Academics

Academic Honors and Awards

Pritzker School of Medicine honors excellence in its students through Graduation with Honors and two national honor societies, the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical society and the Gold Humanism Society. For more information about these honor societies, please follow the links below:

In order to qualify for Graduation with honors, students must have:

  1. Demonstrated academic excellence
  2. Demonstrated outstanding professionalism
  3. Performed significant research while enrolled as a student in the medical school. Ordinarily, such research will have led to either publication of results in scientific journals, presentation of the research project at professional meetings or presentation at the Senior Scientific Session in May of Senior Year.

Determination of Graduation with Honors is at the discretion of the Academic Awards Committee. However, generally, only 10% of the graduating class receive the "Graduation with Honors" designation. For additional questions about graduating with honors, please contact Chelsea Dorsey, MD,  Associate Dean for Medical Student Academic Advising and Advancement.

In addition to the "Graduation with Honors" designation, the Pritzker School of Medicine confers several awards to recognize graduating students who demonstrated outstanding clinical performance and leadership. These designations are decided by the Academic Awards Committee, with consultation from the departmental chair or representative, when appropriate. These awards include:

  • Outstanding Achievement Award in Medicine - Awarded to a senior student(s) for outstanding achievement during four years in medical school
  • John Van Prohaska Award - Awarded to a senior medical student for outstanding potential in teaching, research, and clinical medicine
  • The Mary Roberts Scott Memorial Prize - Awarded to a senior medical student(s) who has demonstrated leadership and academic excellence during both the basic and clinical science years
  • The Joseph A. Capps Award - Awarded to a senior medical student(s) for outstanding proficiency in clinical medicine
  • The Pritzker Leadership Award - Awarded to a senior for outstanding extracurricular accomplishments during four years in medical school
  • The Strongin Community Service Prize - Awarded to the senior student(s) who have contributed the most through community service

In consultation with the Academic Awards Committee, departmental representatives may also designate awards to members of the graduating class who demonstrated outstanding proficiency in their respective departments/sections. The following honors are available, but are not necessarily awarded each year.

  • Departmental Award for Outstanding Performance in Anesthesia & Critical Care
  • Departmental Award for Outstanding Performance in Family Medicine
  • Departmental Award for Outstanding Performance in Medicine
  • Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Excellence Award
  • Richard W. Reilly Award, to a senior medical student for outstanding aptitude in the field of Gastroenterology
  • Steven Lukes Memorial Prize, to a senior medical student for excellence in the fields of both Medicine and Neurology
  • Peter Huttenlocher and Douglas Buchanan Prize in Neurology
  • Departmental Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Neurology
  • Departmental Award for outstanding performance in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Section Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
  • Departmental Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Pathology
  • F. Howell Wright Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics Departmental Award, for the most meritorious research involving children or Developmental Biology
  • Diana Woo Memorial Award for Excellence in Clinical Pediatrics
  • Committee Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Clinical Pharmacology
  • Daniel X. Freedman Award, for outstanding performance in the general field of Psychiatry
  • Departmental award to a senior medical student in the general field of Radiation and Cellular Oncology
  • Nels M. Strandjord Memorial Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Radiology
  • Departmental Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Surgery
  • Dr. Javad Hekmat-panah Award for Outstanding Performance in the Field of Neurological Surgery