Skip to main content

Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top Graduates

May 18, 2018

Samantha Dizon, Student Award Recipient

Following four years of countless tests, late-night study groups, and many cups of coffee, events leading up to graduation began with the 12th annual Student Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Held on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at the Baltimore Marriot Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, the awards dinner provided an opportunity to recognize the accomplished graduating students who have received department awards and other academic prizes. This event also recognized the donors whose generous contributions fund these awards.

“Tonight, we salute our students, who have excelled throughout the course of their medical education, and we recognize our outstanding faculty, who mentor and train the future generation of physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals,” said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Those receiving honors and awards truly represent the best of the best, and reflect the high caliber of talent the University of Maryland School of Medicine matriculates.”

The awards ceremony honored students across a variety of medical disciplines who have demonstrated great promise during their time at the School of Medicine. Awards were presented from nearly every School of Medicine department, with many of the awards named in honor of influential department founders, former chairs or faculty members, or in recognition of those who had made generous contributions to the departments.

 

Powered by flickr embed.

In addition to students receiving recognition at the ceremony, three faculty members were inducted into the Academy of Educational Excellence, established by Carolyn J. Pass, MD ’66 and Richard M. Susel, MD ’66, which awards faculty members who demonstrate excellence in both patient care and classroom instruction. This year’s honorees were Sandra M. Quezada, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine; Norman Retener, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Kerri Thom, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health. Faculty members inducted into the Academy are recognized on a plaque located inside the Pass and Susel Medical Education Facility in Howard Hall, and receive special pins to signify their membership into the Academy.

Drs. Pass and Susel also established The Medical Education Tool Chest, which assists faculty in funding the technical tools they need to succeed in today’s electronic classroom. This year’s recipient was Adam C. Puche, PhD, Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology.

The School of Medicine Class of 2018 received their doctoral hoods in a special graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theatre on May 17 (See story). Commencement for the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) was on May 18 at the Royal Farms Arena.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Commemorating its 210th Anniversary, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. The School has over 2,500 students, residents, and fellows, and nearly $450 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total workforce of nearly 7,000 individuals. The combined School and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact in excess of $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th-highest public medical school in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu/

Contact

Office of Public Affairs
655 West Baltimore Street
Bressler Research Building 14-002
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1559

Contact Media Relations
(410) 706-5260

Related stories

    Thursday, August 29, 2024

    28th Annual White Coat Ceremony Welcomes UMSOM Class of 2028

    The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) welcomed 165 new students making their first entrance into the practice of medicine through the tradition of the White Coat Ceremony. The ceremony took place on August 9 with family, friends, faculty, and staff gathering at the historic Hippodrome Theatre to celebrate the Class of 2028 as students received the first white coat of their careers.


    Friday, May 24, 2024

    UMSOM Bids Farewell to the Class of 2024

    Graduates in the Class of 2024 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) gathered at the Hippodrome Theatre on May16, along with their families, friends, and School of Medicine faculty and staff, to celebrate their official transition from medical students to physicians. UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, presided over the ceremony marking his second UMSOM graduation as the 31st dean of the School. The graduating class of 139 physicians received their doctoral hoods in front of the assembled audience. Several graduates earned combined MD/Masters and MD/PhD degrees.


    Wednesday, June 29, 2022

    16th Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top UMSOM Medical Graduates

    On May 18, 2022, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) held its 16th annual Student Awards Ceremony & Dinner at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. Fourth-year medical students in the Class of 2022 were recognized for their superior academic performance and modeling extraordinary humanism, compassion, and integrity over their four-year tenure in medical school. The event also publicly recognized generous donors, many being alumni, faculty, and friends, whose financial support afforded students with the various scholarships.


    Wednesday, June 29, 2022

    Saying Farewell to the UMSOM Class of 2022

    After four years of hard work and perseverance, graduates of the Class of 2022 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) gathered at the Hippodrome Theatre on May 19 to celebrate their official transition from medical students to physicians. This year’s ceremony was especially significant for two reasons: It was the first grand scale in-person graduation celebration since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the final commencement ceremony over which current UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA would preside. The graduating class of 148 physicians, who earned medical degrees, along with others who earned combined MD/Masters and MD/PhD degrees, received their doctoral hoods in front of hundreds of family members, friends, and faculty.


