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School of Medicine Class of 2014 welcomed into the alumni fold

Students honored and recognized for outstanding achievement

By Kristen O’Reilly

May 30, 2014
  • Each year, the Alumni Association hosts a breakfast for School of Medicine graduates.
  • Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs Michael Kneeland presides over the awards breakfast.
  • Jennifer Marie MacDonald
  • Alumni Association President Irvin Heifetz, MD, greets the future alumni.
  • Sarah E. Shannahan
  • Chancellor Michael F. Collins addresses the soon-to-be-graduates.
  • Syed Quadri, MD
  • Michael Richardson
  • School of Medicine Dean Terence R. Flotte, provost and executive vice chancellor, offers words of encouragement to the students.
  • American Medical Women’s Association Award winners: Front row from left, Nicole Cherng, Amanda Bernier, Debora Afezolli, Jennifer Lynn Clark, Kathleen Goble, Jennifer Messina Hanson, Molly Elizabeth Wolf; back row from left, Sarah E. Shannahan, Whitney Hendrickson-Cahill, Kathryn M. Niro, Kristin Gerson, Jennifer Marie MacDonald, Sarah Ann Tracy.
  • Massachusetts Medical Society Scholars Award for Academic Excellence winners, from left: Kathleen Goble, Christopher Perrone, Seth Levin and Sarah Valente.
  • From left, Christopher Perrone and Seth Levin with Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD.
  • Dawn S. Tasillo, MD, presents the Excellence in Obstetrics & Gynecology Award to Whitney Hendrickson-Cahill.
  • From left, William (Jerry) A. Durbin, MD, James Kennedy, Jennifer MacDonald and Marianne Felice, MD.
  • Steven Bird, MD, presents the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Medical Student Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award to Mary Loretta Cheffers.
  • From left, Chau Maggie Hoang, Sarah Ann Tracy, Nicole Cherng and Syed Quadri, MD.
  • Alumni Association President Irvin Heifetz, MD, presents the Gary D. Winzelberg, MD ’74, Memorial Award to Sarah E. Shannahan.
  • Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs Michael Kneeland presents the Sarah L. Stone Memorial Award to Gregory Leslie.
  • Michael Ennis, MD, presents the Ann Nemitz Memorial Award to Jennifer Marie MacDonald.
  • Melissa A. Fischer, MD, right, gives the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation to Emily Chen.
  • Chancellor Michael F. Collins presents the Chancellor’s Award to Christopher Perrone.

The UMass Medical School Alumni Association welcomed 123 new members on Friday, May 30, as students in the School of Medicine Class of 2014 were honored and recognized for outstanding achievement.

Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, executive deputy chancellor, provost, and dean of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, noted that this class was the first to graduate using the new Learner-Centered Integrated Curriculum that puts the patient first and emphasizes teamwork. 

“This class is special because this is the first class that has experienced the LInC curriculum all the way through,” said Dean Flotte. He noted that the “overaching theme” reinforced by the curricullum and the learning communities model has been collaboration, which he hopes will translate to their residencies and practices, where they will be working in interprofessional teams with nurses, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists and others. “With the patient in the center, we are all working with a common purpose.”

The following awards were presented:

Student Award Recipients

Chancellor’s Award
Christopher Michael Perrone

Ann Nemitz Memorial Award
Jennifer Marie MacDonald

Sarah L. Stone Memorial Award
Gregory Myles Leslie

Gary D. Winzelberg, MD ’74, Memorial Award
Sarah E. Shannahan

Jacob Brem Pediatric Award
James Matthew Kennedy

Marianne Felice Adolescent Health Award
Marguerite Lee Davis

American Academy of Neurology Prize for Excellence in Neurology
Christopher Michael Perrone

UMass Department of Neurology Outstanding Scholarship in Neurology Prize
Seth Nathan Levin

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Medical Student Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award
Mary Loretta Cheffers

Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology Award
Whitney Hendrickson-Cahill

UMass Surgical Society Award for Excellence in Student Clinical Performance
Chau Maggie Hoang

UMass Surgical Society Award for Excellence in Surgical Education
Sarah Ann Tracy

Association of Academic Surgery Student Research Award
Nicole Binanne Cherng

New England Pediatric Society Award
Jennifer Marie MacDonald

Massachusetts Medical Society Scholars Award for Academic Excellence
Kathleen Haley Goble
Seth Nathan Levin
Christopher Michael Perrone
Sarah L. Valente

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Emily Rachel Chen

American Medical Women’s Association Award
Debora Afezolli
Amanda Bernier
Nicole Binanne Cherng
Jennifer Lynn Clark
Marguerite Lee Davis
Kristin Ducrest Gerson
Kathleen Haley Goble
Jennifer Messina Hanson
Whitney Hendrickson-Cahill
Jennifer Marie MacDonald
Kathryn M. Niro
Amanda Jean O’Halloran
Katherine Rachel Riva
Sarah E. Shannahan
Lauren Elizabeth Strazzula
Sarah Ann Tracy
Molly Elizabeth Wolf

Faculty Award Recipients

Outstanding Clinical Medical Educators
Mitchell A. Cahan, MD
Frank J. Domino, MD
William (Jerry) A. Durbin, MD
Timothy E. Gibson, MD
Marie Sosa, MD
Oscar Starobin, MD
Dawn S. Tasillo, MD

Outstanding House Officers
William Bortcosh, MD
Ankur Butala, MD
Brandon Colvin, MD
Laura Dawson, MD
Jay Lawrence, MD
Krunal Patel, MD

Related link on UMass Chan News:
A new way of teaching medicine begins with T.H. Chan School of Medicine’s entering class