Primary Contact: Mandy Garcia, mandygar@usc.edu
Last updated: 02/22/23
The Keck School of Medicine seeks to recognize students who distinguish themselves within the core domains of the Physician-Citizen-Scholar curriculum.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Selections for awards are made in accordance with individual awards’ established deadlines; therefore, academic determinations will be based on student achievement officially recorded at the time of the award deadline.
Keck School of Medicine Award for Academic Excellence – Presented to the top senior medical student based on performance during the four years of medical school. Note: Beginning with the Class of 2025 this will be for the top performance in the required clerkships.
Academic Distinction – Awarded for consistent excellence in clerkships to students who demonstrate the qualities most valued in a physician. Students must achieve a specified percent of Honors during the Year III/IV Continuum to receive this award. Note: This award supersedes Graduation with Highest Distinction and Dean’s Recognition Years III & IV beginning with the Class of 2023.
Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society – The major consideration for election is the, “promise of future leadership in medicine,” either as a practitioner or academician as reflected in a student’s academic record in medical school and other achievements. The selection committee considers student academic performance, character, integrity and other factors such as extracurricular medical activities and research accomplishments in making its determinations. New members are elected in August/September of the senior year. Pre-clerkship examination scores are not included in the calculation for AOA beginning with the Class of 2024. For the Class of 2023: The overall score is calculated from student performance on: Year I system examinations (weighted evenly; scores averaged), the Year II system and ICS examinations (weighted evenly; scores averaged), and Year III core clerkships (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Surgery). The contribution of a student’s performance on the core clerkships is calculated as the proportion of clerkships completed with grades of Honors. For the Class of 2024: The overall score is calculated from student performance on the Year III core clerkships (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Surgery). The contribution of a student’s performance on the core clerkships is calculated as the proportion of clerkships completed with grades of Honors.
Final decisions regarding AOA for the Class of 2025 and later have not yet been made.
CITIZENSHIP AWARDS
Distinction in Community Service – This award is given to students who have exemplary accomplishments in the areas of community service, health system enhancement, and/or social justice. Students may demonstrate their commitment to these areas through either breadth or depth of service.
The application and selection process for the Distinction in Community Service takes place annually in the Spring semester of the academic year. The deadline to apply is March 1 of every year. Students are awarded the distinction only once during their time at Keck. (Note: Students who are not awarded the distinction upon their initial application may re-apply the following year, provided that they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.)
Students must meet the following criteria:
- Be in their 3rd year or later in the MD or MD/PhD program
- Be currently enrolled and in good standing
- Have a strong record of service (community, health system enhancement, social justice, etc.)
- Provide a one-page statement describing the student’s advocacy and contributions to health system enhancements and/or work with community service organizations for the betterment of the community and/or patients’ lives while in medical school.
- Provide a curriculum vitae highlighting the aforementioned advocacy and contributions.
- Provide a letter of support from a faculty or community organization member with whom you have worked supporting your application for Distinction in Community Service. The letter should be sent directly from the letter writer to Mandy Garcia (mandygar@usc.edu).
Dr. George Herron, M.D., Memorial Award – An award given to the graduating senior who, in the opinion of the senior class, has given the most to the class during the four years of medical school. The recipient is selected by a vote of the class.
The Order of Arête – Graduating seniors who have distinguished themselves through campus or community leadership roles beyond those required for their programs of study, often making notable contributions to the university, academic discipline, community or world at large as nominated by the associated dean for student affairs. To be nominated, students must have demonstrated significant depth and scope of responsibility in their leadership roles and be recognized as upholding value and meaning in their efforts over individual achievement. The final selection is made by a university committee.
PHYSICIANSHIP AWARDS
Eric Cohen, M.D., Introduction to Clinical Medicine Award – Recognizes the one student who best exemplifies the goals and objectives of the ICM program. Students are nominated by their ICM faculty and a selection committee makes the final determination. Award is presented at the end of Year II.
Gold Humanism Honor Society – The GHHS recognizes students who exemplify humanistic attributes and will serve as leaders and role models who enhance the culture of support and compassion for patients and health care providers. Students must be in the top 25% of the ranked Peer Nomination Survey results and in good standing to be considered for membership. A maximum of 15% of the class are elected each year. A selection committee considers a student’s peer nomination ranking, humanistic activities and essay response in making its determinations. New members are elected in August/September after completion of the clerkship phase.
Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award (presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation) – Given to one senior student who, by class vote, is felt to consistently demonstrate compassion and empathy with peers and patients.
RESEARCH AWARDS
Dean’s Research Scholars Award – awarded to the top senior medical student who has conducted the most outstanding research as a Dean’s Research Scholar as determined by the DRS director and the Medical Student Research Committee.
Distinction in Research – This award is given to students who have first authorship on a publication in a peer-reviewed journal or a patent submitted/approved or product in the market (like an app).
Students (Years I-IV) must meet the following criteria:
• Be in good standing (including professionalism) at the Keck School of Medicine. M.D./Ph.D. students are excluded from consideration.
• If special circumstances prevented first or second authorship, documentation and evidence of significant student contribution to a publication must be provided from the mentor and the student. Case reports may be considered. Review articles are not eligible. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Provide a summary of the student’s contributions to the published work with an associated time line.
• Provide a letter from the research mentor supporting the student’s application for “Distinction in Research.”
The Medical Student Research Committee will review applications twice a year to determine recipients based on the criteria listed above. To be considered, applications must be submitted by March 1 or August 1. Students may only receive this award once.
Irving I. Lasky, M.D. Memorial Award – Recognizes the most outstanding research during the four years of medical school. Dean’s Research Scholars and M.D./Ph.D. students are excluded from consideration as determined by the Medical Student Research Committee.