Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

The University of Chicago is home to the Illinois Beta Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. Election to the chapter occurs at the beginning of Pritzker students’ fourth year and is guided by the regulations for election as set out in the AΩA constitution. 

All students at Pritzker School of Medicine are eligible for AΩA. The selection process starts with a holistic review of all M4 students, which is aligned with the holistic review our Admissions Committee uses when evaluating prospective students and with the mission statement of the Pritzker School of Medicine. This holistic review, conducted by a committee of staff members, includes: 

1. Academic performance during clerkship rotations 
2. Participation and achievements in research/scholarship 
3. Leadership, volunteerism and institutional service as reported in the Student Management System and in students' CVs 
4. Peer assessment as determined by an anonymous, end-of-academic year survey of MS3s (the peer assessment score given to students who take time off comes from the cohort with whom they completed the MS3 year)

Up to 20% of the graduating class is selected for membership in AΩA by a separate committee appointed by the Dean for Medical Education. The AΩA constitution calls on the committee to consider not only academic achievement, but also achievement in research and scholarship, leadership, ethical behavior, professionalism, and service to the school and community at-large.

Read the AOA Task Force's recommendations. A summary of these recommendations was published in Academic Medicine.

Faculty/Resident & Fellow/Alumni Criteria

Once elected, ΑΩΑ Students confer ΑΩΑ membership onto selected alumni, faculty and residents. They select these members based on the following criteria:

• Resident & Fellow Membership: elected based on continued achievement, promise and leadership qualities;
• Alumni: eligible ten years or more following graduation and judged on the basis of their achievement to date;
• Faculty: elected based on their demonstrated commitment to scholarly excellence and medical education;
• ΑΩΑ Inductees also bestow the annual Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award to recognize a community physician who contributes with distinction to the education and training of clinical students.

For more information, visit the National ΑΩΑ Website.

2025 AOA Visiting Professor: Alicia Fernandez, MD

2024-25 University of Chicago Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Inductees

Faculty, Residents, Fellows, and Alumni membership to Pritzker's Alpha Omega Alpha chapter are decided upon by the Class of 2024 AΩA student inductees.

2024-25 Faculty/Resident & Fellow/Alumni Membership

Alumni

Kammi Henriksen, MD'07
Department of Pathology

Yanina Purim-Shem-Tov, MD'98, MS, FACEPS
Rush University Medical Center

Faculty
Ethan Molitch-Hou, MD
Department of Medicine

Alejandro Palma, MD
Department of Medicine

Housestaff
Ross H. McMillan, MD, PhD
Department of Medicine

Dhruvil A. Patel, MD
Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics

Greg Raster, MD
Department of Surgery

Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award
Cherrell Triplett, MD, MBA
Illinois Masonic Medical Center
(formerly of NorthShore University Health System)