SA-4203 Student Awards

1.0        Purpose

To recognize and honor graduating students who exemplify excellence in service, inclusion, humanism, research, and leadership, reflecting VTCSOM’s mission and core values.

2.0        Guideline

Student awards will be given during the 4th year.  

3.0        Awards

VTCSOM Engage Award

VTCSOM Engage, the school’s critical service-learning program, will present up to three awards to M-4 students in recognition of their accomplishments in creating programs and/or providing services to help meet various needs in the Roanoke Valley Community and beyond. Each year, an ad hoc committee comprised of the VTCSOM Engage team, deans, staff, and faculty members who interact with students during community service will choose the award recipients.   

The committee will consider all community engagement activities throughout each student’s medical school career (M1-M4) when recognizing students. The evaluation process will include a review of the VTCSOM Engage reflections and reporting hours, along with feedback and recommendations from community organizations; faculty, staff, mentors; and student peers. The VTCSOM Engage team will collect reports and recommendations in an ongoing manner. Evaluators will pay particular attention to the student’s commitment and dedication to the concept of Critical Service Learning. Creativity in developing programs that meet community needs, self-motivation, and leadership development will also weigh into the decision. Extra consideration will be given to students who encourage broader peer participation in community engagement activities and understand the importance of creating and/or sustaining “legacy projects” that will remain active for future students following the award recipients’ graduation and subsequent matriculation to residency. 

Inclusive Excellence Champions

The Dean’s Award for Inclusive Excellence recognizes significant achievements of faculty and students toward developing a more equitable and inclusive community. Nominations may be submitted by any member of the VTCSOM community, and awards will be given to up to two (2) students from each class. Awards will also be given to up to two (2) faculty members. Priority will be given to nominees who were not previous recipients of a Dean’s Inclusive Excellence Champions Award.     

Inclusive Excellence Award recipients should exemplify one of the following:  

• Equity
• Inclusion
• Belonging
• Advocacy
• Ut Prosim

Each spring, VTCSOM’s Assistant Dean for Advancement will announce that the nomination period is open, provide information about the nomination process, including the deadline, and invite members of the VTCSOM community to nominate students for consideration. Nominators must select the area in which the nominee exhibits the award criteria and write a short statement explaining why their nominee should be recognized as an Inclusive Excellence Champion.  

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation offers each school with a Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) chapter the opportunity to select a faculty and student Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine recipient. This award is presented to the student and faculty member who best demonstrate the Gold Foundation's ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence. Students who are members of the GHHS are eligible for the award. The specific criteria for student award recipients are: 

• consistently demonstrates compassion and empathy in the delivery of care to patients 
• illustrates professional and ethical behavior by example 
• shows respect for everyone 
• demonstrates cultural sensitivity in working with patients and family members of diverse backgrounds 
• displays effective communication and listening skills—good rapport with patients 
• understands patients’ need for interpretation of complex medical diagnosis and treatment and makes an effort to assure patient comprehension—shows respect for the patients’ viewpoint 
• helps to articulate the patients’ concerns to attending physicians and others 
• sensitive to the patients’ psychological well-being 
• cooperative, easy to work with—engenders trust and confidence 
• willing to help others and, when necessary, willing to seek help from others 
• displays concern for the general welfare of the community and engages in volunteer activities 
• seeks and accepts criticism, using it to improve performance 
• committed to reflection and objective self-evaluation of his/her skills
• displays competence in scientific endeavors

From among the graduating class members of the GHHS, the GHHS chapter advisors seeks input from the Clinical Chairs, Deans, and Clerkship Directors. Based on that input, the faculty and M3 membership of the GHHS chapter select the recipient. 

Robert LA Keeley Humanities in Medicine Award

The Tuberculosis Foundation of Virginia created this award to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Robert L.A. Keeley. The recipient of the award is selected from among the members of the GHHS. The recipient of the Leonard Tow Award will not be eligible. A committee comprised of four faculty members and two VTC-Carilion Clinic residents selects the recipient based on the following attributes- Humility, Wisdom, Equanimity, Leadership, Compassion, and Magnetism.

Research Distinction

During their final year of study, students will submit a written publication-quality manuscript and will orally present their research to an evaluation committee composed of experts and accomplished researchers, scientists, and clinicians. The committee members will be selected by the Senior Dean for Research and the Associate Dean for Research, both of whom will also oversee the evaluation process. Immediately following each student’s oral presentation, the evaluating committee will consider whether to recommend the student to be placed in the finalist group for consideration for a Research Distinction.

Recommendations will be made based on the overall quality, significance, relevance, innovation, thoroughness, rigor, and clarity of the students’ findings as presented in their written document and oral presentation, along with their understanding, ability to effectively communicate, and response to questions during the oral presentation. Final selections in this category will be made by an ad hoc committee assembled and overseen by the Senior Dean for Research. The students selected will present their work in either a 5-minute rapid-fire talk or a traditional formal 15-minute oral presentation with appropriate documentation in slide deck format at the annual VTCSOM Medical Student Research Day to which all 4 classes of medical students, the students’ mentors, VTCSOM faculty, and the community will be invited. 

Research Distinction Selection Committee

The Research Distinction ad hoc committee will be formed to review all documents submitted and generate a list of the most distinguished students for consideration.  The committee will be co-chaired by the Senior Dean for Research and the Associate Dean for Research, who will select three other members. Their recommendations will be forwarded by the Senior Dean for Research to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

4.0        References

• Research Team
• Senior Dean for Research
• Associate Dean for Research
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs
• Assistant Dean for Advancement

5.0        Approval and Revisions

Approved by Student Affairs