    Tuesday, May 17, 2022

    U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to Deliver Graduation Address to the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s 213th Graduating Class

    University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating class. The UMSOM graduation ceremony will take place at the Hippodrome Theatre on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Doors open at 12:00 pm, the procession begins at 1:30 pm, and the ceremony begins at 2:00 pm.


    Thursday, April 14, 2022

    Worth the Wait

    After years of hard work and steadfast perseverance, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) medical students gathered at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on March 18, 2022 to take part in this year’s Match Day ceremony. In this annual ceremony, graduating medical students from around the country and at UMSOM discover where they will begin their careers as physicians. This year was especially significant because it was the first in-person celebration with families and friends since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The long-awaited day was worth the wait as students were finally able to reflect and celebrate their milestone accomplishment.


    Thursday, January 27, 2022

    16th Annual Medical Student Auction Supports Fight Against Food Insecurity

    In keeping with tradition since 2006, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Class of 2024 Student Government has organized this year’s Annual Second-Year Medical Student Auction. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Bmore Community Food, an organization committed to serving the vulnerable and marginalized population in Baltimore City who are experiencing food insecurity. The remaining funds will support the Class of 2024 medical student activities.


    Tuesday, November 16, 2021

    UM School of Medicine Names Sofia Cascio as the First Director of Student Financial Wellness

    Donna L. Parker, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, along with Kerri Thom, MD, MS, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), announced today that Sofia Cascio, MBA, has been named the school’s first Director of Student Financial Wellness.


    Wednesday, July 07, 2021

    Overcoming Pandemic Challenges, Third-Year Medical Students Celebrate Annual Student Clinician Ceremony

    The annual Student Clinician Ceremony at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) was held in Leadership Hall on July 2, 2021, to formally welcome the third-year medical students to their clinical rotations. In their rotations, students begin seeing patients alongside doctors and residents as they gain experience in primary care and medical specialties.


    Friday, May 15, 2020

    UMSOM Holds Virtual Commencement to Celebrate Class of 2020

    For the first time in the school’s 211-year history, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) held a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate the Class of 2020 on May 14. The ceremony marked the culmination of at least four years of studies for the 166 newly minted physicians, who earned medical degrees as well as combined MD/PhD and MD/Masters degrees.


    Monday, March 23, 2020

    The Wait Is Over: It’s Match Day 2020

    Even as physicians across the United States and around the world confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of the residency match is more evident than ever. According to the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), this year’s Main Residency Match is the largest in history, exceeding the more than 44,000 applicants who registered for the 2019 Match. This year, 161 University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) students matched at 73 different hospitals in 29 states. Thirty-eight members of the Class of 2020 will stay in the state of Maryland for their residency training.


    Monday, February 17, 2020

    14th Annual Medical Student Auction Makes Bid to Fight Homelessness

    “Our class is very excited about hosting this year’s auction,” says Malina Howard, Class of 2022 MD candidate at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). “It is going to be a big team effort!” Malina is speaking about the preparations for the Annual Second Year Medical Student Auction, which will be held Thursday, February 20, 2020, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Southern Management Corporation (SMC) Campus Center, 621 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. This event is open to parents, students, faculty, and staff.


    Wednesday, November 06, 2019

    First-Year University of Maryland School of Medicine Medical Students Celebrate White Coat Ceremony

    The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) held its annual White Coat Ceremony on November 1 at the Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Baltimore.


    Wednesday, July 03, 2019

    UMSOM Class 2021 Celebrate Annual Student Clinician’s Ceremony

    The Annual Student Clinician Ceremony was held today, to mark the Class of 2021 progression from basic sciences classroom instruction to their clinical years of medical education. The Class gathered in Davidge Hall, to hear inspirational messages from their mentors and revisit the Hippocratic Oath taken during the White Coat Ceremony.


