Friday, May 7, 2021

Members of the Class of 2021 receive awards at honors ceremony

Gannon Ray and Jessica Cook pose for photos with their awards at the honors ceremony. 

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine presented awards to select members of the Class of 2021 at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 5, in the USA Student Center Ballroom. The following is a listing of award recipients:

Dean’s Award: Lauren Alexandra Galbraith Gibson
Awarded to the graduating senior who has accumulated the highest scholastic grade point average for the full four years of medical school.

Merck Award: Joshua Phillip Dehart, Vishal J. Shroff
Awarded to senior students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement.

Glasgow-Rubin Achievement Citations: Lauren Alexandra Galbraith Gibson, Erin Olivia Schmale
Presented to those women students who graduate in the top 10% of their class.

Dr. Robert A. Kreisberg Endowed Award of Excellence: Stuart Joseph McFarland
Awarded to a graduating senior student in the top 25% of the class who is distinguished in both the clinical and basic sciences. This student has demonstrated superior leadership and integrity, possesses a strong work ethic, and has performed in such a way as to earn the respect of his or her fellow students and faculty.

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award: Dala Mohamad Eloubeidi, Alison Bolton, M.D.
Presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation to the senior student and to the faculty member nominated and selected by the senior class who have demonstrated outstanding compassion to patients and their families.

Medical Alumni Leadership Award: Zachary Bruce White II
Awarded to the senior student by vote of classmates, in recognition of outstanding leadership of the graduating class.

Excellence in Public Health Award: Ravi S. Rajendra
Presented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Public Health Service to recognize the medical student who has demonstrated a commitment to public health and public health practice and has exhibited leadership and hard work with a passion and dedication to public health within the medical profession.

Community Service Award: Jessica A. Cook, Ravi S. Rajendra
Presented by the Medical Society of Mobile County to two senior medical students whose classmates believe best fulfill the ideals of humanitarian public service as demonstrated by superior awareness of, and achievement in, civic and community programs.

SNMA Leadership Award: Ashley Breanna Cainion
Awarded by the Student National Medical Association to a graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding community, school, and organizational service and leadership qualities.

Adele Mantiply and Dr. Gerald Galle Pediatric Endowed Scholarship: Gannon James Ray
Awarded to a graduating senior student who has accepted a position in a pediatric residency program at the University of South Alabama and intends to practice pediatrics in Mobile and/or Baldwin counties.

Ritha Baliga Memorial Medical Scholarship: Tina Etminan
Awarded to an outstanding senior student who demonstrates a merit ranking within the top 50% of the class and is interested in pursuing a career in pediatric healthcare.

Dr. Richard William Gurich Memorial Endowed Scholarship: Grayson A. Domingue
Awarded to a graduating senior student who has not only performed at the highest level during the third and fourth year, but has also demonstrated efficacy in patient relations and professionalism.

Dr. William James Atkinson Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship: Garrett Reid McClenny
Presented to a fourth year medical student exhibiting exemplary character, possessing a dedication to the field of medicine, and demonstrating a commitment to compassionate patient care. This student is interested in primary care and plans to practice in the state of Alabama.

Dr. Joseph G. Hardin Jr. Memorial Scholarship: William Hamilton Moore
Awarded to a graduating senior student who is interested in pursuing a career in internal medicine.

Henrietta Lacks Memorial Scholarship: Zachary Bruce White II
Established in 2021 by Margie Malone Tuckson and Dr. Reed V. Tuckson, this scholarship honors the life of Henrietta Lacks and the invaluable impact she has made in the advancement of science and medicine.

John A. Desak Award: Dala Mohamad Eloubeidi
In honor of USA College of Medicine graduate Dr. Maryella Sirmon’s father, this award is presented to the highest ranking female in the graduating class who has accepted a residency in internal medicine.

Steven Karl Teplick, M.D., FARC Memorial Award: Allen Mao
Awarded to a graduating senior student specializing in radiology and committed to lifelong learning as exemplified by Dr. Steven Teplick.

