Accomplishments Applauded at COM Student Awards Ceremony

On April 18, numerous awards and scholarships were presented to both students and faculty members at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine’s annual First-and-Second Year Student Awards Ceremony. Students were honored in areas such as research, academic excellence, and community service, while several faculty members were presented Golden Apple Awards for their outstanding teaching abilities.

Matthew A. Terry Scholarship Endowment

Second-year student Bhavik Gupta and first-year student Allison Nguyen were the recipients of the Dr. Matthew A. Terry Scholarship Endowment. The academic accolade was established in 1999 to honor first- and second-year medical students who epitomize virtues such as scholastic excellence, service to the school, empathy, and congeniality. The endowment serves as a fitting tribute to NSU-COM students who embody the true spirit of an osteopathic practitioner.

Faculty Members Earn Golden Apple Awards

David Boesler, D.O., M.S., associate professor and chair of the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice, and Hady Masri, D.O., assistant professor of geriatrics, were the recipients of this year’s Golden Apple Awards for their outstanding teaching skills. Boesler received his award from the class of 2019, while Masri was honored by the class of 2018.

Five Students Win Bradley I. Silverman Scholarship

Third-year students Alexandra Grammenos, Muneeb A. Shah, and Alexander Robert Logsdon, as well as second-year students Heather Lee Kligfeld and Jaclyn L. Siegel, were the recipients of the Dr. Bradley I. Silverman Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was established in 2006 to honor outstanding NSU-COM students who participate in cancer-related community service and showcase compassion, commitment, and other laudable traits exemplified by Dr. Silverman.

Robert Klein Academical Society Endowment Scholarship

Second-year student Laura Morrison was the recipient of the Robert Klein, D.O., Academical Society Endowment Scholarship, which is accorded annually. To be eligible, nominees must be NSU-COM students in good standing, be actively involved in the Klein Academical Society, and submit an application and essay.

David B. Levine Endowed Scholarship Award

Second-year students Anita Singh and Zachary R. Smith received the David B. Levine, D.O., Endowed Scholarship Award, which is presented to second-year osteopathic medical students who demonstrate an interest in family and/or internal medicine, display leadership for the osteopathic medical profession, and are members of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association.

Beth and Joel Rush Endowed Charter Scholarship

Second-year student Andrew Barnes received the Beth and Joel L. Rush, D.O., Endowed Charter Scholarship, which is provided to an NSU-COM student who is in good academic standing and demonstrates active participation or leadership within his or her class.

Four Students Win Robert and Eugene Friedman Scholarship

Second-year students Jared Ham-Ying and Romeena Lee, along with first-year students Natalie Negron and Juan Arana, were the winners of the inaugural Robert and Eugene Friedman Scholarship, which is presented to the students who best demonstrate active participation and leadership in their class.

Dr. Kenneth Burnell Student Research Awards

A record 25 students were presented with Dr. Kenneth Burnell Student Research Awards, which are bestowed to NSU-COM students who conduct outstanding research in either clinical medicine or biomedical science. The recipients (listed alphabetically by year) were Akarshan Monga, Stefanie Altmann, Nishant Patel, Sunny Parekh, Arash Zarrin, Roberto Leoni, Kelly Gaunt, Kristina Gemayel, Fernando Doval, Shannon Mohabir, Allen Abello, Jeffrey Morris, Ashley Van Putten, Adrienne Law, Fatima Ramirez, Lorin Berman, Michael Smith, Rupali Harpale, Catalina Rodriguez, Zenith Haq, Madeline Fasen, Jennifer Wong, Nicole Salach, Julian Zorrilla, and Mackenzie Rapp.

C.H.A.S.E. Honorary Anesthesiology Scholarship

First-year student Aman Kaur and third-year student Catalina Rodriguez garnered the C.H.A.S.E. Honorary Anesthesiology Scholarship, which is presented to students interested in attending the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting on June 10–12 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Humana Terry G. Smith Preceptorship

First-year student Sahyly Hernandez earned the Humana Terry G. Smith Preceptorship, which is presented to the first-year student selected to participate in a paid summer preceptorship with Humana.

East Florida Physicians Alliance Endowed Scholarship

Third-year students Sergey Arutyunyan and Neha Mahajan received the East Florida Physicians Alliance Medical Education Endowed Scholarship, which was established to support osteopathic medical students who want to attend and/or make presentations at medical conferences by providing funding for registration fees and travel expenses.

Academical Society Peer Mentors Recognition

Second-year students were honored for their contributions to their individual academical societies as well as their commitment to fellow society members. They are listed in alphabetical order by academical society as follows: Anna Galvis (William G. Anderson, D.O.); Erik Thomas (Louisa Burns, D.O.); Daniel Novak (Robert Klein, D.O.); Alex Breslau (Fred Lippman, Ed.D.); Elizabeth McCaskey (Anthony J. Silvagni, D.O.); Alethea Appavu (Bradley I. Silverman, D.O.); Allison Nguyen (A.T. Still, M.D., D.O.); and Stephen Judge (James Turner, D.O.). First-year students Samantha Rykiel Levine (Morton Terry, D.O.) and Theddy Blanc (Ross Zafonte, D.O.) also won recognition. In addition, second-year students Claudia Vallin, Itsuka Kurihara, and Kelly Gaunt received the peer executive awards.

All winners are nominated by their peers as being supportive and involved society members who exemplify the attitudes regarding NSU-COM participation, community service, and professionalism within their societies.

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