Awards and Honors
Featured Awards and Honors Achieved by Pritzker Students
Grace Chong
Grace Chong, a third year student, was awarded a Lambaréné Schweitzer Fellowship and will spend six months in Gabon, participating in a pediatric clinical rotation at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital. Before enrolling in the Pritzker School of Medicine, Grace served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bénin,nWest Africa for two years where she developed programs in maternal-child health, including efforts to combat malnutrition as well as AIDS awareness and sex education efforts. In the summer following her first year of medical school, Grace traveled to Mali to participate in clinical and laboratory research n studies on infectious and parasitic diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis.
Justin Coffey
Justin Coffey, a third year student, was awarded a student scholarship to attend the Institute for Healthcare Improvement National Forum in Orlando, Florida in December 2004. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is a not-for-profit organization driving the improvement of health by advancing the quality and value of health care. The outstanding nature of Justin’s participation in the Forum this spring was recognized with an invitation to organize a session for medical students that will be held at the December 2005 Forum of the IHI.
Walter Conwell
Walter Conwell, a second year student, was one of 10 students nationally to receive the Minority Scholars Award from the AMA Foundation. Each medical school in the United States was invited to submit up to two nominees for these awards. Each winner received $10,000 scholarship in recognition of their personal commitment and scholastic achievement. The scholarship check was presented to Walter during the inaugural Bowman Society Lecture Series on March 11, 2005.
Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis, a second year student, successfully competed for one of the 50 student research fellowships awarded annually by the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Working closely with his mentor, Elmer Abbo, MD, JD, in the Department of Medicine, Robert will assess if the increase in the number of lawsuits and total damage amounts against nursing homes has led to a concomitant improvement in quality of care, or if the resulting increased insurance premiums and litigation costs have a deleterious impact on care due to financial constraints. As a practicing health care attorney for three years prior to beginning medical school, Robert brings a unique skills set and perspective to this analysis.
John Hemmert
John Hemmert, a first year student, is the recipient of a Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship from the American Academy of Neurology. John is the third student in the past several years to be sponsored and mentored for this award by Dr. Steven Roth, Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care.
Aaron Horne, Jr.
Aaron Horne, Jr., a third year student, published an article in the fall 2004 edition of the Journal for Minority Medical Students on “Striving for Equitable Care The Role of Medical Education.” Aaron is completing his year as the 2004-2005 National President of the Student National Medical Association.
Jonathan Kohler
Jonathan Kohler, a fourth year student, tied for second place in the Arnold P. Gold 2004 Humanism in Medicine Essay Contest. Jonathan will receive a $500 cash prize and have his essay published in Academic Medicine this fall. Jonathan's essay, which was one of 300 received by the Foundation for this contest appears in this newsletter.
Chad Ritch
Chad Ritch, who is currently completing his MBA training at the Graduate School of Business before returning to Pritkzer as a fourth year student in July 2005, was selected to participate in the GSB’s International Business Exchange Program. Chad will spend the spring quarter at the Waseda University Graduate School of Commerce in Tokyo, Japan exploring issues related to the Japanese biotechnology economy.
Nirav Shah
Nirav Shah, currently a first year student at the University of Chicago Law School, received one of the 30 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans awarded annually to naturalized citizens, resident aliens, or the children of naturalized citizens from a pool of 1,250 applicants. Nirav will receive one-half of his tuition costs for the next two years as well as a $20,000 annual maintenance grant. These funds will support Nirav’s return to Cambodia to continue work on institutional development within the health care sector of that country. Nirav will return to Pritzker as a fourth year medical student after he obtains his law degree.
