second chapter to be established in the state since\u00a0Yale School of Medicine\u2019s Alpha chapter was founded in 1920.<\/p>\n

As an active A\u03a9A chapter, each year UConn School of Medicine can nominate\u00a0the top 25 percent of its medical school class to become members of the\u00a0professional medical organization within their senior year. Of that 25 percent,\u00a0up to 16 percent of the total medical school class may be\u00a0elected into the\u00a0society.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Kevin Dieckhaus<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWelcome to A\u03a9A,\u201d said Dr. Kevin Dieckhaus<\/a>, associate professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases who leads the chapter as its A\u03a9A Councilor. \u201cYou are the inaugural class. This is a celebration of your medical school. It really is a recognition of your commitment to excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations to the 15 medical students and to your loved ones, and our distinguished faculty and residents,\u201d said Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine. \u201cYou all are our next chapter and on a very exciting journey of A\u03a9A that is just going to get bigger and bigger. Thank you also to the faculty advisory board who worked hard to make this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The A\u03a9A Faculty Board included Dieckhaus, Dr. Brooke Harnisch<\/a>, Dr. Molly Brewer<\/a>, Dr. David McFadden<\/a>, and Dr. Adam Perrin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongrats to UConn School of Medicine on being our latest A\u03a9A chapter,\u201d said Dr. Wiley \u201cChip\u201d Souba<\/a>, who gave a powerful speech to the chapter\u2019s inaugural class about the importance of their future leadership in medicine.<\/p>\n

Souba, a member of the A\u03a9A National Board who serves The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth as professor of surgery specializing in surgical oncology and its Emeritus Dean, stressed to the medical students to always remember to fight against healthcare disparities they may encounter in their career.<\/p>\n

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Honored guest, Dr. Chip Souba, addressed the new A\u03a9A CT Beta Chapter’s UConn medical school students.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cTake a stand for what you truly believe in and what brought you to medical school in the first place,\u201d said Souba. \u201cWalk out of here as a force of nature into your next adventure and endeavor, and be willing to take risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fourth-year medical student, Lisa O\u2019Donovan, 28 of West Hartford who feels honored and privileged to be elected to A\u03a9A, couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really loved Dr. Souba\u2019s perspective to be a force of nature and to take a stand for our patients,\u201d said O\u2019Donovan. She is headed to Yale-New Haven Hospital after graduation for residency training in internal medicine.<\/p>\n

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Elected members of the inaugural chapter class include:<\/p>\n

Class of 2019 medical students <\/strong><\/p>\n