Whiddon College of Medicine establishes Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society chapter

The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine is pleased to announce the establishment of its chapter of the Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society, a national society that recognizes medical student fellows committed to eliminating health disparities in all forms. This prestigious honor society celebrates and supports future physicians who demonstrate leadership, community engagement, and a personal commitment to advancing health equity throughout their medical education.

Founded in 2021 at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Aequitas Health was born from a collective awareness of the deep-rooted health inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The society seeks to build a nationwide community of medical students and professionals actively working to dismantle systemic disparities affecting underserved populations. The Whiddon College of Medicine chapter continues this mission with a focus on our region’s unique health equity challenges and strengths.

Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D.

The development of the Whiddon College of Medicine chapter was initiated in fall 2023 by Ryan Ford, a member of the Class of 2026 and co-chair of a student advisory committee. The chapter is supported by the Whiddon COM Office of Health Advancement. 

Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., was named the inaugural president of the chapter. She is an assistant professor of surgery, director of the USA Health Center for Healthy Communities, and founder of Project Inspire. 

“Her leadership and dedication to community-centered health advancement will serve as a guiding light for the chapter,” said Franklin Trimm, M.D., associate dean of health advancement at the Whiddon College of Medicine.

The inaugural fellows from the Class of 2025 exemplify the values of the Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society through sustained efforts in leadership, advocacy and service:

• 
  Mary Claire Carlton
• Claire Chastain
• Emily Cleveland
• Altonnesha Darby
• Warren Law III
• Rachael Motamed
• Ryleigh Randall
• Natalie Simpkins

“These students represent the future of medicine well — one where compassion, a focus on the needs of individual patients and of the communities in which they live, leadership and service are central to healthcare delivery and professional identity,” Williams Hogue said. “Their induction into the Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society is both a recognition of their accomplishments and a call to continued leadership in promoting the best health possible for all. We celebrate their contributions and look forward to the work ahead.”