AOA HONOR MEDICAL SOCIETY AOA HONOR MEDICAL SOCIETY

ESTABLISHED 1902 ESTABLISHED 1902  WILLIAM WEBSTER ROOT AND FIVE OTHER MEDICAL STUDENTS AT THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS IN CHICAGO ORGANIZED ALPHA OMEGA ALPHA IN 1902, WHEN "EXCELLENCE" WAS HARDLY THE WORD THAT WOULD DESCRIBE AMERICAN MEDICAL EDUCATION.  INDEED, THE FOUNDER VIEWED THE SOCIETY AS A PROTEST AGAINST "A CONDITION WHICH ASSOCIATED THE NAME MEDICAL STUDENT WITH ROWDYISM, BOORISHNESS, IMMORALITY, AND LOW EDUCATIONAL IDEALS."

CRITERIA FOR ELECTION  SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY BUT NOT SOLE BASIS FOR ELECTION OF A STUDENT. LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES, ETHICAL STANDARDS, FAIRNESS IN DEALING WITH COLLEAGUES, POTENTIAL FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MEDICINE, AND A RECORD OF SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY AT LARGE SHOULD BE CRITERIA IN ADDITION TO THE ACADEMIC RECORD. THESE ADDITIONAL ATTRIBUTES WILL BE WEIGHTED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS BY POLICIES ESTABLISHED WITHIN EACH CHAPTER

METHOD OF ELECTION METHOD OF ELECTION  TOP 25% CLASS ACADEMICALLY ARE ELIGIBLE.  ELECTION REQUIRES MORE!  NOT ALL WILL BE CHOSEN.  UP TO 1/6 OF TOTAL GRADUATING CLASS MAY BE ELECTED.  OTHER CRITERIA ARE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND DISCUSSED HERE AT DAVIS. SUPERB ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THESE MAY TAKE A CANDIDATE OF A ‘LOWER GPA’ ( BUT STILL IN THE TOP 25%) OVER ONE OF A HIGHER.

MEMBERS’ MEETINGS 2xYEAR  SPRING…”JUNIOR AOA”  FALL…”SENIOR AOA”  WHETHER JR OR SR ELECTION MAY DEPEND ON CLERKSHIP ORDER: ONE IS NOT ‘BETTER’ THAN THE OTHER.

AOA AND RESIDENCY SELECTION.. AOA ELECTION IS NOT INTENDED BY THE SOCIETY TO BE A DEVICE TO ENHANCE ONE’S CANDIDACY FOR RESIDENCY. A CANDIDATE’S ‘MOTIVE’ FOR DESIRED ELECTION TO AOA IS IMMATERIAL. IT IS THE TOTALITY OF A CANDIDATE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND CHARACTER WHICH IS DETERMINATIVE.

ELECTIONS AND CONFIDENTIALITY  IN ORDER TO ALLOW AOA MEMBERS TO BE AS HONEST AND CANDID AS POSSIBLE IN ASSESSING THE CHARACTER AND CONDUCT OF CANDIDATES, WE REQUIRE THEM TO REFUSE TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF THE ELECTION MEETINGS.  AOA ELECTION IS NOT A ‘POPULARITY’ CONTEST, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ADMIRED BY THEIR TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES FOR THEIR HIGH ACHIEVEMENTS MAY INDEED BE POPULAR.

“WORTHY TO SERVE THE SUFFERING” * “WORTHY TO SERVE THE SUFFERING” * AOA MEMBERSHIP IS AN HONOR, BUT IT IS PRIMARILY AN OBLIGATION. AOA MEMBERSHIP IS AN HONOR, BUT IT IS PRIMARILY AN OBLIGATION. *WHAT THE INITIALS IN GREEK ( ΆΏΆ ) STAND FOR.

ROOT SAID:  "IT IS THE DUTY OF MEMBERS TO FOSTER THE SCIENTIFIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL FEATURES OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, TO LOOK BEYOND SELF TO THE WELFARE OF THE PROFESSION AND OF THE PUBLIC, TO CULTIVATE SOCIAL MINDEDNESS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALISTIC ATTITUDE TOWARD RESPONSIBILITIES, TO SHOW RESPECT FOR COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY FOR ELDERS AND TEACHERS, TO FOSTER RESEARCH AND IN ALL WAYS TO ENNOBLE THE PROFESSION OF MEDICINE AND ADVANCE IT IN PUBLIC OPINION. IT IS EQUALLY A DUTY TO AVOID THAT WHICH IS UNWORTHY, INCLUDING THE COMMERCIAL SPIRIT AND ALL PRACTICES INJURIOUS TO THE WELFARE OF PATIENTS, THE PUBLIC, OR THE PROFESSION."

THE BEST WAY TO ‘GET INTO AOA?” IS TO BE THE VERY BEST MEDICAL STUDENT AND DOCTOR THAT YOU CAN BE…IN ALL THE WAYS THAT ‘BEST’ REQUIRES. IS TO BE THE VERY BEST MEDICAL STUDENT AND DOCTOR THAT YOU CAN BE…IN ALL THE WAYS THAT ‘BEST’ REQUIRES. TO BE, IN SHORT, WORTHY TO SERVE THE SUFFERING.