School of Medicine Students Honored for Excellence in Education, Research and Service
Posted in News Stories | Tagged Commencement 2024, student achievement
(May 20, 2024) — School of Medicine faculty honored graduating medical students in the Class of 2024 who excelled during their medical education during the Warwick Evans Awards Ceremony.
The annual event, named for the first Georgetown medical school graduate, was held May 17 in the storied Gaston Hall.
As Lee Jones, MD, dean for medical education, welcomed family and friends, he reflected on his years of getting to know the students.
“I continue to marvel at their capacity for work and study, their diligence and dedication, growth and maturation,” Jones said. “Even more important, I am so impressed by them as wonderful human beings, compassionate caregivers, who are dedicated to the care of the whole person as well as committed to their community through volunteer service and participation in health care.”
Jones said the achievements warranted acknowledgement in the presence of their loved ones. The awards recognize excellence in various specialties, research, outstanding patient care, academic achievement, student leadership, advocacy and commitment to social justice, and community service.
The most prestigious award, the Kober Award, was presented to Lauren Yap (M’24). It recognizes academic excellence and is bestowed upon the medical student with the highest overall academic record and performance. The award was established by George M. Kober, MD, dean of the School of Medicine from 1901 to 1928. (A full list of award recipients is below).
The Class of 2024 chose Paul Henderson (M’24) to deliver the student address at the ceremony. Henderson was recognized earlier in the evening with four awards: the Stephen Ray and Ellen Mitchell Leadership Award, the Jesuit Leadership and Service Award, the William P. Argy, MD, Teaching Award, and the Medical Education Development & Culture Award.
‘Remember Your Purpose’
“Today, we come together to celebrate the culmination of years of dedication, sacrifice and unwavering determination in our graduates, and I am filled with immense gratitude and pride,” Henderson said. “Graduating from medical school is more than just an academic achievement; it’s a testament to our resilience, passion for healing, and commitment to making a difference in the world.”
Henderson recalled his classmates met the challenge of beginning courses virtually in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world.
“Instead of succumbing to despair, our community came together with resilience and determination. Despite the limitations of the pandemic, we found creative ways to continue our medical education and serve our community,” he said.
“We might be the first Georgetown class to hold a virtual white coat ceremony, to palpate a pillow, or percuss a tissue box,” Henderson said. “Although our experiences were unique, we weren’t deprived of the quintessential Georgetown medical journey.”
Henderson urged his classmates to persist in defining their personal significance.
“I would encourage our graduates to continue to advocate for their own personal meaning and continue to shape these experiences for the future doctors who will join this profession one day,” he said. “Remember your purpose.”
2024 Warwick Evans Awards Recipients
The Family Medicine Community Service Award
Meaghan Brophy and Emily Phelps
The Family Medicine Research and Scholarship Award
Leila Eter
The Phillip L. Calcagno, MD, Award
Freesia Quezada
The Bridget Fawcett MacNamara Award
Claire Ressel
The Gregory M. Chirikjian Award
Irma Zhang
The Faustino R. Suarez, MD, Award
Allie Roverud
The Michael A. Rolnick, MD, Award
Michael Ezeana
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award (Commemorative Award)
Ruba Omeira
The Thomas F. Keliher Award
Jack Stylli
The William P. Argy, MD, Teaching Award
Paul Henderson
The Mario Mollari Award
Alison Hill, Anna Molotkova, Esteban Molina
The Edward B. Healton, MD, Clinical Scholar Award
Irma Zhang
Barbara Bregman Neuroscience Department Award
Brian Fitzgerald
The Stacy L. Rollins Jr. MD Award
Lily McLaughlin
The Raymond T. Holden Award
Megan Wallace
The Hematology/Oncology Award
Samantha Rizzo
The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Award
Jerry Xiao
The Ophthalmology Achievement Award
Victor Cox
The John N. Delahay, MD, Award
Rory Byrne
The Jennifer Woo, MD, Memorial Award
Mohamad Almasri
The Donald M. Kerwin, MD, Award
Emma Piliponis
The Frank G. Standaert Award
Brian Fitzgerald, Anna Molotkova
The Award for Excellence in Physiology
Kyle Reichard
The Lawrence S. Lilienfield, MD, PhD, Award for Excellence in Physiology
Mahdi Barkhordar
SMP Excellence in Academics Award
Kyle Wallace
The Francis L. Clark Jr. Award
Hassan Bazzi
The Excellence in Education and Research Award
Lindsey Gallagher
The James A. Cahill, MD, Award
Anna Fishbein
The Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics Award
Francisca Finkel
The Robert R. Huntley, MD, Award
Lauren Havens
The Family Medicine Leadership and Advancing Student Interest Award
Thu Dao
The William C. Maxted, MD, Award
Grant Fabrizio
The Learning Societies Award
Jake Whitney
The Michael J. Caruso, MD, Memorial Award
Thomas Chameli
The Medical Education Development & Culture Award
Irma Zhang, Paul Henderson, Naveen Gupta
The Edward Bunn, SJ, Award
Brian Kim
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
Jay Gupta
The Health Justice Scholar Award
Rimsha Rana
The Health Justice Alliance Award
Aditi Gadre
The Milton Corn, MD, Award
Lauren Yap
The Stephen Ray and Ellen Mitchell Leadership Award
Paul Henderson
The Georgetown Clinical Society Award
Ruba Omeira, Kyle Wallace, Hunter Vandolah
The Jesuit Leadership and Service Award
Paul Henderson, Lizzie Torrez, Jake Whitney and Victoria Fubara
The Student Mentorship Award
Alexandra O’Kane, Heidi Chang, Freesia Quezada, Jake Whitney and Crystal Yi
The Heinz Bauer, MD, PhD, Award
Victor Cox
United States Public Health Services (USPHS) Physician Professional Advisory Committee (PPAC) Excellence in Public Health Award
Heidi Chang
The Sarah E. Stewart Award
Alexandra O’Kane
The Charles E. Becker, MD, Excellence Award
Jake Whitney
The Donald M. Knowlan, MD, Award
Brian Fitzgerald
Kober Award
Lauren Yap