Cooke-Scott Scholarship: William Brooks Burns, Lauren Alexandra Galbraith Gibson, Samantha Noel Lee, Jeanetta Morgan Malone, Stuart Joseph McFarland, Kimberly Lachelle McWilliams
Awarded to a fourth-year medical student(s) wishing to pursue a career in the neuroscience field (neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, ophthalmology) and who has demonstrated exemplary qualities and commitment to their field.

Outstanding Student in the Pre-Clerkship Curriculum: Lauren Alexandra Galbraith Gibson
Awarded to a graduating senior student for outstanding performance in the pre-clerkship curriculum.

Award for Excellence in Teaching Clinical Skills: Jordan Matthews Smith
Awarded to a graduating senior student for outstanding teaching skills and student mentoring in the Clinical Skills Program. This student has demonstrated a dedication to education in the field of clinical skills.

Clinical Pharmacology Excellence Award: Raymond C. Dolcelli
Presented to a graduating senior student for demonstrating outstanding knowledge in basic and clinical pharmacology.

Hollis J. Wiseman Award for Excellence in Pediatrics: Tina Etminan
Presented to the student who best exemplified Dr. Wiseman’s outstanding scholarship, compassion for patients and families, involvement in the profession and community, enthusiasm for exploration and steadfast love of family, friends and colleagues.

Samuel Eichold Award: Dala Mohamad Eloubeidi
Presented to the graduating medical student who through scholarship, patient care, interaction with faculty and housestaff, and motivation, has demonstrated outstanding achievement in internal medicine.

Dr. Michael M. Linder Endowed Award: James Wiley West
Awarded to a senior student who has accepted a residency in family medicine and exemplifies a commitment to family medicine, as practiced by Dr. Michael Linder, through astute clinical acumen based on the knowledge of the human body and evidence-based medicine. This student possesses a passion for teaching this knowledge and the  art of family medicine to others, and demonstrates courage to do what is best for the whole patient and their family.

Ralph Denny Wright and Anne G. Wright Memorial Scholarship: Vishal J. Shroff
Awarded to the senior student focusing on internal medicine/family practice, who strives to become a compassionate physician and skilled diagnostician as exemplified by Dr. Wright.

The Orthopaedic Excellence Award: Austin D. Atkins, William Tanner Cox, Grayson A. Domingue, Ian Alexander Garrison, Ravi S. Rajendra
This award is presented to the graduating medical student who best personifies the compassion, selflessness and tireless work ethic of Drs. Anderson, McBryde and Meyer. These students have shown excellence above all pears during their orthopaedic rotations.

John W. Donald Memorial Award in Surgery: Austin C. Atkins
Awarded to the senior student who best demonstrated clinical and academic excellence in the surgery clerkship.

H. C. Mullins, M.D. Award: Adrienne Lee Vickers
Awarded by the faculty of the Department of Family Medicine to the graduating senior who demonstrated excellence in the ability to apply principles, practice, and philosophy of family medicine in caring for patients and their families. This award is given in honor of Dr. H. C. Mullins, professor emeritus and founding chair of the department.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Award: Macy J. Vickers
Presented to the graduating medical student who, through scholarship, patient care, interaction with faculty and housestaff, and motivation, has demonstrated excellence in obstetrics and gynecology.

Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award: Carly Turner McRae
This award is presented by the Department of Emergency Medicine to recognize the graduating senior student who demonstrated outstanding performance and academic excellence in emergency medicine.

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Award: Monica Mitta
Presented on behalf of SAEM to the graduating medical student who has demonstrated excellence and academic proficiency in emergency medicine.

Excellence in Psychiatry Award: Samantha Noel Lee
Presented to the graduating medical student who through scholarship, patient care, motivation, and interaction with faculty and housestaff, has demonstrated excellence in psychiatry.

Faculty Awards
Best Pre-Clerkship Module: Respiratory
Best Pre-Clerkship Educators: Abu-Bakr Al-Mehdi, M.D., Ph.D.
Best M3 Clerkship: Obstetrics & Gynecology
Best Clerkship Educator: Nicolette P. Holliday, M.D.

View the program for the full list of award and scholarship recipients

View more photos from the honors ceremony on Flickr