College of Medicine program recognized by AOA

The College of Medicine has been named as runner-up for the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Professionalism Award. The honor came with a $2,000 award after being submitted by fourth-year medical student and AOA Zeta Chapter President Shaarav Ghose.

The award came in recognition of the College’s “The Patient is Why I am Here” program, which is led by L. Austin Fredrickson, M.D., FACP, associate professor of internal medicine.

“The Patient is Why I am Here” program is a mandatory full-day session during orientation following the White Coat Ceremony, after students swear the oath. First-year students meet in small groups with patients and physicians, marking the first patient meeting in a professional capacity. Students are expected to guide the patient conversations rather than simply sitting back and watching the physician interact with patients.

“Patient-centered medicine is a traditional focus of our curriculum, and it is exemplified by this program which sets the tone for our first-year students,” said Marc Basson, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., dean of the College of Medicine. “This emphasizes that the next four years are not just about learning pathophysiology, drug names, and differential diagnosis, but about patients.”