Alpha Omega Alpha

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

Founded in 1902, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) is committed to excellent physicianship, including characteristics such as trustworthiness, character, caring knowledge, scholarship, proficiency in the doctor-patient relationship, leadership, compassion, empathy, altruism and servant leadership. Please visit their website for additional information.

AOA Chapter at UMSOM

The AΩA Constitution states that individual chapters should establish evidence-based methods for determining eligibility based upon AΩA’s mission and values and the school’s mission and definitions of excellence in physicianship. Chapters are provided the flexibility to value the diversity of qualities that contribute to high quality patient care, leadership, service and scholarship. The UMSoM AOA Beta Chapter values diversity and inclusion and is committed to recognizing excellence in all of our students.

We review the top one-third of the class by academic rank to select up to 15% of students for nomination into AOA. Up to one-half of that 15% of students may be selected as juniors. Nominees must be in good academic standing and must not have had any professionalism concerns identified during medical school. Additionally, we select up to 5 faculty members, 5 residents or fellows and 5 alumni for nomination. Finally, we select one community physician for recognition. Non-student members are elected annually, and student elections as outlined below.

The University of Maryland Chapter holds elections for junior AΩA in February of the third year and senior AΩA in August of the fourth year, and selected students will be notified prior to the deadline for submission ERAS applications. Preliminary review and ranking of eligible students will be made by the Faculty Executive Board using an internally created scoring rubric with each application being reviewed by 2 faculty members. Points are awarded for significant activities in leadership/teaching, service to the school/ community/profession, research, professionalism/ethics and high-quality patient care for senior AΩA.

The current AΩA student members engage in a parallel review and ranking of applicants. Final review and nominations are made after a discussion between these two groups. Current AΩA students also nominate 5 faculty and 5 resident/fellows annually and review and approve the alumni nominee(s) suggested by the Medical Alumni Association and the Dean’s Office. Current AΩA students also select a volunteer clinical faculty member for recognition at the annual AΩA Banquet held each spring.

Students under consideration will be notified by the Office of Student Affairs and asked to submit a curriculum vitae along with a brief application outlining achievements consistent with the goals of the society and our chapter. Some important attributes for our chapter are leadership, clinical excellence, service, academic performance, scholarship and professionalism. USMLE scores are not included in the discussion of membership.