    Friday, May 17, 2019

    So Long, Farewell, Class of 2019

    The Class of 2019 received their doctoral hoods in a special graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 17. The ceremony marked the culmination of at least four years of studies for the 162 physicians, who earned medical degrees, as well as combined MD/PhD and MD/Masters degrees. Hundreds of family, friends, and faculty were there to cheer on the graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors.


    Friday, May 17, 2019

    13th Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top Medical Graduates

    “Tonight, we celebrate our exceptional students who have worked diligently in the pursuit of excellence towards their medical degrees,” said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at UM Baltimore, John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, as he welcomed distinguished guests, donors, faculty, students and their families at the 13th annual Student Awards Ceremony and Dinner held on Wednesday, May 15 at the Baltimore Marriot Inner Harbor at Camden Yards.


    Thursday, May 02, 2019

    Leading Child Health Expert and NIH Official Dr. Diana Bianchi to Deliver Graduation Address to the University of Maryland School of Medicine's 210th Graduating Class

    University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Diana W. Bianchi, MD, Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating class. The UMSOM graduation ceremony will take place at the Hippodrome Theatre on May 16. Doors open at 12:30 pm, the procession begins at 1:30 pm and the ceremony begins at 2:00 pm.


    Friday, March 15, 2019

    From Dreams to Reality: Match Day 2019 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

    After years of hard work, determination, and personal sacrifice, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) medical students’ dreams finally came to fruition at the Match Day ceremony on March 15. At exactly noon, medical students at the UMSOM and around the country, some 30,000 students across the U.S., received an envelope telling them where they will do their residency training. It was truly a day filled with excitement and anticipation for the UMSOM Class of 2019 at Baltimore’s famed Hippodrome Theater.


    Tuesday, February 26, 2019

    UMSOM Class of 2021 Host Annual Student Auction

    “The Annual Student Auction is a phenomenal way to bring the School of Medicine community together to support a meaningful cause,” says Saif Yasin, Class of 2021 President, and MD/PhD student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).


    Monday, December 03, 2018

    Members of the Class of 2022 Receive Their White Coats

    The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) held its annual White Coat Ceremony on November 1 at the Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Baltimore.


    Thursday, May 17, 2018

    Saying Farewell to the Class of 2018

    The Class of 2018 received their doctoral hoods in a special graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 17. Hundreds of family, friends, and faculty were there to cheer on the 146 graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors.


    Tuesday, May 01, 2018

    UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski to Deliver Graduation Address to University of Maryland School of Medicine's 209th Graduating Class

    University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, MA, PhD, President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating class. The UMSOM graduation ceremony will take place at 10 am on May 17, 2018 at the Hippodrome Theatre.


    Friday, March 16, 2018

    Match Day: Will Med Students’ Dreams Come True?

    It’s Match Day, when graduating med students across the country find out where they’ll spend their residencies. In a gripping, emotional ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater, students in the Class of 2018 will be handed an envelope with the name of their residency. The event is a true-life reality show, because students do not know ahead of time where they are going.


    Thursday, May 18, 2017

    So Long and Farewell to the Class of 2017

    The Class of 2017 were the stars as they celebrated their graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 18. Hundreds of family, friends and faculty were there to cheer on the 160 graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors. “This celebration is also about you and, indeed, for you,” E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine, told the families “This celebration is also about you and, indeed, for you.


    Monday, April 24, 2017

    New York Times Science Journalist Gina Kolata to Deliver Graduation Address to University of Maryland School of Medicine's 208th Graduating Class

    University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, along with students, parents, families, faculty and other members of the UM SOM community, will welcome award-winning science journalist and University of Maryland alumna, Gina Kolata, MS, as the graduation speaker for this year’s graduating class. The UM SOM graduation ceremony will take place at 10am on May 18, 2017 at the Hippodrome Theater. As this year’s speaker, Ms. Kolata will receive an honorary Dean’s Medal from the UM SOM.


    Wednesday, May 18, 2016

    Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top Graduates

    The events leading up to Graduation 2016 kicked off in a special way the evening of May 18 with the 10th Annual Student Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Held at the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center, the awards dinner provided an opportunity to recognize the accomplished graduating students who have received scholarships, awards, and other academic prizes.