- College of Medicine Students
The UCF College of Medicine recognized its top graduating M.D. students from the class of 2013 on May 16 with awards for academic excellence, professionalism, patient care and perseverance.
“Thank you for all you have done to bring our newborn college to this day,” Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the medical school, said in welcoming students, their families, faculty and staff to the inaugural Class Day. She added that during the last four years, the charter class proved they “have excellence hard wired into their DNA.”
The Dean’s Award, presented to the student with the highest academic performance, professionalism, compassion, and integrity went to Tiffany Chen. The COM Academic Excellence Award, for students with the highest academic performance over all four years, was shared by Tiffany, Anika Mirick and Mitchell Popovetsky.
Dr. Lori Boardman, assistant dean for medical education and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, who has oversight responsibility for the clinical curriculum, received the Hippocratic Oath Award. That honor goes to the faculty member who best embodies the ideas of Hippocrates in compassionate patient care, the highest ethical standards, and dedication to excellence.
Other student award-winners were:
Osler Award – for perseverance and overcoming obstacles to succeed as voted by classmates:
Jonathan Gullett
Faculty Choice Award – to the student who represents the utmost in professionalism, knowledge, and a caring and compassionate attitude towards patient care; essentially, the student faculty would most want to treat their own family: Ashley Curry
Student Choice Award – to the student selected by classmates who represents the utmost in professionalism, knowledge, and a caring and compassionate attitude towards patient care; essentially, the student that students would most want to treat their own family: Virgil Secasanu
Outstanding Senior in Internal and Family Medicine – Mitchell Popovetsky
Internal Medicine Award from American College of Physicians – Virgil Secasanu
Outstanding Senior in Surgery – Olga Tusheva
Outstanding Senior in Pediatrics – Ruth Strakosha
Outstanding Senior in Obstetrics/Gynecology – Tiffany Chen
Outstanding Senior in Neurology – Susan Ellor
American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for Excellence – Susan Ellor
Outstanding Senior in Psychiatry – Ashley Curry